Lizzie Armitstead won the Boels Rental Hills Classic on Friday in the Netherlands. The Boels-Dolmans rider was a part of a five-woman breakaway that made it over the final ascent of the Cauberg before arriving to the finish line. Last year's winner Emma Johansson (Orica-AIS) was second and Rabo-Liv's Katarzyna Niewiadoma was third on the day.
"After all the work the team did today I just had to win, I would have felt guilty if I had ended second here. It was my first race after a little break in the season, but I felt the legs were pretty good during the race. So I was confident I could win the sprint. Nice for the team sponsors that I won here in their region in the Boels Rental Hills Classic," Armitstead said in a team press release on Facebook.
The Boels Rental Hills Classic offered a 131km course that ventured through the Dutch hills in and around Limburg. The women were tested over 1,500 metres of elevations gain with 15 bergs and two trips up the Cauberg climb before finishing up the Geulhemmerweg.
A seven-rider breakaway formed early in the race to include Katrin Garfoot (Orica-GreenEdge), Danielle King (Wiggle-Honda), Chantal Blaak (Boels-Dolmans), Susanna Zorzi (Lotto-Soudal Ladies), Janneke Ensing (Parkhotel), Sabrina Stultiens (Liv-Plantur) and Thalita de Jong (Rabobank-Liv), which gained three minutes.
A larger chase group of roughly 25 riders formed behind the seven leaders and by the time they hit first ascent of the Cauberg, the groups had merged with 25km to go.
That group dwindled to just five over the second and final trip up the Cauberg to include Armitstead, Johannson and Niewiadoma along with Elisa Longo Borghini (Wiggle-Honda) and Stultiens, who won the mountain competition. Niewiadoma made several attacks at the base of the last climb to Geulhemmerweg, however, Armitstead was able to respond to all of them and add to that with a winning sprint to the finish line.
Full Results
| # | Rider Name (Country) Team | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Elizabeth Armitstead (GBr) Boels Dolmans Cycling Team | 3:44:37 |
| 2 | Emma Johansson (Swe) Orica - Ais | |
| 3 | Katarzyna Niewiadoma (Pol) Rabo Liv Women Cycling Team | |
| 4 | Sabrina Stultiens (Ned) Team Liv-Plantur | |
| 5 | Elisa Longo Borghini (Ita) Wiggle Honda | |
| 6 | Chantal Blaak (Ned) Boels Dolmans Cycling Team | 0:00:04 |
| 7 | Katrin Garfoot (Aus) Orica - Ais | |
| 8 | Eleonora Van Dijk (Ned) Boels Dolmans Cycling Team | |
| 9 | Amy Pieters (Ned) Team Liv-Plantur | |
| 10 | Thalita De Jong (Ned) Rabo Liv Women Cycling Team | |
| 11 | Jessie Daams (Bel) Lotto Soudal Ladies | |
| 12 | Janneke Ensing (Ned) Parkhotel Valkenburg Continental Team | |
| 13 | Susanna Zorzi (Ita) Lotto Soudal Ladies | |
| 14 | Dani King (GBr) Wiggle Honda | |
| 15 | Anouska Koster (Ned) Rabo Liv Women Cycling Team | 0:03:42 |
| 16 | Sofie De Vuyst (Bel) Lensworld.eu - Zannata | |
| 17 | Christine Majerus (Lux) Boels Dolmans Cycling Team | |
| 18 | Elena Cecchini (Ita) Lotto Soudal Ladies | |
| 19 | Floortje Mackaij (Ned) Team Liv-Plantur | |
| 20 | Shara Gillow (Aus) Rabo Liv Women Cycling Team | |
| 21 | Sanne Van Paassen (Ned) | |
| 22 | Rozanne Slik (Ned) Parkhotel Valkenburg Continental Team | |
| 23 | Willeke Knol (Ned) Team Liv-Plantur | |
| 24 | Marijn De Vries (Ned) Parkhotel Valkenburg Continental Team | |
| 25 | Anna Sanchis Chafer (Spa) Wiggle Honda | |
| 26 | Pauliena Rooijakkers (Ned) Parkhotel Valkenburg Continental Team | 0:03:45 |
| 27 | Mirthe Wagenaar (Ned) | |
| 28 | Carlee Taylor (Aus) Lotto Soudal Ladies | |
| 29 | Sara Mustonen (Swe) Team Liv-Plantur | |
| 30 | Kaat Hannes (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen - Pro - Duo | 0:03:56 |
| 31 | Esther Van Veen (Ned) | |
| 32 | Nathalie Verschelden (Bel) | 0:04:00 |
| 33 | Kyara Stijns (Ned) Team Liv-Plantur | |
| 34 | Kelly Van Den Steen (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen - Pro - Duo | |
| 35 | Moniek Tenniglo (Ned) Rabo Liv Women Cycling Team | |
| 36 | Sophie De Boer (Ned) Parkhotel Valkenburg Continental Team | |
| 37 | Annelies Van Doorslaer (Bel) Lensworld.eu - Zannata | |
| 38 | Demi De Jong (Ned) Boels Dolmans Cycling Team | |
| 39 | Nike Beckeringh (Ned) | |
| 40 | Veronika Kormos (Hun) | |
| 41 | Eva Buurman (Ned) | |
| 42 | Melissa Hoskins (Aus) Orica - Ais | |
| 43 | Gracie Elvin (Aus) Orica - Ais | |
| 44 | Rachel Neylan (Aus) Orica - Ais | 0:04:06 |
| 45 | Jeanne Korevaar (Ned) | 0:04:18 |
| 46 | Sara Penton (Swe) | 0:04:23 |
| 47 | Giorgia Bronzini (Ita) Wiggle Honda | 0:04:28 |
| 48 | Amalie Dideriksen (Den) Boels Dolmans Cycling Team | 0:07:45 |
| 49 | Anouk Rijff (Ned) Lotto Soudal Ladies | |
| 50 | Kirsten Peetoom (Ned) | |
| 51 | Lauren Arnouts (Ned) | |
| 52 | Alicja Verhagen (Ned) | |
| 53 | Minke Van Dongen (Ned) | |
| 54 | Hannah Ross (USA) | |
| 55 | Iris Van Der Stelt (Ned) | |
| 56 | Saskia Oomen (Ned) | |
| 57 | Mary Rose Postma (Ned) | 0:07:52 |
| 58 | Femke Kuipers (Ned) | |
| 59 | Valerie Demey (Bel) | |
| 60 | Monique Van De Ree (Ned) | |
| 61 | Nina Kessler (Ned) Lensworld.eu - Zannata | |
| 62 | Anna Knauer (Ger) Rabo Liv Women Cycling Team | 0:07:57 |
| 63 | Melissa Wijfje (Ned) | 0:07:59 |
| 64 | Anne Marijn Van Der Graaf (Ned) | 0:08:01 |
| 65 | Suzanne De Lange (Ned) | |
| 66 | Lensy Debboudt (Bel) | 0:08:03 |
| 67 | Margriet Helena Kloppenburg (Den) | 0:08:06 |
| 68 | Senna Feron (Ned) | 0:08:24 |
| DNF | Lieselot Decroix (Bel) Lotto Soudal Ladies | |
| DNF | Céline Van Severen (Bel) Lensworld.eu - Zannata | |
| DNF | Marissa Otten (Ned) Lensworld.eu - Zannata | |
| DNF | Jermaine Post (Ned) Parkhotel Valkenburg Continental Team | |
| DNF | Anne Posthuma (Ned) | |
| DNF | Ine Vercammen (Bel) | |
| DNF | Daniella Verstraten (Ned) | |
| DNF | Evy Roelen (Bel) | |
| DNF | Chantal Verstraten (Ned) | |
| DNF | Kirsten Niessen (Ned) | |
| DNF | Marieke Van Witzenburg (Ned) | |
| DNF | Demi Vollering (Ned) | |
| DNF | Gina Hofland (Ned) | |
| DNF | Anne Peer (Ned) | |
| DNF | Sanne Van Helmond (Ned) | |
| DNF | Yukiyo Hori (Jpn) | |
| DNF | Wendy Oosterwoud (Ned) | |
| DNF | Bo Grievink (Ned) | |
| DNF | Loes Adegeest (Ned) | |
| DNF | Amy Luijten (Ned) | |
| DNF | Ingrid Tempert (Ned) | |
| DNF | Marleen Pardon (Ned) | |
| DNF | Ashleigh Neave (NZl) | |
| DNF | Janine Van Der Meer (Ned) | |
| DNF | Tamara Preuß (Ger) | |
| DNF | Kelly Druyts (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen - Pro - Duo | |
| DNF | Evelyn Arys (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen - Pro - Duo | |
| DNF | Gilke Croket (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen - Pro - Duo | |
| DNF | Floor Besteman (Ned) | |
| DNF | Pernilla Van Rozelaar (Ned) | |
| DNF | Tessa Neefjes (Ned) | |
| DNF | Marjolein Bakker (Ned) |
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