Pfeiffer Georgi wins women's British road race title

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Pfeiffer Georgi (Team DSM) won the elite women’s road race at the British national championships, storming up the final ascent of the Michaelgate climb to take victory by several seconds. 

The 21-year old also took victory in the Under 23 category contained within the race.

Michaelgate, a steep cobbled climb that rises towards the city centre, has shaped every bike race situated in Lincoln and it once again proved decisive. 

On the very first ascent, Anna Henderson (Jumbo-Visma) and Anna Christian (Drops-Le Col s/b Tempur) forced a split in the peloton and a group composed of most of the pre-race favourites escaped. Although there were repeated counter-attacks from the peloton, this group remained ahead to fight for the title.

Georgi first displayed her strength on the sixth ascent of Michaelgate, obliterating the front of the race, though the group later regathered itself on the flatter sections of the course. 

April Tacey (Drops-Le Col s/b Tempur) launched a late solo attack on the final lap but was unable to fend off the marauding Georgi on the final climb of Michaelgate and up to the finish line.

Josie Nelson (Team Coop-Hitec Products) finished three second behind and Joss Lowden (Drops-Le Col s/b Tempur) finished third at seven seconds.

“I did this race once before and the key is positioning into this climb because it’s so narrow and things can go at any lap,” Georgi said at the finish. 

“We saw that today when it split on the first lap. I didn’t believe that I could win from a sprint so with two laps to go I attacked and I saw that I had a gap so I started to believe that if it all stayed together I would have a chance. 

“The last time up I just went full gas, didn’t look behind and I couldn’t believe that I’d won! A short climb is her [Henderson’s] speciality and she’s in such good form after winning the time-trial. I just tried to get ahead of her and I’m so happy!”

“I love racing in the rain and I’m more of a classics rider so I spent my whole season in Belgium racing on wet cobble. I did Roubaix a few weeks ago so that set me up well for this because these aren’t Roubaix cobbles.”

How it unfolded

Following the late withdrawal of 38 riders, a reduced peloton of just 81 emerged from Lincoln’s narrow streets to take their place on the start line. In the rain, clothed in jackets and framed by an umbrella-shaped crowd, they assumed the familiar multi-coloured but faceless formation of a wet bike race.

After the flag drop the pace lifted in preparation for a descent greased by rain and falling leaves. Due to these slippery conditions the peloton initially remained intact and once the descent had been negotiated, Rachel Langdon (Instafund Racing) launched the day’s first attack but was brought back immediately.

Then, on the cobbles of Michaelgate, Henderson and Christian moved to the front, forcing a split to which only ten other riders were attentive.

Most of the pre-race favourites made the move. Four Drops- Le Col riders were present: Christian, Dani Christmas, April Tacey and Joss Lowden, as well as Alice Barnes (Canyon-Sram), the defending champion Jo Tindley (Pro-Noctis-Redchilli Bikes), the newly crowned circuit race champion Josie Nelson, Danielle Shrosbee (Team LDN-Brother UK), Sophie Wright (Alè BTC Ljubljana), Anna Shackley (Team SD Worx) and Georgi.

Behind, Storey Racing led the chase but without making considerable inroads into the time gap. 

The front group began to extend their advantage until it had reached 50 seconds as they completed the third lap of the race.

Nonetheless, repeated counter-attacks continued from the peloton and on the third ascent of Michaelgate Louise Hart (Campinense-Velo Performance) and Victoria Smith (AeroCoach) opened up a substantial gap. 

They were later joined by Lucy Gadd (Storey Racing), Poppy Thompson (Pro-Noctis-Redchilli Bikes), Katie Scott (CAMS-Basso) forming a sizable, cohesive chase group. 

As the race entered its fifth lap they were assimilated back into the peloton and the advantage held by the lead group plateaued at a little over a minute.

The firepower of this lead group seemed to be diminished by the fifth ascent of Michaelgate, as Christmas and Tindley were both dropped, although they were able to latch back on after the climb. From the peloton, meanwhile, Leah Dixon (Team TIBCO-Silicon Valley Bank) launched her own offensive in a speculative attempt to bridge across to the front of the race.

Where the fifth ascent of Michaelgate had cracked the cohesion of the lead group, the sixth ascent shattered it as Georgi attacked shortly before the climb, distancing everyone except Henderson and Lowden. Though the group eventually came back together again on the flatter sections of the course, it indicated Georgi’s strength.

The penultimate ascent of Michaelgate was a cagier affair, and the lead group started the final lap together. Aware that they could not maintain the pace of the climbers on Michaelgate, Drops-Le Col s/b Tempur used their strength in numbers to launch a series of attacks. 

Christian accelerated and was brought back by Tindley and Georgi on the descent. Undeterred, Christian attacked once more and was countered by Tacey, her teammate, who was initially unable to break clear. 

On her second attempt, Tacey built up an advantage of 14 seconds. She seemed set for victory but was then unable to fend off the rest of the group on the final climb, and it was Georgi who attacked, passed her and took the British title.