Festival Elsy Jacobs: Majerus wins stage 1

Overall winner of the 2017 Festival Elsy Jacobs, Christine Majerus (Boels Dolmans), will start this year’s final stage on Sunday wearing the yellow jersey, after winning stage two in Steinfort today. In a repeat performance from last season, 31-year-old Majerus timed her sprint to perfection, just edging out Alexis Ryan (Canyon-SRAM) and Eugenia Bujak (BTC-City Ljubljana), who herself was second on this stage 12 months ago.

The 97.7km stage, starting and finishing in Steinfort, began at high pace, with no early breaks able to get away, but as the race progressed the action began.

Sofia Bertizzolo (Astana Women’s team) worked and was rewarded with the took the WNT Ceratizit Group Mountains jersey after winning the first two classified climbs at Kopstal and Koerich. Then, on the second of five closing laps around Steinfort, Monamine Eri (Maaslandster International) attacked to ride the rest of the lap alone.

With the Japanese champion’s advantage shrinking the next time the peloton crossed the line she was joined by Marta Cavalli (Valcar-PBM) and former Dutch champion Anouska Koster (Waowdeals), the trio working well together.

However, as they reached the final ascent at Koerich they were caught and the stage was set for a sprint finish.

Canyon//SRAM, whose Lisa Klein started the day wearing the leader’s Skoda yellow jersey took charge at the front of the bunch, but with Majerus’s Boels-Dolmans protecting her in the final, she was able to take the win.

“It’s obviously a finish that is good for me because is it is slightly uphill, so it is not too fast a sprint.” said Majerus. “If you have the right position it’s s nice sprint, and I timed it well two years in a row!

“I was not thinking about the yellow jersey, the first goal today was to try and go for the victory in the stage, obviously we figured with the victory we could come close on the GC, and I am proud to wear it again tomorrow.”

Tomorrow will see Majerus defend her lead on the final 111km stage in Garnich, the town is the birthplace of Elsy Jacobs, where she will need another high finish to repeat her overall victory.”

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