Giorgia Bronzini (Wiggle-Honda) won the second stage of La Route de France in Bourges on Tuesday. The Italian sprinter beat overall race leader Amy Pieters (Liv-Plantur) and Kimberly Wells (Australia) to the line for the victory.
"In the end there was some chaos in the last kilometres, but I was always with Nettie [Edmondson],” Bronzini said. “Elisa [Longo Borghini] stretched the bunch, and Nettie pulled me in the sprint!”
Pieters, who won the opening prologue in Enghien les Bains on Sunday, continues to lead the overall race into the stage 3's 113km race from Nievre to Avallon. She leads the race by three seconds ahead of Eugenia Bujak (BTC City Ljubljana) and four seconds ahead of Annette Edmondson (Wiggle Honda).
Stage 2's 118km race from Villemandeur to Bourges was destined to be a sprint finish because of its predominantly flat parcour. There was an early breakaway of four riders, and strong crosswinds that shattered the field into small groups, however, the field was back together heading into the one QOM in Mery es Bois, 90km into the stage. The climb was not steep enough to cause any major splits in the peloton but Optum Pro Cycling's Brianne Walle took full points at the top and moved into the lead of the mountain competition.
The field raced into Bourges all together with overall race leader, Pieters, safely with her teammates near the front of the field. Liv-Plantur had intended to set up the sprint for stage 1 winner Lucy Garner, however, the women lost each others' wheels coming into the finish line.
Former world champion Bronzini sprinted for the victory, while Pieters managed to come in a close second place and retain her lead in the overall classification.
“The plan was to go for the sprint with Lucy again today but the girls lost each other in the final so they had to switch plans,” said Liv-Plantur coach Hans Timmermans. “They did well to realise in time to switch to Amy for the sprint and she did a powerful finish to nearly take the stage.”
Full Results
| # | Rider Name (Country) Team | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Giorgia Bronzini (Ita) Wiggle Honda | 2:59:13 |
| 2 | Amy Pieters (Ned) Team Liv - Plantur | |
| 3 | Kimberley Wells (Aus) Australia | |
| 4 | Annette Edmondson (Aus) Wiggle Honda | |
| 5 | Lauren Kitchen (Aus) Hitec Products | |
| 6 | Aurore Verhoeven (Fra) Lointek Team | |
| 7 | Roxane Fournier (Fra) Poitou-Charentes.Futuroscope.87 | |
| 8 | Anna Trevisi (Ita) Inpa Sottoli Giusfredi | |
| 9 | Oxana Kozonchuk (Rus) Russia | |
| 10 | Claudia Lichtenberg (Ger) Team Liv - Plantur | |
| 11 | Daiva Tuslaite (Ltu) Inpa Sottoli Giusfredi | |
| 12 | Eugénie Duval (Fra) Poitou-Charentes.Futuroscope.88 | |
| 13 | Eugenia Bujak (Pol) Btc City Ljubljana | |
| 14 | Leah Kirchmann (Can) Optum P/B Kelly Benefit Strategies | |
| 15 | Carlee Taylor (Aus) Lotto Soudal Ladies | |
| 16 | Aude Biannic (Fra) Poitou-Charentes.Futuroscope.90 | |
| 17 | Lucia Gonzalez Blanco (Spa) Lointek Team | |
| 18 | Fiona Dutriaux (Fra) France | 0:00:05 |
| 19 | Brianna Walle (USA) Optum P/B Kelly Benefit Strategies | |
| 20 | Larisa Pankova (Rus) Astana - Acca Due O | |
| 21 | Polona Batagelj (Slo) Btc City Ljubljana | |
| 22 | Cecilie Gotaas Johnsen (Nor) Hitec Products | |
| 23 | Ursa Pintar (Slo) Btc City Ljubljana | |
| 24 | Amélie Rivat (Fra) Poitou-Charentes.Futuroscope.86 | |
| 25 | Loren Rowney (Aus) Australia | |
| 26 | Charlotte Bravard (Fra) Poitou-Charentes.Futuroscope.89 | |
| 27 | Kaat Hannes (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen - Pro - Duo | |
| 28 | Spela Kern (Slo) Btc City Ljubljana | |
| 29 | Ane Santesteban Gonzalez (Ita) Inpa Sottoli Giusfredi | |
| 30 | Silvia Valsecchi (Ita) Bepink Laclassica | |
| 31 | Nel De Crits (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen - Pro - Duo | |
| 32 | Elena Utrobina (Rus) Bizkaia - Durango | |
| 33 | Anouk Rijff (Ned) Lotto Soudal Ladies | |
| 34 | Claudia Cretti (Ita) Inpa Sottoli Giusfredi | |
| 35 | Ingrid Drexel (Mex) Astana - Acca Due O | |
| 36 | Olga Dobrynina (Rus) Bizkaia - Durango | |
| 37 | Jessica Mundy (Aus) Australia | |
| 38 | Jenelle Crooks (Aus) Australia | |
| 39 | Jessie Daams (Bel) Lotto Soudal Ladies | |
| 40 | Coralie Demay (Fra) France | |
| 41 | Lucy Garner (GBr) Team Liv - Plantur | |
| 42 | Jesst Druyts (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen - Pro - Duo | |
| 43 | Anna Ramirez Bauxel (Spa) Bizkaia - Durango | |
| 44 | Lierni Lekuona Etxebeste (Spa) Bizkaia - Durango | |
| 45 | Elisa Longo Borghini (Ita) Wiggle Honda | |
| 46 | Molly Weavers (GBr) Team Liv - Plantur | |
| 47 | Marion Sicot (Fra) France | |
| 48 | Julia Soek (Ned) Team Liv - Plantur | |
| 49 | Amber Neben (USA) Bepink Laclassica | |
| 50 | Mayuko Hagiwara (Jpn) Wiggle Honda | |
| 51 | Emilie Rochedy (Fra) France | |
| 52 | Lieselot Decroix (Bel) Lotto Soudal Ladies | |
| 53 | Martina Ritter (Aut) Btc City Ljubljana | |
| 54 | Anna Potokina (Rus) Russia | |
| 55 | Kseniia Dobrynina (Rus) Astana - Acca Due O | |
| 56 | Audrey Cordon (Fra) Wiggle Honda | |
| 57 | Jaime Nielsen (NZl) Bepink Laclassica | |
| 58 | Belen Lopez Morales (Spa) Lointek Team | |
| 59 | Eider Merino Kortazar (Spa) Lointek Team | |
| 60 | Jasmin Glaesser (Can) Optum P/B Kelly Benefit Strategies | |
| 61 | Amy Cure (Aus) Lotto Soudal Ladies | |
| 62 | Tetiana Riabchenko (Ukr) Inpa Sottoli Giusfredi | |
| 63 | Maura Kinsella (USA) Optum P/B Kelly Benefit Strategies | |
| 64 | Ilaria Bonomi (Ita) Bepink Laclassica | |
| 65 | Ingrid Lorvik (Nor) Hitec Products | |
| 66 | Annie Ewart (Can) Optum P/B Kelly Benefit Strategies | |
| 67 | Ana Maria Covrig (Rom) Bepink Laclassica | |
| 68 | Angela Maffeis (Ita) Inpa Sottoli Giusfredi | |
| 69 | Ariane Horbach (Ger) Optum P/B Kelly Benefit Strategies | |
| 70 | Manon Souyris (Fra) France | |
| 71 | Soline Lamboley (Fra) Lointek Team | |
| 72 | Fien Delbaere (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen - Pro - Duo | |
| 73 | Carolina Rodriguez Gutierrez (Spa) Astana - Acca Due O | |
| 74 | Natalya Saifutdinova (Kaz) Astana - Acca Due O | |
| 75 | Greta Richioud (Fra) Poitou-Charentes.Futuroscope.91 | |
| 76 | Makhabbat Umutzhanova (Rus) Astana - Acca Due O | |
| 77 | Willeke Knol (Ned) Team Liv - Plantur | 0:00:27 |
| 78 | Shannon Malseed (Aus) Australia | 0:00:29 |
| 79 | Fanny Leleu (Fra) France | |
| 80 | Ellen Skerritt (Aus) Australia | |
| 81 | Isabelle Beckers (Bel) Lotto Soudal Ladies | |
| 82 | Samara Sheppard (NZl) Bizkaia - Durango | |
| 83 | Saartje Vandenbroucke (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen - Pro - Duo | |
| 84 | Marina Likhanova (Rus) Russia | 0:00:33 |
| 85 | Tatiana Shamanova (Rus) Russia | |
| 86 | Lindsay Marie Fox (USA) Bepink Laclassica | |
| 87 | Tone Hatteland Lima (Nor) Hitec Products | |
| 88 | Anna Christian (GBr) Wiggle Honda | 0:01:09 |
| 89 | Janicke Gunvaldsen (Nor) Hitec Products | |
| 90 | Dafné Therous Izquierdo (Can) Lointek Team | 0:14:37 |
| DNF | Tatiana Antoshina (Rus) Russia | |
| DNS | Mia Radotic (Cro) Btc City Ljubljana |
| # | Rider Name (Country) Team | Result | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brianna Walle (USA) Optum P/B Kelly Benefit Strategies | 5 | pts |
| 2 | Jesst Druyts (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen - Pro - Duo | 3 | |
| 3 | Maura Kinsella (USA) Optum P/B Kelly Benefit Strategies | 2 | |
| 4 | Lauren Kitchen (Aus) Hitec Products | 1 |
| # | Rider Name (Country) Team | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Amy Pieters (Ned) Team Liv - Plantur | 5:50:41 |
| 2 | Eugenia Bujak (Pol) Btc City Ljubljana | 0:00:03 |
| 3 | Annette Edmondson (Aus) Wiggle Honda | 0:00:04 |
| 4 | Leah Kirchmann (Can) Optum P/B Kelly Benefit Strategies | 0:00:05 |
| 5 | Lauren Kitchen (Aus) Hitec Products | 0:00:06 |
| 6 | Aude Biannic (Fra) Poitou-Charentes.Futuroscope.90 | 0:00:07 |
| 7 | Brianna Walle (USA) Optum P/B Kelly Benefit Strategies | 0:00:09 |
| 8 | Jaime Nielsen (NZl) Bepink Laclassica | |
| 9 | Claudia Lichtenberg (Ger) Team Liv - Plantur | 0:00:11 |
| 10 | Elisa Longo Borghini (Ita) Wiggle Honda | |
| 11 | Martina Ritter (Aut) Btc City Ljubljana | 0:00:12 |
| 12 | Daiva Tuslaite (Ltu) Inpa Sottoli Giusfredi | 0:00:13 |
| 13 | Kimberley Wells (Aus) Australia | |
| 14 | Jasmin Glaesser (Can) Optum P/B Kelly Benefit Strategies | |
| 15 | Silvia Valsecchi (Ita) Bepink Laclassica | 0:00:14 |
| 16 | Amy Cure (Aus) Lotto Soudal Ladies | |
| 17 | Roxane Fournier (Fra) Poitou-Charentes.Futuroscope.87 | 0:00:16 |
| 18 | Cecilie Gotaas Johnsen (Nor) Hitec Products | 0:00:17 |
| 19 | Carlee Taylor (Aus) Lotto Soudal Ladies | |
| 20 | Maura Kinsella (USA) Optum P/B Kelly Benefit Strategies | |
| 21 | Jessie Daams (Bel) Lotto Soudal Ladies | |
| 22 | Polona Batagelj (Slo) Btc City Ljubljana | 0:00:18 |
| 23 | Coralie Demay (Fra) France | 0:00:19 |
| 24 | Eugénie Duval (Fra) Poitou-Charentes.Futuroscope.88 | |
| 25 | Anouk Rijff (Ned) Lotto Soudal Ladies | 0:00:20 |
| 26 | Amélie Rivat (Fra) Poitou-Charentes.Futuroscope.86 | |
| 27 | Amber Neben (USA) Bepink Laclassica | 0:00:21 |
| 28 | Annie Ewart (Can) Optum P/B Kelly Benefit Strategies | |
| 29 | Molly Weavers (GBr) Team Liv - Plantur | |
| 30 | Julia Soek (Ned) Team Liv - Plantur | |
| 31 | Audrey Cordon (Fra) Wiggle Honda | |
| 32 | Lucy Garner (GBr) Team Liv - Plantur | |
| 33 | Tetiana Riabchenko (Ukr) Inpa Sottoli Giusfredi | 0:00:22 |
| 34 | Elena Utrobina (Rus) Bizkaia - Durango | 0:00:23 |
| 35 | Belen Lopez Morales (Spa) Lointek Team | |
| 36 | Jenelle Crooks (Aus) Australia | |
| 37 | Ana Maria Covrig (Rom) Bepink Laclassica | 0:00:24 |
| 38 | Jessica Mundy (Aus) Australia | |
| 39 | Giorgia Bronzini (Ita) Wiggle Honda | |
| 40 | Ingrid Drexel (Mex) Astana - Acca Due O | |
| 41 | Ursa Pintar (Slo) Btc City Ljubljana | 0:00:25 |
| 42 | Eider Merino Kortazar (Spa) Lointek Team | |
| 43 | Mayuko Hagiwara (Jpn) Wiggle Honda | 0:00:26 |
| 44 | Lieselot Decroix (Bel) Lotto Soudal Ladies | |
| 45 | Loren Rowney (Aus) Australia | 0:00:27 |
| 46 | Ilaria Bonomi (Ita) Bepink Laclassica | 0:00:28 |
| 47 | Aurore Verhoeven (Fra) Lointek Team | |
| 48 | Fiona Dutriaux (Fra) France | |
| 49 | Charlotte Bravard (Fra) Poitou-Charentes.Futuroscope.89 | |
| 50 | Larisa Pankova (Rus) Astana - Acca Due O | 0:00:29 |
| 51 | Marion Sicot (Fra) France | |
| 52 | Anna Ramirez Bauxel (Spa) Bizkaia - Durango | |
| 53 | Lucia Gonzalez Blanco (Spa) Lointek Team | |
| 54 | Nel De Crits (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen - Pro - Duo | 0:00:30 |
| 55 | Kaat Hannes (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen - Pro - Duo | |
| 56 | Soline Lamboley (Fra) Lointek Team | 0:00:31 |
| 57 | Ane Santesteban Gonzalez (Ita) Inpa Sottoli Giusfredi | |
| 58 | Ariane Horbach (Ger) Optum P/B Kelly Benefit Strategies | 0:00:32 |
| 59 | Janicke Gunvaldsen (Nor) Hitec Products | |
| 60 | Oxana Kozonchuk (Rus) Russia | |
| 61 | Makhabbat Umutzhanova (Rus) Astana - Acca Due O | |
| 62 | Greta Richioud (Fra) Poitou-Charentes.Futuroscope.91 | 0:00:33 |
| 63 | Spela Kern (Slo) Btc City Ljubljana | |
| 64 | Emilie Rochedy (Fra) France | 0:00:34 |
| 65 | Claudia Cretti (Ita) Inpa Sottoli Giusfredi | 0:00:36 |
| 66 | Anna Trevisi (Ita) Inpa Sottoli Giusfredi | |
| 67 | Carolina Rodriguez Gutierrez (Spa) Astana - Acca Due O | |
| 68 | Natalya Saifutdinova (Kaz) Astana - Acca Due O | 0:00:37 |
| 69 | Olga Dobrynina (Rus) Bizkaia - Durango | 0:00:38 |
| 70 | Ingrid Lorvik (Nor) Hitec Products | 0:00:39 |
| 71 | Manon Souyris (Fra) France | 0:00:43 |
| 72 | Lierni Lekuona Etxebeste (Spa) Bizkaia - Durango | |
| 73 | Anna Potokina (Rus) Russia | |
| 74 | Jesst Druyts (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen - Pro - Duo | |
| 75 | Willeke Knol (Ned) Team Liv - Plantur | |
| 76 | Fien Delbaere (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen - Pro - Duo | 0:00:44 |
| 77 | Ellen Skerritt (Aus) Australia | 0:00:45 |
| 78 | Isabelle Beckers (Bel) Lotto Soudal Ladies | |
| 79 | Kseniia Dobrynina (Rus) Astana - Acca Due O | 0:00:48 |
| 80 | Shannon Malseed (Aus) Australia | 0:00:49 |
| 81 | Saartje Vandenbroucke (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen - Pro - Duo | 0:00:50 |
| 82 | Fanny Leleu (Fra) France | 0:00:53 |
| 83 | Angela Maffeis (Ita) Inpa Sottoli Giusfredi | 0:00:57 |
| 84 | Tone Hatteland Lima (Nor) Hitec Products | 0:01:06 |
| 85 | Tatiana Shamanova (Rus) Russia | 0:01:12 |
| 86 | Lindsay Marie Fox (USA) Bepink Laclassica | |
| 87 | Marina Likhanova (Rus) Russia | 0:01:17 |
| 88 | Samara Sheppard (NZl) Bizkaia - Durango | 0:01:24 |
| 89 | Anna Christian (GBr) Wiggle Honda | 0:01:32 |
| 90 | Dafné Therous Izquierdo (Can) Lointek Team | 0:15:16 |
| # | Rider Name (Country) Team | Result | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brianna Walle (USA) Optum P/B Kelly Benefit Strategies | 5 | pts |
| 2 | Jesst Druyts (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen - Pro - Duo | 3 | |
| 3 | Maura Kinsella (USA) Optum P/B Kelly Benefit Strategies | 2 | |
| 4 | Lauren Kitchen (Aus) Hitec Products | 1 |
| # | Rider Name (Country) Team | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Eugénie Duval (Fra) Poitou-Charentes.Futuroscope.88 | 5:51:00 |
| 2 | Anouk Rijff (Ned) Lotto Soudal Ladies | 0:00:01 |
| 3 | Annie Ewart (Can) Optum P/B Kelly Benefit Strategies | 0:00:02 |
| 4 | Molly Weavers (GBr) Team Liv - Plantur | |
| 5 | Lucy Garner (GBr) Team Liv - Plantur | |
| 6 | Jenelle Crooks (Aus) Australia | 0:00:04 |
| 7 | Ana Maria Covrig (Rom) Bepink Laclassica | 0:00:05 |
| 8 | Jessica Mundy (Aus) Australia | |
| 9 | Ingrid Drexel (Mex) Astana - Acca Due O | |
| 10 | Eider Merino Kortazar (Spa) Lointek Team | 0:00:06 |
| 11 | Ilaria Bonomi (Ita) Bepink Laclassica | 0:00:09 |
| 12 | Soline Lamboley (Fra) Lointek Team | 0:00:12 |
| 13 | Ariane Horbach (Ger) Optum P/B Kelly Benefit Strategies | 0:00:13 |
| 14 | Makhabbat Umutzhanova (Rus) Astana - Acca Due O | |
| 15 | Greta Richioud (Fra) Poitou-Charentes.Futuroscope.91 | 0:00:14 |
| 16 | Emilie Rochedy (Fra) France | 0:00:15 |
| 17 | Claudia Cretti (Ita) Inpa Sottoli Giusfredi | 0:00:17 |
| 18 | Carolina Rodriguez Gutierrez (Spa) Astana - Acca Due O | |
| 19 | Manon Souyris (Fra) France | 0:00:24 |
| 20 | Lierni Lekuona Etxebeste (Spa) Bizkaia - Durango | |
| 21 | Jesst Druyts (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen - Pro - Duo | |
| 22 | Fien Delbaere (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen - Pro - Duo | 0:00:25 |
| 23 | Ellen Skerritt (Aus) Australia | 0:00:26 |
| 24 | Kseniia Dobrynina (Rus) Astana - Acca Due O | 0:00:29 |
| 25 | Shannon Malseed (Aus) Australia | 0:00:30 |
| 26 | Saartje Vandenbroucke (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen - Pro - Duo | 0:00:31 |
| 27 | Angela Maffeis (Ita) Inpa Sottoli Giusfredi | 0:00:38 |
| 28 | Anna Christian (GBr) Wiggle Honda | 0:01:13 |
| 29 | Dafné Therous Izquierdo (Can) Lointek Team | 0:14:57 |
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