Conditions might not have been ideal at the Sprkassen Giro, but that didn’t dampen Ellen Van Dijk’s spirit as she claimed victory from a group of five riders. The HTC-Columbia rider held off Lotto Ladies Team’s newest recruit Tiffany Cromwell to claim victory while Maaike Polspoel (Topsport Vlaanderen – Thompson) took third.
"It wasn't a nice day for riding, but I felt good once we started and we had a great day," said Van Dijk. "Evelyn Stevens bridged across to the break, which was great because I was a bit isolated up there.
“When she caught us she just kept going and was off the front which forced the others to chase. She couldn't hold it all the way to the finish but even when she got caught she just kept riding hard so that the break would stay away.”
Van Dijk made her move early in the final kilometres, following the wheel of Cromwell’s teammate Vicki Whitelaw as she launched a final attack. The Australian’s move didn’t prove fruitful, but Whitelaw still finished just off the podium in fourth.
"That was perfect for me for the sprint,” sad Van Dijk. “Just before the final Vicki Whitelaw attacked and I hopped on her wheel. This turned out to be a great lead-out and I was able to come around her on the last corner to win the sprint.
The victory was the 23-year-old Dutchwoman’s first since winning the Holland Ladies Tour’s second stage in September, 2009. "For sure it's really cool to finally win again, it's a good feeling," she said.
Full Results
Elite women
| # | Rider Name (Country) Team | Result |
|---|
| 1 | Ellen Van Dijk (Ned) HTC Columbia Women | 1:58:19 |
| 2 | Tiffany Cromwell (Aus) Lotto Ladies Team | |
| 3 | Maaike Polspoel (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen - Thompson | |
| 4 | Vicki Whitelaw (Aus) Lotto Ladies Team | |
| 5 | Valentina Carretta (Ita) Top Girls Fassa Bortolo - Ghezzi | |
| 6 | Evelyn Stevens (USA) HTC Columbia Women | 0:00:12 |
| 7 | Katazino Sosna (Ltu) Vaiano Solaristech | 0:00:28 |
| 8 | Chloe Hosking (Aus) HTC Columbia Women | 0:00:58 |
| 9 | Jolien D'Hoore (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen - Thompson | |
| 10 | Kelly Druyts (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen - Thompson | |
| 11 | Emilie Moberg (Nor) Hitec Products Uck | |
| 12 | Nathali Lamborelle (Lux) Hitec Products Uck | |
| 13 | Martina Zwick (Ger) Koga Miyata | |
| 14 | Sofie Verdonck (Bel) Dura Vermeer Cycling | |
| 15 | Rossella Callovi (Ita) Vecchia | |
| 16 | Anisha Vekemans (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen - Thompson | |
| 17 | Lynette Burger (RSA) Lotto Ladies Team | |
| 18 | Denis Zuckermandel (Ger) Team Stuttgart | |
| 19 | Lydia Wegemund (Ger) Team Haibike | 0:01:05 |
| 20 | Ine Beyen (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen - Thompson | |
| 21 | Beate Zanner (Ger) Team Haibike | 0:01:11 |
| 22 | Kristine Saastad (Nor) Hitec Products Uck | |
| 23 | Lise Nöstvold (Nor) Hitec Products Uck | 0:01:13 |
| 24 | Jana Schemmer (Ger) Koga Miyata | |
| 25 | Gloria Presti (Ita) Top Girls Fassa Bortolo - Ghezzi | |
| 26 | Katie Colclough (GBr) British National Team | |
| 27 | Anna Fischer (Ger) Nutrixxion | 0:01:17 |
| 28 | Chiara Vanni (Ita) Vaiano Solaristech | |
| 29 | Katharina Alberti (Ger) Koga Miyata | |
| 30 | Cecilie S Johansen (Nor) Norwegian National Team | |
| 31 | Nikki Harris (GBr) British National Team | |
| 32 | Noemi Cantele (Ita) HTC Columbia Women | 0:01:21 |
| 33 | Linda Me Villumsen (NZl) HTC Columbia Women | |
| 34 | Rossella Gobbo (Ita) Vecchia | |
| 35 | Maria Gra Petersen (Den) Hitec Products Uck | 0:01:25 |
| 36 | Laura Fouquet (Ger) Team Stuttgart | |
| 37 | Stephanie Pohl (Ger) Noris Cycling | |
| 38 | Elke Gebhardt (Ger) Noris Cycling | |
| 39 | Trixi Worrack (Ger) Noris Cycling | |
| 40 | Simona Frapporti (Ita) Vaiano Solaristech | |
| 41 | Valenti Scandolara (Ita) Vaiano Solaristech | |
| 42 | Silvia Valsecchi (Ita) Top Girls Fassa Bortolo - Ghezzi | 0:01:34 |
| 43 | Linn Torp (Nor) Norwegian National Team | 0:01:40 |
| 44 | Sigrid Corneo (Slo) Top Girls Fassa Bortolo - Ghezzi | 0:01:49 |
| 45 | Elena Berlato (Ita) Top Girls Fassa Bortolo - Ghezzi | |
| 46 | Romy Kasper (Ger) Noris Cycling | 0:02:24 |
| 47 | Anna Schnitzmeier (Ger) Nutrixxion | |
| 48 | Catheri Williamson (GBr) British National Team | 0:02:28 |
| 49 | Lucy Martin (GBr) British National Team | 0:02:42 |
| 50 | Simona Martini (Ita) Vaiano Solaristech | 0:03:42 |
| 51 | Kim Schoonbaert (Bel) Lotto Ladies Team | |
| 52 | Johanna Badmann (Ger) Team Stuttgart | 0:04:36 |
| 53 | Nina Köhn (Ger) Team Haibike | 0:06:36 |
| 54 | Fabienne Schaus (Lux) Luxembourg National Team | 0:08:41 |
| 55 | Ronja Köckerling (Ger) Koga Miyata | 0:09:39 |
| 56 | Anna Blyth (GBr) British National Team | |
| 57 | Anne Marie Schmitt (Lux) Luxembourg National Team | 0:09:43 |
| 58 | Francesca Tognali (Ita) Vaiano Solaristech | |
| 59 | Ingeborg Kreuze (Ned) CT People's Trust | 0:12:24 |
| 60 | Juliette Wigbold (Ned) CT People's Trust | |
| 61 | Janine Bubner (Ger) Koga Miyata | |
| 62 | Tone Hatteland (Nor) Hitec Products Uck | |
| 63 | Stefanie Degle (Ger) Team Stuttgart | |
| 64 | Silke Kogelman (Ned) CT People's Trust | |
| 65 | Alexandra Janke (Ger) Koga Miyata | |
| 66 | Marjan Stokman (Ned) CT People's Trust | |
