Guarnier wins Strade Bianche 2015

Megan Guarnier of Boels-Dolman won the first edition of the women’s Strade Bianche, with a powerful solo attack, with teammate Lizzie Armitstead taking second ahead of Elisa Longo Borghini (Wiggle Honda).

The steep gravel roads and strong wind tore the field apart during the long second sector of dirt roads after 58km of the 103km race.

A lead group of 14 riders formed with most of the major teams represented. However a series of attacks by Ashleigh Moolman-Pasio (Bigla) reduced the group even further, with the twisting descents causing as much damage as the climbs and strong winds.

The group dwindled to five riders on the final sectors of dirt roads, with Guarnier, Armitstead, Longo Borghini, Moolman and Anna Van Der Breggen (Rabo Liv) going clear.

Armistead and Guarnier combined to attack their rivals. First Armitstead made a move on a steep section of the second to last sector of gravel. When she was pulled back, Guarnier went hard as the gradient eased. She created a gap and managed to open a lead of 40 seconds. The final kilometres dipped and rose in the suburbs of Siena but Guarnier had the strength to stay and even extended her lead.

She tackled the final climb up to the city centre calmly and was able to celebrate her solo victory in the spectacular Piazza il Campo in Siena.

Guarnier hugged Armitstead in celebration after their one-two result.

“I remember watching the men’s race last year and said ‘Wow, what an incredible race, I want to do that’. Then I thought about it more and decided that I wanted to win. It’s not every day you can say that you say it and it happens. This was a big win for me,” Guarnier told Cyclingnews after singing the USA national anthem on the podium.

“This was our first on the gravel of the Strade Bianche. It was technical but I loved it. You wouldn’t want to get in the soft stuff, so you had to look way ahead to take the correct line. But it was a nice.”

Guarnier explained how she and Armitstead combined to take first and second place.

“We had to be conservative because initially other teams were more strongly represented but as the race went on, the course selected out some of the others,” she said.

“Lizzie went on the steep part but then it flattened out and so I kept powering through. I got gap and then kept holding,”

Lizzie went on the attack on the second to last gravel section and I countered and stayed away. Lizzie had her work cut out behind covering everything but we did it.”

Full Results

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#Rider Name (Country) TeamResult
1Megan Guarnier (USA) Boels Dolmans Cycling Team2:59:17
2Elizabeth Armitstead (GBr) Boels Dolmans Cycling Team0:00:37
3Elisa Longo Borghini (Ita) Wiggle HondaRow 2 - Cell 2
4Ashleigh Moolman-Pasio (RSA) Bigla Pro Cycling Team0:00:39
5Anna Van Der Breggen (Ned) Rabo Liv Women Cycling Team0:00:46
6Katarzyna Niewiadoma (Pol) Rabo Liv Women Cycling Team0:00:52
7Alena Amialiusik (Blr) Velocio - SRAM0:00:54
8Anna Solovey (Ukr) Astana - Acca Due O0:01:04
9Annemiek Van Vleuten (Ned) Bigla Pro Cycling Team0:01:10
10Elena Cecchini (Ita) Lotto Soudal Ladies0:04:01
11Christine Majerus (Lux) Boels Dolmans Cycling TeamRow 10 - Cell 2
12Emma Johansson (Swe) Orica AIS0:04:03
13Rossella Ratto (Ita) Inpa Sottoli GiusfrediRow 12 - Cell 2
14Audrey Cordon (Fra) Wiggle Honda0:04:07
15Shelley Olds (USA) Bigla Pro Cycling TeamRow 14 - Cell 2
16Carlee Taylor (Aus) Lotto Soudal Ladies0:04:08
17Shara Gillow (Aus) Rabo Liv Women Cycling TeamRow 16 - Cell 2
18Lucinda Brand (Ned) Rabo Liv Women Cycling Team0:04:15
19Loren Rowney (Aus) Velocio - SRAMRow 18 - Cell 2
20Romy Kasper (Ger) Boels Dolmans Cycling Team0:04:19
21Trixi Worrack (Ger) Velocio - SRAMRow 20 - Cell 2
22Tiffany Cromwell (Aus) Velocio - SRAMRow 21 - Cell 2
23Eugenia Bujak (Pol) BTC City LjubljanaRow 22 - Cell 2
24Rasa Leleivyte (Ltu) Aromitalia Vaiano0:04:36
25Jessie Daams (Bel) Lotto Soudal Ladies0:07:12
26Gracie Elvin (Aus) Orica AIS0:07:31
27Valentina Scandolara (Ita) Orica AIS0:08:09
28Elizabeth Williams (Aus) Orica AISRow 27 - Cell 2
29Mia Radotic (Cro) BTC City Ljubljana0:08:13
30Roxane Knetemann (Ned) Rabo Liv Women Cycling Team0:08:14
31Francesca Cauz (Ita) Ale CipolliniRow 30 - Cell 2
32Anna Potokina (Rus) Servetto Footon0:08:16
33Mayuko Hagiwara (Jpn) Wiggle Honda0:08:21
34Anna Zita Maria Stricker (Ita) Inpa Sottoli GiusfrediRow 33 - Cell 2
35Olena Pavlukhina (Aze) BTC City LjubljanaRow 34 - Cell 2
36Chiara Pierobon (Ita) Top Girls Fassa Bortolo0:08:23
37Malgorzta Jasinska (Pol) Ale CipolliniRow 36 - Cell 2
38Elena Berlato (Ita) Ale CipolliniRow 37 - Cell 2
39Iris Slappendel (Ned) Bigla Pro Cycling TeamRow 38 - Cell 2
40Arianna Fidanza (Ita) Ale Cipollini0:08:27
41Maria Giulia Confalonieri (Ita) Ale CipolliniRow 40 - Cell 2
42Spela Kern (Slo) BTC City Ljubljana0:08:29
43Marta Bastianelli (Ita) Aromitalia VaianoRow 42 - Cell 2
44Santesteban Gonzalez A (Spa) Inpa Sottoli Giusfredi0:08:38
45Chloe Hosking (Aus) Wiggle Honda0:08:41
46Marta Tagliaferro (Ita) Ale Cipollini0:08:52
47Giorgia Bronzini (Ita) Wiggle HondaRow 46 - Cell 2
48Joelle Numainville (Can) Bigla Pro Cycling Team0:10:38
49Simona Bortolotti (Ita) Bepink Laclassica0:10:43
50Katrin Garfoot (Aus) Orica AISRow 49 - Cell 2
51Soraya Paladin (Ita) Top Girls Fassa BortoloRow 50 - Cell 2
52Amanda Spratt (Aus) Orica AIS0:10:45
53Milda Jankauskaite (Ltu) Astana - Acca Due O0:11:34
54Tatiana Antoshina (Rus) Servetto FootonRow 53 - Cell 2
55Lieselot Decroix (Bel) Lotto Soudal Ladies0:11:37
56Ewelina Szybiak (Pol) Aromitalia Vaiano0:11:47
57Lija Laizane (Lat) Aromitalia Vaiano0:12:00
58Eva Lechner (Ita) BTC City Ljubljana0:15:07
59Allison Elizabet Linnell (USA) Aromitalia Vaiano0:15:11
60Michela Pavin (Ita) Servetto Footon0:15:54
61Ilaria Sanguineti (Ita) Bepink Laclassica0:18:02
62Anna Trevisi (Ita) Inpa Sottoli GiusfrediRow 61 - Cell 2
63Alice Maria Arzuffi (Ita) Inpa Sottoli GiusfrediRow 62 - Cell 2
64Irene Bitto (Ita) Top Girls Fassa BortoloRow 63 - Cell 2
65Sarah Rijkes (Aut) Lotto Soudal LadiesRow 64 - Cell 2
66Mara Abbott (USA) Wiggle HondaRow 65 - Cell 2
67Barbara Guarischi (Ita) Velocio - SRAMRow 66 - Cell 2
68Lisa Brennauer (Ger) Velocio - SRAMRow 67 - Cell 2
69Elena Franchi (Ita) Servetto Footon0:19:47
70Eyerusalem Kelil (Eth) Michela Fanini Rox Record0:21:56
71Asja Paladin (Ita) Top Girls Fassa Bortolo0:23:09
72Nina Gulino (Ita) Michela Fanini Rox Record0:24:27
73Azzurra D'Intino (Ita) Michela Fanini Rox RecordRow 72 - Cell 2

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