Sierra wins women's Tour of Guangxi
Barnes and Mustonen make the podium
Cuban sprinter Arlenis Sierra (Astana Women's Team) won the final race of the 2018 UCI Women's WorldTour, sprinting to victory in the Tour of Guangxi ahead of Hannah Barnes (Canyon-SRAM) and Sara Mustonen (Experza-Footlogix).
The 145.8-kilometre race consisted of three parts: The first 86 kilometres were practically flat, containing the first of two intermediate sprints. A hilly section with two mountain sprints (third and second category) was then followed by another flat 30km including the second intermediate sprint before the finish in Guilin.
In fog and rain, Chinese rider Yue Bai (China Liv) was the only one to attempt an early breakaway but did not get further away than 100 metres and was reeled in again soon. The peloton reached the first intermediate sprint after 40km together, and Chiara Consonni (Valcar PBM) beat Tanja Erath (Canyon-SRAM) to the line for two sprint points and a $1000 prime.
Team Tibco-Silicon Valley Bank tried to get a break going. Brodie Chapman was 12 seconds ahead for a short while but was caught again quickly.
When the race reached the hills, Mitchelton-Scott took charge and set a hard pace in order to drop some of the sprinters. The quartet of Katia Ragusa (BePink), Alison Jackson (Team Tibco-Silicon Valley Bank), Winanda Spoor (WNT Rotor), and Xi Sha Zhao (China Liv) went up the road on the lower slopes of the climb. They briefly held a gap of 17 seconds before being caught by Mitchelton-Scott who launched Lucy Kennedy themselves.
Kennedy won the third-category mountain sprint and was joined by Elena Pirrone (Astana Women's Team) in the descent. The two increased their gap to almost a minute at the second-category mountain sprint. This was again won by Kennedy who takes home a total of $4000 for her exploits.
Behind the front duo, the size of the peloton had been reduced significantly to just over 30 riders of the 71 that started the race. In the foggy and technical descent, Tatiana Guderzo (BePink) and Alena Amialiusik (Canyon-SRAM) got away from the bunch and caught up with Kennedy and Pirrone. But the peloton was only fifteen seconds behind by that point and closed the remaining gap at the bottom of the descent.
Jackson won the second intermediate sprint ahead of Georgia Williams (Mitchelton-Scott). Since Consonni had been dropped in the hills, Jackson won the sprint classification and a total of $3000.
The pouring rain did not discourage attacks from riders who wanted to anticipate a mass sprint. Kennedy and Chapman went on the move again just after the intermediate sprint and were joined by Tetyana Riabchenko (Doltcini-Van Eyck) and Dalia Muccioli (Valcar PBM). But this break was short-lived, too, and caught with 15 km to go.
In the finishing straight in Guilin, Amialiusik led out Barnes who looked like a certain winner only to be passed by Arlenis Sierra in the final metres. In Sierra's slipstream, Mustonen sprinted to third place.
The final round of the UCI Women's WorldTour did not cause big changes in the overall rankings. Annemiek van Vleuten (Mitchelton-Scott) wins the UCI Women's WorldTour overall classification while the youth ranking is topped by Sierra's teammate Sofia Bertizzolo.
Full Results
# | Rider Name (Country) Team | Result |
---|---|---|
1 | Arlenis Sierra (Cub) Astana Women's Team | 3:40:12 |
2 | Hannah Barnes (GBr) Canyon-SRAM Racing | Row 1 - Cell 2 |
3 | Sara Mustonen (Swe) Experza - Footlogix | Row 2 - Cell 2 |
4 | Georgia Williams (NZl) Mitchelton Scott | Row 3 - Cell 2 |
5 | Karalina Savenka (Blr) Minsk Cycling Club | Row 4 - Cell 2 |
6 | Audrey Cordon Ragot (Fra) Wiggle High5 | Row 5 - Cell 2 |
7 | Elisa Longo Borghini (Ita) Wiggle High5 | Row 6 - Cell 2 |
8 | Ilaria Sanguineti (Ita) Valcar PBM | Row 7 - Cell 2 |
9 | Elena Pirrone (Ita) Astana Women's Team | Row 8 - Cell 2 |
10 | Alison Jackson (Can) Team Tibco - Silicon Valley Bank | Row 9 - Cell 2 |
11 | Alena Amialiusik (Blr) Canyon-SRAM Racing | Row 10 - Cell 2 |
12 | Olga Zabelinskaya (Uzb) Cogeas - Mettler Pro Cycling Team | Row 11 - Cell 2 |
13 | Bryony Van Velzen (Ned) Doltcini - Van Eyck Sport Uci Women Cycling | 0:00:03 |
14 | Dexiang Liu (Chn) China Liv Pro Cycling | Row 13 - Cell 2 |
15 | Tatiana Guderzo (Ita) BePink | Row 14 - Cell 2 |
16 | Amanda Spratt (Aus) Mitchelton Scott | Row 15 - Cell 2 |
17 | Alice Cobb (GBr) Team Tibco - Silicon Valley Bank | Row 16 - Cell 2 |
18 | Taisa Naskovich (Blr) Minsk Cycling Club | Row 17 - Cell 2 |
19 | Tetiana Riabchenko (Ukr) Doltcini - Van Eyck Sport Uci Women Cycling | Row 18 - Cell 2 |
20 | Karina Kasenova (Rus) Cogeas - Mettler Pro Cycling Team | Row 19 - Cell 2 |
21 | Shoko Kashiki (Jpn) Team Illuminate | Row 20 - Cell 2 |
22 | Nastassia Kiptsikava (Blr) Minsk Cycling Club | Row 21 - Cell 2 |
23 | Dalia Muccioli (Ita) Valcar PBM | Row 22 - Cell 2 |
24 | Brodie Chapman (Aus) Team Tibco - Silicon Valley Bank | Row 23 - Cell 2 |
25 | Anastasiya Dzedzikava (Blr) Minsk Cycling Club | Row 24 - Cell 2 |
26 | Sarah Rijkes (Aut) Experza - Footlogix | Row 25 - Cell 2 |
27 | Alessia Vigilia (Ita) Valcar PBM | Row 26 - Cell 2 |
28 | Anna Potokina (Rus) Servetto - Stradalli Cycle - Alurecycling | 0:00:07 |
29 | Lex Albrecht (Can) Team Tibco - Silicon Valley Bank | Row 28 - Cell 2 |
30 | Edwige Pitel (Fra) Cogeas - Mettler Pro Cycling Team | Row 29 - Cell 2 |
31 | Wu Peixiao (Chn) China Liv Pro Cycling | 0:00:10 |
32 | Lucy Kennedy (Aus) Mitchelton Scott | 0:00:12 |
33 | Francesca Pattaro (Ita) BePink | 0:00:20 |
34 | Kathryn Buss (USA) Team Tibco - Silicon Valley Bank | Row 33 - Cell 2 |
35 | Mieke Docx (Bel) Doltcini - Van Eyck Sport Uci Women Cycling | 0:07:42 |
36 | Kendall Ryan (USA) Team Tibco - Silicon Valley Bank | Row 35 - Cell 2 |
37 | Winanda Spoor (Ned) WNT Rotor Pro Cycling Team | Row 36 - Cell 2 |
38 | Asja Paladin (Ita) Valcar PBM | Row 37 - Cell 2 |
39 | Lea Lin Teutenberg (Ger) WNT Rotor Pro Cycling Team | Row 38 - Cell 2 |
40 | Yixian Pu (Chn) China Liv Pro Cycling | 0:09:06 |
41 | Tanja Erath (Ger) Canyon-SRAM Racing | Row 40 - Cell 2 |
42 | Olga Deyko (Rus) Cogeas - Mettler Pro Cycling Team | Row 41 - Cell 2 |
43 | Mosana Debesay (Eri) Servetto - Stradalli Cycle - Alurecycling | Row 42 - Cell 2 |
44 | Yasue Nakahara (Jpn) Team Illuminate | Row 43 - Cell 2 |
45 | Lexie Millard (USA) Team Illuminate | Row 44 - Cell 2 |
46 | Kulacha Chairin (Tha) Team Illuminate | Row 45 - Cell 2 |
47 | Christa Riffel (Ger) Canyon-SRAM Racing | Row 46 - Cell 2 |
48 | Yue Bai (Chn) China Liv Pro Cycling | Row 47 - Cell 2 |
49 | Tereza Medvedova (Svk) BePink | Row 48 - Cell 2 |
50 | Katia Ragusa (Ita) BePink | Row 49 - Cell 2 |
51 | Anna Badegruber (Aut) WNT Rotor Pro Cycling Team | Row 50 - Cell 2 |
52 | Lucy Garner (GBr) Wiggle High5 | Row 51 - Cell 2 |
53 | Silvia Pollicini (Ita) Valcar Pbm | Row 52 - Cell 2 |
54 | Chiara Consonni (Ita) Valcar Pbm | Row 53 - Cell 2 |
55 | Gracie Elvin (Aus) Mitchelton Scott | 0:09:10 |
56 | Annette Edmondson (Aus) Wiggle High5 | Row 55 - Cell 2 |
57 | Jeydy Pradera Bernal (Cub) Astana Women's Team | 0:13:03 |
58 | Xi Sha Zhao (Chn) China Liv Pro Cycling | Row 57 - Cell 2 |
59 | Jessy Druyts (Bel) Experza - Footlogix | Row 58 - Cell 2 |
60 | Severine Eraud (Fra) Experza - Footlogix | Row 59 - Cell 2 |
61 | Dong Yanxia (Chn) China Liv Pro Cycling | 0:17:26 |
62 | Olena Novikova (Ukr) Servetto - Stradalli Cycle - Alurecycling | Row 61 - Cell 2 |
63 | Saartje Vandenbroucke (Bel) Doltcini - Van Eyck Sport Uci Women Cycling | 0:17:33 |
DNF | Sara Pillon (Ita) Servetto - Stradalli Cycle - Alurecycling | Row 63 - Cell 2 |
DNF | Aurora Gaio (Ita) Servetto - Stradalli Cycle - Alurecycling | Row 64 - Cell 2 |
DNF | Sofia Bertizzolo (Ita) Astana Women's Team | Row 65 - Cell 2 |
DNF | Grace Garner (GBr) Wiggle High5 | Row 66 - Cell 2 |
DNF | Amy Cure (Aus) Wiggle High5 | Row 67 - Cell 2 |
DNF | Aafke Soet (Ned) WNT Rotor Pro Cycling Team | Row 68 - Cell 2 |
DNF | Lotte Van Hoek (Ned) Doltcini - Van Eyck Sport Uci Women Cycling | Row 69 - Cell 2 |
DNS | Kseniia Dobrynina (Rus) Servetto - Stradalli Cycle - Alurecycling | Row 70 - Cell 2 |
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Lukas Knöfler started working in cycling communications in 2013 and has seen the inside of the scene from many angles. Having worked as press officer for teams and races and written for several online and print publications, he has been Cyclingnews’ Women’s WorldTour correspondent since 2018.