Rivera wins Trofeo Alfredo Binda
Sunweb rider takes bunch sprint
American Coryn Rivera (Team Sunweb) sprinted to her first career Women's WorldTour victory in Cittiglio on Sunday. The 24-year-old survived the hilly 131km Trofeo Alfredo Binda circuit race to win a reduced bunch sprint ahead of Arlenis Sierra (Astana) and Cecile Uttrup Ludwig (Cérvelo-Bigla). It is first time in more than a decade that the one-day Italian classic has been contested by a group larger than ten riders.
"This one tops it all," said Rivera in a post-podium press conference. "I didn't doubt myself. I really had to fight and to push. The team worked hard to get me in the position to be there and be ready to fight for the finish."
Ellen van Dijk's efforts were the most obvious amongst Rivera's teammates. The Dutchwoman marked dangerous moves in the last two of four total circuit laps and provided Rivera with an unmatched lead-out in the slightly uphill sprint.
"She's totally instrumental in our teamwork," said Rivera, when asked about Van Dijk. "Her power and strength are unreal. If she hadn't caught back on to the group, and I didn't have the same lead-out she gave me, I think the final would have been a lot harder for me."
Both Van Dijk and Rivera are both new signings for strengthened Team Sunweb. Van Dijk made the move from Boels-Dolmans while Rivera came over from UnitedHealthcare.
While Rivera may not be a name familiar to Europeans, she's a household name for American cycling fans. She dominated the admittedly sparse junior ranks and split her first four years as an elite between pursuing her undergraduate degree from Marion University while making a name for herself as the top sprinter racing on US soil. Rivera graduated last spring and signed with the Dutch-registered squad in the summer.
How it unfolded
The third round of the UCI Women's WorldTour began in sunny Taino in the province of Varese. Starters included two-time defending champion Lizzie Deignan (Boels Dolmans) and three-time former winner Marianne Vos (WM3).
Crashes punctuated the opening kilometres that brought the peloton to Cittiglio for the first passage of the finish line. A trio of riders – Anna Trevisi (Alé Cipollini), Silvia Valsecchi (Bepink Cogeas) and Simone Frapporti (Hitec Products) entered the circuit with a 17-second advantage over the peloton.
The peloton swept up the escape over the Cunardo. By the end of the 38km opening lap, Anna Zita Maria Stricker (BTC City Ljubljana) and Lija Laizane (Aromitalia Vaiano) had slipped away. The duo had pocketed 20 seconds on the second passage of the finish line for the first of four 18km laps.
The move was short-lived. Laizane was the first to rejoin the peloton. Stricker maintained her small advantage until the second ascent of the Ornio. While the early laps presented few challenges for the strongest in the bunch, the back of the pack suffered with riders losing contact on every climb.
Jessica Allen (Orica-Scott) attacked on the second time around the small circuit and immediately opened up an advantage. The Australian criterium champion held off the peloton for nearly 20 kilometres.
"I was away longer than I thought I would be," said Allen. "Georgia [Williams] and I were to attack when there was a good moment. I saw a good moment and had a crack. Unfortunately, I was out solo. It would have been nice to have more people out there with me."
The bunch split over the climb to Casalzuigno but regrouped on the descent. Tiffany Cromwell (Canyon-Sram) was the next to slip away. She held her advantage until the race hit the Ornio – the steep slopes spelling the end to her escape attempts.
Historically, the first of the race-winning selections has been made at this point in the race, but a large group descended off the Ornio toward the finish for the lap lap. Across the finish line, Australian national champion Katrin Garfoot (Orica-Scott), Shara Gillow (FDJ Nouvelle Aquitaine Futuroscope), Alena Amialiusik (Canyon-Sram) and Vos had several seconds on Van Dijk. The peloton set off for the final lap 10 seconds behind the front-runners.
Despite the strength of the group, the escape was unable to hold onto its advantage. Boels Dolmans led the chase and kept the pace high up to Casalzuigno – but not high enough to prevent further escapes.
Garfoot, who lives and trains in nearby Gavirate, had attacked again. UCI Women's WorldTour leader Elisa Longo Borghini (Wiggle-High5), Kasia Niewiadoma (WM3), Hanna Nilsson (BTC City Ljubljana), Sierra, Amialiusik and Rivera gave chase with Annemiek van Vleuten, Garfoot's teammate, enjoying a free ride.
Before the chasers could reach Garfoot, a reduced peloton had reconnected with the group. Longo Borghini jumped again. Niewiadoma followed. The duo plowed past Garfoot over the Ornio.
The trio included some of the best climbers in the race but perhaps not the most daring descenders. On the technical drop back down to Cittiglio there was a regrouping, and it was this regrouping that opened the door for the reduced bunch sprint.
Two hundred metres from the finish line, Rivera opened her sprint. The dash for the line turned into a two-women race with Sierra nearly able to match Rivera's powerful kick. Uttrup Ludwig finished two bike lengths back to round out the podium. The trio were recorded as two seconds quicker than the remainder of the bunch, which was led in by Chantal Blaak (Boels-Dolmans)
"I couldn't do it without my teammates. They believed in me, and I paid them back by believing in myself," said Rivera. "I might be small but I think I definitely put a stamp in it today."
Longo Borghini managed ninth in the sprint to maintain her spot atop the UCI Women's WorldTour overall classification. Uttrup Ludwig took back the blue youth classification jersey from compatriot Amalie Dideriksen. The road world champion and Ronde van Drenthe winner sat out the third round of the UCI Women's WorldTour.
Full Results
# | Rider Name (Country) Team | Result |
---|---|---|
1 | Coryn Rivera (USA) Team Sunweb Women | 3:25:26 |
2 | Arlenis Sierra (Cub) Astana Women's Team | |
3 | Cecilie Uttrup Ludwig (Den) Cervelo Bigla Pro Cycling Team | |
4 | Chantal Blaak (Ned) Boels Dolmans Cyclingteam | 0:00:02 |
5 | Elena Cecchini (Ita) Canyon SRAM Racing | |
6 | Annemiek Van Vleuten (Ned) Orica Scott Women | |
7 | Eugenia Bujak (Pol) BTC City Ljubljana | |
8 | Katarzyna Niewiadoma (Pol) WM3 Pro Cycling | |
9 | Elisa Longo Borghini (Ita) Wiggle High5 | |
10 | Ashleigh Moolman-Pasio (RSA) Cervelo Bigla Pro Cycling Team | |
11 | Katrin Garfoot (Aus) Orica Scott Women | |
12 | Rasa Leleivyte (Ltu) Aromitalia Vaiano | |
13 | Hanna Nilsson (Swe) BTC City Ljubljana | |
14 | Vita Heine (Nor) Hitec Products | |
15 | Dani King (GBr) Cylance Pro Cycling | |
16 | Tatiana Guderzo (Ita) Lensworld-Kuota | |
17 | Shara Gillow (Aus) FDJ Nouvelle Aquitaine Futuroscope | |
18 | Flavia Oliveira (Bra) Lares-Waowdeals | |
19 | Ellen Van Dijk (Ned) Team Sunweb Women | |
20 | Alena Amialiusik (Blr) Canyon SRAM Racing | |
21 | Lara Vieceli (Ita) Astana Women's Team | |
22 | Linda Indergand (Swi) | |
23 | Janneke Ensing (Ned) Alé Cipollini | |
24 | Audrey Cordon Ragot (Fra) Wiggle High5 | |
25 | Martina Ritter (Aut) Drops Cycling Team | |
26 | Urša Pintar (Slovenia) BTC City Ljubljana | 0:00:07 |
27 | Amanda Spratt (Aus) Orica Scott Women | 0:00:12 |
28 | Marie Vilmann (Den) Cervelo Bigla Pro Cycling Team | 0:00:15 |
29 | Marianne Vos (Ned) WM3 Pro Cycling | 0:00:46 |
30 | Alison Jackson (Can) BePink Cogeas | |
31 | Maria Giulia Confalonieri (Ita) Lensworld-Kuota | |
32 | Katrine Aalerud (Nor) Hitec Products | |
33 | Olga Zabelinskaya (Rus) BePink Cogeas | |
34 | Pauline Ferrand-Prevot (Fra) Canyon SRAM Racing | |
35 | Elisa Balsamo (Ita) Valcar PBM | |
36 | Asja Paladin (Ita) Top Girls Fassa Bortolo | |
37 | Polona Batagelj (Slo) BTC City Ljubljana | |
38 | Malgorzata Jasinska (Pol) Cylance Pro Cycling | 0:00:55 |
39 | Elizabeth Deignan (GBr) Boels Dolmans Cyclingteam | |
40 | Tetiana Riabchenko (Ukr) Lensworld-Kuota | 0:01:57 |
41 | Amelie Rivat (Fra) Lares-Waowdeals | 0:02:04 |
42 | Sina Frei (Swi) | 0:02:06 |
43 | Leah Kirchmann (Can) Team Sunweb Women | |
44 | Ann-Sophie Duyck (Bel) Drops Cycling Team | |
45 | Claudia Lichtenberg (Ger) Wiggle High5 | |
46 | Anna Potokina (Rus) Servetto Giusta | |
47 | Juliette Labous (Fra) Team Sunweb Women | |
48 | Rozanne Slik (Ned) Team Sunweb Women | |
49 | Sheyla Gutierrez (Spa) Cylance Pro Cycling | |
50 | Sabrina Stultiens (Ned) Team Sunweb Women | |
51 | Lauren Stephens (USA) Team Tibco-Silicon Valley Bank | |
52 | Soraya Paladin (Ita) Alé Cipollini | |
53 | Elena Franchi (Ita) Aromitalia Vaiano | 0:04:41 |
54 | Charlotte Bravard (Fra) FDJ Nouvelle Aquitaine Futuroscope | 0:05:14 |
55 | Eri Yonamine (Jpn) FDJ Nouvelle Aquitaine Futuroscope | 0:06:33 |
56 | Arianna Fidanza (Ita) Astana Women's Team | 0:07:46 |
57 | Tiffany Cromwell (Aus) Canyon SRAM Racing | 0:08:02 |
58 | Lisa Klein (Ger) Cervelo Bigla Pro Cycling Team | 0:08:12 |
59 | Lotta Lepistö (Fin) Cervelo Bigla Pro Cycling Team | |
60 | Thalita De Jong (Ned) Lares-Waowdeals | |
61 | Nathalie Verschelden (Bel) Lensworld-Kuota | |
62 | Georgia Williams (NZl) Orica-Scott | |
63 | Hannah Barnes (GBr) Canyon SRAM Racing | |
64 | Anna Christian (GBr) Drops Cycling Team | |
65 | Natalya Saifutdinova (Kaz) Astana Women's Team | 0:09:33 |
66 | Iraida Garcia (Cub) S.C. Michela Fanini | 0:09:36 |
67 | Nina Buysman (Ned) | |
68 | Mónika Kiraly (Hun) S.C. Michela Fanini | |
69 | Severine Eraud (Fra) FDJ Nouvelle Aquitaine Futuroscope | |
70 | Kathrin Hammes (Ger) Team Tibco-Silicon Valley Bank | |
71 | Laura Camila Lozano (Col) Servetto Giusta | |
72 | Corina Gantenbein (Swi) | |
73 | Anisha Vekemans (Bel) Alé Cipollini | |
74 | Valentina Scandolara (Ita) WM3 Pro Cycling | |
75 | Jessica Allen (Aus) Orica Scott Women | |
76 | Anna Ceoloni (Ita) S.C. Michela Fanini | |
77 | Clara Koppenburg (Ger) Cervelo Bigla Pro Cycling Team | |
78 | Ingrid Drexel (Mex) Team Tibco-Silicon Valley Bank | |
79 | Emilia Fahlin (Swe) Wiggle High5 | 0:09:41 |
80 | Brianna Walle (USA) Team Tibco-Silicon Valley Bank | |
81 | Rossella Ratto (Ita) Cylance Pro Cycling | |
82 | Ilaria Sanguineti (Ita) BePink Cogeas | 0:09:44 |
83 | Dalia Muccioli (Ita) Valcar PBM | |
84 | Silvia Persico (Ita) Valcar PBM | |
85 | Susanna Zorzi (Ita) Drops Cycling Team | |
86 | Giorgia Bronzini (Ita) Wiggle High5 | 0:09:46 |
87 | Beatrice Rossato (Ita) Top Girls Fassa Bortolo | |
88 | Karol-Ann Canuel (Can) Boels Dolmans Cyclingteam | |
89 | Joelle Numainville (Can) Cylance Pro Cycling | 0:09:49 |
DNF | Anna Van Der Breggen (Ned) Boels Dolmans Cyclingteam | |
DNF | Amy Pieters (Ned) Boels Dolmans Cyclingteam | |
DNF | Christine Majerus (Lux) Boels Dolmans Cyclingteam | |
DNF | Amy Roberts (GBr) Wiggle High5 | |
DNF | Lauren Kitchen (Aus) WM3 Pro Cycling | |
DNF | Jeanne Korevaar (Ned) WM3 Pro Cycling | |
DNF | Anna Plichta (Pol) WM3 Pro Cycling | |
DNF | Alexis Ryan (USA) Canyon SRAM Racing | |
DNF | Jenelle Crooks (Aus) Orica Scott Women | |
DNF | Carlee Taylor (Aus) Alé Cipollini | |
DNF | Daiva Tuslaite (Ltu) Alé Cipollini | |
DNF | Anna Trevisi (Ita) Alé Cipollini | |
DNF | Marta Tagliaferro (Ita) Cylance Pro Cycling | |
DNF | Kseniya Tuhai (Blr) BePink Cogeas | |
DNF | Silvia Valsecchi (Ita) BePink Cogeas | |
DNF | Maria Vittoria Sperotto (Ita) BePink Cogeas | |
DNF | Ingvild Gåskjenn (Nor) Hitec Products | |
DNF | Simona Frapporti (Ita) Hitec Products | |
DNF | Cecilie Gotaas Johnsen (Nor) Hitec Products | |
DNF | Miriam Bjørnsrud (Nor) Hitec Products | |
DNF | Saartje Vandenbroucke (Bel) Lares-Waowdeals | |
DNF | Sarah Inghelbrecht (Bel) Lares-Waowdeals | |
DNF | Anabelle Dreville (Fra) FDJ Nouvelle Aquitaine Futuroscope | |
DNF | Greta Richioud (Fra) FDJ Nouvelle Aquitaine Futuroscope | |
DNF | Anna Zita Maria Stricker (Ita) BTC City Ljubljana | |
DNF | Mia Radotic (Cro) BTC City Ljubljana | |
DNF | Sofia Bertizzolo (Ita) Astana Women's Team | |
DNF | Makhabbat Umutzhanova (Kaz) Astana Women's Team | |
DNF | Jennifer Tetrick (USA) Team Tibco-Silicon Valley Bank | |
DNF | Heather Fischer (USA) Team Tibco-Silicon Valley Bank | |
DNF | Kseniia Dobrynina (Rus) Servetto Giusta | |
DNF | Ting Ying Huang (Tpe) Servetto Giusta | |
DNF | Daniela Gass (Ger) Servetto Giusta | |
DNF | Letizia Borghesi (Ita) Servetto Giusta | |
DNF | Francesca Balducci (Ita) S.C. Michela Fanini | |
DNF | Valeriya Kononenko (Ukr) S.C. Michela Fanini | |
DNF | Jutatip Maneephan (Tha) S.C. Michela Fanini | |
DNF | Alice Barnes (GBr) Drops Cycling Team | |
DNF | Elizabeth Holden (GBr) Drops Cycling Team | |
DNF | Lija Laizane (Lat) Aromitalia Vaiano | |
DNF | Nicole Nesti (Ita) Aromitalia Vaiano | |
DNF | Alessia Bulleri (Ita) Aromitalia Vaiano | |
DNF | Lisa De Ranieri (Ita) Aromitalia Vaiano | |
DNF | Beatrice Bartelloni (Ita) Top Girls Fassa Bortolo | |
DNF | Sara Mariotto (Ita) Top Girls Fassa Bortolo | |
DNF | Michela Pavin (Ita) Top Girls Fassa Bortolo | |
DNF | Nadia Quagliotto (Ita) Top Girls Fassa Bortolo | |
DNF | Chiara Zanettin (Ita) Valcar PBM | |
DNF | Silvia Pollicini (Ita) Valcar PBM | |
DNF | Marta Cavalli (Ita) Valcar PBM | |
DNF | Demi De Jong (Ned) Parkhotel Valkenburg-Destil Cycling Team | |
DNF | Aafke Soet (Ned) Parkhotel Valkenburg-Destil Cycling Team | |
DNF | Pauliena Rooijakkers (Ned) Parkhotel Valkenburg-Destil Cycling Team | |
DNF | Nicole Steigenga (Ned) | |
DNF | Eva Buurman (Ned) Parkhotel Valkenburg-Destil Cycling Team | |
DNF | Lena Mettraux (Swi) | |
DNF | Michelle Andres (Swi) | |
DNF | Aline Seitz (Swi) |
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