Deignan wins women's Tour de Yorkshire

Lizzie Deignan (Boels Dolmans) delighted home crowds in Harrogate when she soloed across the finish line at the Tour de Yorkshire on Saturday. The Otley-born rider won the Women’s Tour de Yorkshire by nearly a minute off the back of a late race attack and brilliant team tactics.

Behind Deignan, Coryn Rivera (Team Sunweb) emerged from a nine-rider chase group to take best of the rest in front of 2010-2011 road world champion Giorgia Bronzini (Wiggle-High5).

It’s been 10 months since Deignan last stood atop podium (save team time trial wins) at the Aviva Women’s Tour where she parlayed a stage win into overall victory. She was Lizzie Armitstead then, yet to marry Team Sky professional cyclist Phil Deignan, and the world champion. It was before the missed test fiasco and a failed bid for Rio Olympic gold.

“It was really special for me to finish here and feel so much support,” said Deignan. “It’s been awhile since I’ve had a victory. It’s been a tough year. To crown it like this, to move on and to move on with local support was very special.”

Deignan finished second behind teammate Anna van der Breggen in each of the three Ardennes classics. Early season illness hampered her preparation and fitness, but it was clear that a return to top form was imminent for the 2015 road world champion. It was no surprise then when Deignan’s teammates began to launch attacks from kilometre zero.

“The plan was to get someone in the breakaway – we had Amy Pieters there – and for me and Anna to bridge on the main climb,” explained Deignan. “Hopefully we’d have a small group in the finish.”

There was no small group at the finish. There was only Deignan.

As planned, Deignan and Van der Breggen had bridged across to a breakaway of 10 on Côte de Lofthouse. By the time the race reached the top of the 1.7-kilometre climb, only eight riders remained out front. With Deignan, Pieters and Van der Breggen amongst the group, Boels-Dolmans once again had the numerical advantage.

Deignan attacked on one of the many rises that dotted the 122-kilometre course. Her acceleration saw a leading trio emerge: Deignan, Van der Breggen and Cylance Cycling’s Dani King. With 46 kilometres still to race, the leaders had nearly two minutes on a select chase group in their wake.

Van der Breggen did the lion’s share of the work amongst the leaders, but both Deignan and King took pulls. Deignan repeatedly tested King with digs on the course’s steepest sections. King repeatedly proved capable of responding. Shortly after the second intermediate sprint point in Ripton, Deignan lifted the pace again and distanced not King but Van der Breggen.

Although Van der Breggen was able to claw her way back, a chink in the Boels-Dolmans armour may have proved worrisome to Deignan. Rather than wait for the finish, Deignan made her move with 14 kilometres still to race.

“I went on instinct,” she explained. “I saw a moment where it was good to go and didn’t look back.

“I’m not used to going solo, particularly from such a long breakaway,” Deignan added. “It was really difficult.”

Full Results

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#Rider Name (Country) TeamResult
1Elizabeth Deignan (GBr) Boels Dolmans3:09:36
2Coryn Rivera (USA) Team Sunweb0:00:55
3Giorgia Bronzini (Ita) Wiggle-High5Row 2 - Cell 2
4Amy Pieters (Ned) Boels DolmansRow 3 - Cell 2
5Hannah Barnes (GBr) Canyon-SRAMRow 4 - Cell 2
6Katrine Aalerud (Nor) Hitec Products0:00:59
7Sheyla Gutierrez Ruiz (Spa) Cylance Pro CyclingRow 6 - Cell 2
8Shara Gillow (Aus) FDJ Nouvelle-Aquitaine FuturoscopeRow 7 - Cell 2
9Roxanne Knetemann (Ned) FDJ Nouvelle-Aquitaine FuturoscopeRow 8 - Cell 2
10Danielle King (GBr) Cylance Pro CyclingRow 9 - Cell 2
11Saartje Vandenbroucke (Bel) Lares WaowdealsRow 10 - Cell 2
12Anna Christian (GBr) Drops0:01:07
13Claudia Lichtenberg (Ger) Wiggle-High50:01:23
14Juliette Labous (Fra) Team Sunweb0:01:33
15Audrey Cordon Ragot (Fra) Wiggle-High50:01:56
16Elen Van Dijk (Ned) Team SunwebRow 15 - Cell 2
17Anna Van Der Breggen (Ned) Boels Dolmans0:01:59
18Rozanne Slik (Ned) Team Sunweb0:07:45
19Alice Barnes (GBr) DropsRow 18 - Cell 2
20Alison Jackson (Can) BePink CoegasRow 19 - Cell 2
21Rebeca Durrell (GBr) DropsRow 20 - Cell 2
22Anisha Vekemans (Bel) Ale CipolliniRow 21 - Cell 2
23Emilie Moberg (Nor) Hitec ProductsRow 22 - Cell 2
24Floortje Mackaij (Ned) Team SunwebRow 23 - Cell 2
25Eileen Roe (GBr) Team WNT Pro CyclingRow 24 - Cell 2
26Elizabeth Banks (GBr) Sunsport VeloRow 25 - Cell 2
27Neah Evans (GBr) Storey RacingRow 26 - Cell 2
28Gabriella Shaw (GBr) Team WNT Pro CyclingRow 27 - Cell 2
29Monique Van De Ree (Ned) Lares WaowdealsRow 28 - Cell 2
30Henrietta Colborne (GBr) Team Jadan WeldtiteRow 29 - Cell 2
31Tiffany Cromwell (Aus) Canyon-SRAMRow 30 - Cell 2
32Annabel Simpson (GBr) DropsRow 31 - Cell 2
33Jennifer George (GBr) Storey RacingRow 32 - Cell 2
34Laura Massey (GBr) DropsRow 33 - Cell 2
35Alexis Ryan (USA) Canyon-SRAMRow 34 - Cell 2
36Chanel Mason (GBr) Storey RacingRow 35 - Cell 2
37Alice Sharpe (GBr) NCC Group-Kuota-TorelliRow 36 - Cell 2
38Katia Ragusa (Ita) BePink CoegasRow 37 - Cell 2
39Jenny Powell (GBr) Team Ford EcoBoostRow 38 - Cell 2
40Abby-Mae Parkinson (GBr) DropsRow 39 - Cell 2
41Eugénie Duval (Fra) FDJ Nouvelle-Aquitaine FuturoscopeRow 40 - Cell 2
42Soraya Paladin (Ita) Ale CipolliniRow 41 - Cell 2
43Eri Yonamine (Jpn) FDJ Nouvelle-Aquitaine FuturoscopeRow 42 - Cell 2
44Rossella Ratto (Ita) Cylance Pro CyclingRow 43 - Cell 2
45Kirsten Wild (Ned) Cylance Pro CyclingRow 44 - Cell 2
46Nikki Brammeier (GBr) Boels Dolmans0:07:56
47Emilia Fahlin (Swe) Wiggle-High50:08:04
48Chantal Blaak (Ned) Boels Dolmans0:08:06
49Anna Trevisi (Ita) Ale CipolliniRow 48 - Cell 2
50Jolien D'hoore (Bel) Wiggle-High5Row 49 - Cell 2
51Marta Bastianelli (Ita) Ale CipolliniRow 50 - Cell 2
52Amy Gornall (GBr) NCC Group-Kuota-Torelli0:08:12
53Romy Kasper (Ger) Ale CipolliniRow 52 - Cell 2
54Elizabeth-Jane Harris (GBr) Storey Racing0:08:18
55Fionna Hunter-Johnston (GBr) Fusion RT FierlanRow 54 - Cell 2
56Aude Biannic (Fra) FDJ Nouvelle-Aquitaine Futuroscope0:08:41
57Roxane Fournier (Fra) FDJ Nouvelle-Aquitaine FuturoscopeRow 56 - Cell 2
OTLMolly Patch (GBr) Fusion RT Fierlan0:16:22
OTLSarah Inghelbrecht (Bel) Lares Waowdeals0:16:33
OTLJennifer Holden (GBr) Fusion RT Fierlan0:16:37
OTLMaryka Seenema (GBr) Fusion RT Fierlan0:16:42
OTLJennifer Hudson (GBr) Fusion RT FierlanRow 61 - Cell 2
OTLBarbara Guarischi (Ita) Canyon-SRAM0:17:08
OTLJulia Soek (Ned) Team SunwebRow 63 - Cell 2
OTLIlaria Sanguineti (Ita) BePink CoegasRow 64 - Cell 2
OTLMaria Vittoria Sperotto (Ita) BePink CoegasRow 65 - Cell 2
OTLSteph Mottram (GBr) NCC Group-Kuota-Torelli0:17:56
OTLCharmaine Porter (GBr) Team Ford EcoBoost0:20:15
OTLMartina Alzini (Ita) Ale CipolliniRow 68 - Cell 2
OTLHannah Walker (GBr) Team WNT Pro CyclingRow 69 - Cell 2
OTLLydia Boylan (Irl) Team WNT Pro CyclingRow 70 - Cell 2
OTLMieke Kroeger (Ger) Canyon-SRAMRow 71 - Cell 2
OTLLucy Garner (GBr) Wiggle-High5Row 72 - Cell 2
OTLMiriam Bjørnsrud (Nor) Hitec ProductsRow 73 - Cell 2
OTLSimona Frapporti (Ita) Hitec ProductsRow 74 - Cell 2
OTLBryony Van Velzen (Ned) Lares WaowdealsRow 75 - Cell 2
OTLBethany Crumpton (GBr) Storey Racing0:26:34
OTLHannah Larbalestier (GBr) Sunsport Velo0:28:51
OTLSeonaid Thompson (GBr) Sunsport VeloRow 78 - Cell 2
OTLSilvia Valsecchi (Ita) BePink Coegas0:28:53
OTLIlona Hoeksma (Ned) Hitec ProductsRow 80 - Cell 2
OTLBethany Haywood (GBr) Team Ford EcoBoostRow 81 - Cell 2
OTLJosie Knight (Irl) Team WNT Pro Cycling0:30:18
OTLMichelle Geoghegan (Irl) Team Jadan WeldtiteRow 83 - Cell 2
OTLMads Scott (GBr) NCC Group-Kuota-Torelli0:34:20
OTLGwenno Hughes (GBr) NCC Group-Kuota-TorelliRow 85 - Cell 2
OTLHolly Flannery (GBr) Team Jadan WeldtiteRow 86 - Cell 2
OTLSophie Thackray (GBr) NCC Group-Kuota-TorelliRow 87 - Cell 2
OTLRhona Callander (GBr) Team Jadan Weldtite0:34:25
OTLTereza Medvedova (Svk) BePink Coegas0:34:28
OTLMarta Tagliaferro (Ita) Cylance Pro CyclingRow 90 - Cell 2
OTLGabriella Nordin (Swe) Sunsport Velo0:35:23
OTLLaura Cameron (GBr) Storey Racing0:36:15
OTLJoanna Tindley (GBr) Team Ford EcoBoost0:41:27
DNFRachele Barbieri (Ita) Cylance Pro CyclingRow 94 - Cell 2
DNFNina Kessler (Ned) Hitec ProductsRow 95 - Cell 2
DNFMieke Docx (Bel) Lares WaowdealsRow 96 - Cell 2
DNFKelly Markus (Ned) Lares WaowdealsRow 97 - Cell 2
DNFEmily Kay (GBr) Team WNT Pro CyclingRow 98 - Cell 2
DNFKelly Murphy (GBr) Team Ford EcoBoostRow 99 - Cell 2
DNFLucinda Kerr (GBr) Team Jadan WeldtiteRow 100 - Cell 2
DNFLouise Scupham (GBr) Team Jadan WeldtiteRow 101 - Cell 2
DNFTina Hartwright (GBr) Fusion RT FierlanRow 102 - Cell 2
DNFElizabeth Burrows (GBr) Sunsport VeloRow 103 - Cell 2
DNFRosie Walsh (GBr) Sunsport VeloRow 104 - Cell 2

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