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Elisa Balsamo of Italy won the final stage of the rescheduled 2021 women’s Tour of Britain at Felixstowe, as Demi Vollering, 24, sealed a comfortable overall victory in the weeklong event.
Vollering, of the SDWorx team, finished in the main field after Balsamo, who rode for Valcar-Travel & Service, edged Lorena Wiebes of the DSM team and Chloe Hosking, who rode for Trek-Segafredo. It was the 24-year-old Dutchwoman’s first overall World Tour success, thanks to her emphatic performance in the stage three time trial.
“I won the race in the time trial,” said Vollering. “I made a big gap and that made it easier for us. We just had to control it.
Vollering finished more than a minute ahead of Juliette Labous, of Team DSM, in the general classification while Clara Copponi, of FDJ Nouvelle-Aquitaine Futuroscope, finished third.
The Women’s Tour of Britain, postponed from its original June to October date due to the pandemic, has now established itself as one of the most important women’s races on the calendar.
Lizzie Deignan, winner a week ago of the inaugural edition of the women’s Paris-Roubaix, spent the week running in support of her teammate Hosking, one of the strongest sprinters in the women’s peloton.
“It is obviously a very prestigious race and I am delighted that it was postponed and not canceled,” said Deignan, who finished 48th overall. “We tried to win a stage every day, which didn’t happen, but it’s cycling. It’s really nice to be able to reward your teammates for the work they have done for you. I was just disappointed that we couldn’t get a win.
Deignan is one of those eagerly awaiting the unveiling of the revitalized Women’s Tour de France next Thursday, alongside the 2022 men’s race route. After several years of lobbying from figures in the women’s peloton, including Deignan, ASO, the promoter of the men’s Tour de France, will unveil the route of the eight-day women’s stage race, scheduled from July 24 to 31, 2022, in Paris. .
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When asked what kind of route on the Tour, she hoped Deignan would answer: “A bit of everything. I’m not one of those runners who say “this has to be the hardest race”. I think every type of runner can hopefully spend their day there. I think it will showcase women’s cycling if we have a mix of stages.
In northern Italy, Briton Adam Yates finished third at Il Lombardia, while Tadej Pogacar joined Fausto Coppi, Eddy Merckx and Bernard Hinault in an exclusive club of riders who won both the Tour de France and the Tour of Lombardy the same year.
Pogacar, in his first appearance in the Italian Classic, made his entry into the Passo di Ganda, over 30km from the finish line, and barely looked back, the two-time Tour de France winner beating Fausto Masnada easily in a two-man sprint after the Deceuninck-Quick-Step rider had joined him on the descent. Yates edged Primoz Roglic at the line for third place.
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