Pillar's Women's ToB Daily Updates - Stage 3
6th October 2021
Atherstone → Atherstone
Yesterday's Stage:
Following a very tough day in the saddle due to the exhilarating pace of racing and the harsh weather conditions, Amy Pieters of SDWork takes stage two victory from a small finishing group. A select group of ten riders entered the final five kilometres of the race in Walsall with a 50 second lead to the chasing peloton. In this select group was young British rider Pfeiffer Georgi of team DSM. The young Brit made a solo move with 1500 meters remaining. It appeared she would take the victory, however, the teammate of Amy Pieters, Demi Vollering closed down the gap and Pfeiffer's dash for glory on home roads was taken away from her. Although Pieters was forced to open her sprint early, she outsprinted Clara Copponi of FDJ Nouvelle Aquitaine Futuroscope and Sheyla Gutierrez of Movistar, who finishing second and third, respectively.
After finishing third on stage one and taking second place on stage two, Clara Copponi takes over the overall lead from Marta Bastianelli. Amy Pieters sits in second place at the same time as the race leader and Sheyla Gutierrez sits in third place, 6 seconds behind the overall leader.
Today's Stage:
Today's stage will showcase the first-ever individual time trial at the Women's Tour. The riders will face a 16 kilometre course on a flat counter-clockwise circuit that starts and finishes in Atherstone. With a flat course and only a handful of technical turns, it's going to be a very fast stage. The newly crowned Time Trial World Champion, Ellen van Dijk, was set to show off her new rainbow jersey on stage three of the Women’s Tour, but unfortunately, she suffered a concussion in Paris-Roubaix and was forced to withdraw from the event. With her absence, among the favourites for today's stage is recently crowned World Hour record holder Joss Lowden. Another British rider to keep an eye out for is CAMS-Basso Racing rider, Hayley Simmonds, who has previously shown her strength in the time trial discipline.
Can either of these two British time trial specialists take to the top step of the podium in this classic British 10 mile time trial format?
Jess Finney: our eyes in the peloton
Stage 2 Post-Race Thoughts:
“Very challenging conditions today to start with. It is one of those days where you want to be at the front in order to get out of the spray. However, that’s easier said than done, and with my form I was constrained to the back of the bunch. It wasn’t a particularly hilly course, but every little rise, the peloton was attacking. Being at the back, you’re getting cold water from the heavens and the spray of other bikes, making it very difficult to keep core temperature up (especially when you get your clothing a bit wrong). Further, the ‘elastic band’ effect is exaggerated in these conditions as riders give each other more space. All this coupled together with a very aggressive day by the bunch made it a difficult day for myself.”
Stage 3 Pre-Race Thoughts:
“Tomorrow is relatively simple for me and hopefully with better weather will give me chance to find some legs for the rest of the race. ”
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