CYCLING

Another hard day's racing and still the USA team show

By Women Tour of NZ




Tayler Wiles from USA national team took the 106km stage and the leader's yellow jersey on a hot day of racing featuring a total of four climbs.

Riders in the USA team have passed the Trust House Leader’s Yellow jersey four times over the last four days to three different riders in the team, day one was Megan Warnier, day two Lauren Hall, day three back to Megan Warnier and today after the top of the mountain finish, was stage winner Tayler Wiles turn to wear the leader’s jersey going into the final day.

Despite the great weather, racers were clearly nervous for this decisive stage. Riders and team managers alike checked the course last night before settling on 27-tooth sprockets for the hills to come. Almost 22km of the stage were uphill, but somehow most managed to stick with the main bunch up until the start of the final Admiral Hill.

After 15km of racing, a breakaway of eight riders escaped including Lauren Kitchen from (Australia national team), Tayler Wiles, Lauren Hall and Megan Guarnier (USA national team) Ellen Skerritt (Hi 5 Dream team), Denise Ramsden (Pepper Palace), Linda Villumsen (Ramblers) and Jo Hogan (Tibco).

They built a gap of almost three minutes in 22km. At the 56km mark riders in the main bunch lead by Holden and DNA teams rode hard up the six kilometer Te Wharau hill to close the gap down to 55 seconds.

The leaders continue to share the work and 15kmts later they had again increase their lead to two minutes and from here was all up to them to keep going hoping their lead was enough to go for a stage win.

At the bottom of Admiral hill with ten kilometers of climbing to go their lead was almost three minutes.  Jo Hogan from Tibco team was the first to start attacking half way up the hill but the American riders’ were quickly to mark and make sure they control the tempo.  With 4km to go Lauren Hall was drop but she manages to get back on and help her team mate in the last 3km.

The final sprint was between Wiles and Kitchen with Wiles taking the stage by a second to be the new race leader

Evelyn Stevens lead riders in the main bunch 3.16 behind allowing Wiles to take the lead by six seconds from Megan Warnier.

“We don’t mind who wear the jersey as long as is one or our riders” new tour leader Wiles said.

Strong winds up the hill force riders to fight hard up the hill with the field spread out in the last final kilometers.

On Sunday riders will complete the final stage, a 122km from Masterton to Alfredton and back.