Already a stage winner at the race, Team DSM’s Lorena Wiebes raced to second place on the fifth stage of the Lotto Thuringen Ladies Tour, taking the sprint behind a lone leader out front.
Wiebes result came after a tough stage which undulated all stage, splitting late on over the day’s final QOM where Liane Lippert, already sitting fourth overall, took second and more QOM points.
Having already brought the day’s two escapees back into the fold with the help of some Team DSM firepower on the front of the peloton, the race splintered on the final climb of the day with around 20 riders going clear. With Wiebes in second, Lippert crossed the line in 11th preserving her fourth place on GC.
After the stage, Lorena Wiebes said: “For me it was a pretty hard day. On the two last climbs I was able to survive – after the first climb there was a gap but it came back together then on the second climb Lucinda attacked and Liane was a bit boxed in. She tried to close the gap but with the fast downhill to the finish it was hard. I think overall we did a really good job and I’m looking forward to tomorrow.”
Team DSM Women’s program coach Albert Timmer said: “I think we did a lot of things right today, once again the team worked well together. Franziska did again an amazing job to control the break. On the final climb the strongest went clear with Liane and just behind we had Lorena in a group which came back to make a group of about 20 in front.
“Just before the top the winning move went holding a couple of seconds on the finish line. We tried everything to close it with Liane but it was not in our favour. But still really happy with how the girls rode and how they did it today. It’s not really what we deserved for the effort but that’s cycling.”
RESULTS
Stage General classification Points classification Youth classification Mountains classification Teams classification
| Pos. | Rider | Team | Time | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | BRAND Lucinda | Trek-Segafredo Women | 3:55:08 | 25 |
| 2 | WIEBES Lorena | Team DSM | 0:06 | 20 |
| 3 | NORSGAARD Emma | Movistar Team | ,, | 15 |