The first stage of the Women`s Tour was stopped for almost an hour and finished in a sprint.
The 8th edition started with a stage from Colchester to Bury St. Edmunds over 142,1 km. The peloton took it easy in the first kilometres. At the first intermediate sprint there was some action, but no riders managed to get away. At 50 km from the finish one rider attacked and built up a lead of almost 2 minutes. With 35 km to go the stage was stopped by the organization for a medical emergency on the route. After almost an hour the stage was restarted. The lonely escapee was caught at 15 km from the line and a sprint had to bring the decision.
Liv Racing Xstra brought Alison Jackson in a good position for the sprint. The Canadian champion finished 13th. At the intermediate sprints Jackson took some bonification seconds, so after the first day she is fifth in the overall classification.
For Thalita de Jong it was her first race in the purple shirt of Liv Racing Xstra. The Dutch rider finished in the peloton. “It was a little bit strange to start a race with a team again. The last years I was used to ride as an individual rider. I felt good on the bike and I will have to get confident in the peloton again this week. During the stage we set up our sprint train at the intermediate sprints for Alison. This was a good practice for us and in this way we could get used to each other a little more. Then the stage was stopped for almost an hour. We sat down in the car, but it wasn`t really comfortable after all the rain. After the restart I was in the front with Alison and Tereza in my wheel. I tried to guide them through the finale, but it was really chaotic at the end. However it was nice to ride with and as a team again”, De Jong commented after the race.