February 21/15 12:19 pm - Women's Tour of New Zealand: Stage 4

Posted by Editoress on 02/21/15
 

Tayler Wiles from the US 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 US team have passed the Trust House Leader’s Yellow jersey four times over the last four days to three different riders on the team, day one was Megan Guarnier, day two Lauren Hall, day three back to Megan Guarnier 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 before 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 22kms 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 (Australian National Team), Tayler Wiles, Lauren Hall and Megan Guarnier (US 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 kilometre 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 kilometres 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 quick to mark and make sure they control ed the tempo. With 4km to go Lauren Hall was dropped but she managed 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 become 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 wears the jersey as long as is one or our riders” new tour leader Wiles said.

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

Report courtesy Women's Tour of New Zealand

Stage 1

Stage 2

Stage 3