With Women’s World Tour leader Marianne Vos (NED) skipping the Boels Ladies Tour, Dutch star Annemiek van Vleuten had a chance to take the seasonal points lead with a big performance.
She didn’t miss her chance. Van Vleuten dominated the event, winning three stages and finishing 52 seconds clear of countrywoman Ellen van Dijk and 1:05 ahead of Anna van der Breggen (NED).
The overall win, stage wins and bonus points lifted van Vleuten, 35, into the seasonal lead at 1,411.86 points, with Vos second at 1,394.88 and van der Breggen third with 1,323.33. That means the Women’s World Tour race will continue through the final two events of the season, the La Madrid Challenge by La Vuelta (16 September) and the Tour of Guangxi in China on 21 October.
Van der Breggen won in 2017, finishing just ahead of Van Vleuten, 1,016-989. Summaries:
UCI Women’s World Tour/Boels Ladies Tour
Netherlands ~ 28 August-02 September 2018
(Full results here)
Prologue (3.3 km): 1. 1. Annemiek Van Vleuten (NED), 4:22; 2. Anna van der Breggen (NED), 4:29; 3. Ellen van Dijk (NED), 4:30; 4. Leah Kirchmann (CAN), 4:31; 5. Lisa Brennauer (GER), 4:31. Also in the top 50: 21. Megan Guarnier (USA), 4:42; … 26. Leah Thomas (USA), 4:43; … 29. Tayler Wiles (USA), 4:44; … 44. Lily Williams (USA), 4:49.
Stage 1 (132,2 km): 1. Van Vleuten (NED), 3:28:29; 2. Eugenia Bujak (SLO), 3:28:41; 3. Elena Cecchini (ITA), 3:28:41; 4. Marta Cavalli (ITA), 3:28:41; 5. Amanda Spratt (AUS), 3:28:41. Also in the top 50: 16. Wiles (USA), 3:28:41; … 23. Guarnier (USA), 3:28:41; … 27. Thomas (USA), 3:28:45.
Stage 2 (129.0 km): 1. Amalie Dideriksen (DEN), 2:58:57; 2. Lorena Wiebes (NED), 2:58:57; 3. Jolien D’Hoore (BEL), 2:58:57; 4. Maria Confalonieri (ITA), 2:58:57; 5. Amy Pieters (NED), 2:58:57. Also in the top 50: 31. Williams (USA), 2:58:57; … 37. Thomas (USA), 2:58:57.
Stage 3 (124.3 km): 1. Dideriksen (DEN), 3:28:04; 2. Brand (NED), 3:28:04; 3. Wiebes (NED), 3:28:04; 4. Barbara Guarischi (ITA), 3:28:04; 5. Lotte Kopecky (BEL), 3:28:04. Also in the top 50: 26. Williams (USA), 3:28:06; … 36. Thomas (USA), 3:28:06; … 47. Guarnier (USA), 3:28:06.
Stage 4 (158.4 km): 1. Lucinda Blaak (NED), 4:10:24; 2. Giorgia Bronzini (ITA), 4:11:10; 3. Brand (NED), 4:11:10; 4. Kopecky (BEL), 4:11:10; 5. Marta Bastianelli (ITA), 4:11:10. Also in the top 50: 25. Williams (USA), 4:11:10; 26. Guarnier (USA), 4:11:10… 35. Thomas (USA), 4:11:10; … 42. Wiles (USA), 4:11:10.
Stage 5 (Individual Time Trial: 18.6 km): 1. Van Vleuten (NED), 24:00; 2. Van Dijk (NED), 24:22; 3. Van der Breggen (NED), 24:32; 4. Mieke Kroger (GER), 24:49; 5. Wiles (USA), 25:00. Also in the top 50: 9. Thomas (USA), 25:25; … 17. Guarnier (USA), 25:43; … 35. Williams (USA), 26:40.
Final Standings: 1. Annemiek van Vleuten (NED), 14:34:54; 2. Ellen van Dijk (NED), +0:52; 3. Anna van der Breggen (NED), +1:05; 4. Tayler Wiles (USA), +1:44; 5. Leah Kirchmann (CAN), +1:4; 6. Amanda Spratt (AUS), +2:05; 7. Eugenia Bujak (SLO), +2:09; 8. Amy Pieters (NED), 2:11; 9. Leah Thomas (USA), +2:12; 10. Elena Cecchini (ITA), +2:14. Also in the top 50: 14. Megan Guarnier (USA), +2:25; … 33. Lily Williams (USA), +6:32.
