Having started with a 19second advantage Marianne Vos claimed victory for the third consecutive day on the final stage of The Friends Life Women’s Tour to secure an overall win of the inaugural event. Giorgia Bronzini took second place on the day and Amy Pieters third. Speaking to BBC Sport Vos said, ‘I have won many titles before, and some gold medals, but this women’s Tour is really special because it means so much to women’s cycling.’
Vos’s overall time in GC ended on 12:42:07″, with Orica-AIS’s Emma Johannson (the winner of Stage 1) in second place on +30 and Rosella Ratto (Estado de Mexico Faren) in third on +35. GB’s Lucy Garner and Hannah Barnes ended GC in 7th and 8th respectively, Danni King in in 26th and Sharon Laws in 33rd.
Former junior British road race champion Emma Trott – always somewhat harshly reduced to being called ‘sister of Laura’ – had announced her retirement from the sport on the penultimate day of the Women’s Tour, choosing the occasion as it rolled into Welwyn Garden City where she was born. She ended the Women’s Tour in 60th place, one spot below Emma Pooley and five below her sister.
Full details and results of the Women’s Tour of Britain at thetour.co.uk
