Thüringen Tour (st. 2)

Rodríguez joins longest, 12-woman break as Jasińska shows characteristic strength in the German hills. Alba, 'Jasi', Neylan and González inside 20-rider selected group for Movistar Team; Biannic crashes, no injuries.

Italian Elena Cecchini (CSR) narrowly bested race leader Coryn Rivera (SUN) at the decisive sprint of stage two in the Lotto Thüringen Ladies Tour in Meiningen (133km, four demanding laps). The rain fallen over the course made for an even harder course, including plenty of little hills and a final kilometer with cobblestones. That did not stop the Movistar Team riders from once again seeking for success.

Gloria Rodríguez made it into a twelve-rider attempt halfway through the course, gaining 1’30” on the bunch and only caught after strong turns from Wiggle-High5 at the front of the bunch before the last lap. At the QOM sprint following that passage through the finish, Małgorzata Jasińska went on the attack and launched the hostilities into a main group shrunk to just twenty riders, which stayed together through the final hills and headed down towards a dangerous sprint.

At the last kilometer, Aude Biannic suffered a crash -fortunately, with no injuries- which left her out of the main group, containing four other Blues: under-23 leader Alba Teruel (9th), ‘Jasi’ (10th), Rachel Neylan (15th) and Alicia González (21st), last woman in that selected field. Another fine Movistar Team performance before the first real point-to-point stage of the German event, 131km starting and finishing Schleiz, on Wednesday.

Pictures (c): Lotto Thüringen Ladies Tour