Former world champion Giorgia Bronzini of Wiggle Honda put aside her bitterness for finishing only 11th in stage 1 of the Tour of Chongming Island as she brilliantly won stage 2 in a bunch gallop that concluded an epic stage. Crossing the line in second position for the second day in a row, Chloe Hosking of Hitec-Products UCK took the lead over from British prodigy Lucy Garner who had a difficult day as she suspected prior to the start since her Argos-Shimano team has lined up with only four riders.
Bronzini hadn’t lost her motivation looking at the rainy and windy weather in the morning. She only talked about taking her revenge and she did. “Yesterday, I got caught behind a crash and I had to put my foot to the ground, then I re-start with no speed with 1-km to go”, she described. “In these conditions, it was difficult to perform. It hadn’t been a standard sprint. But today, it was also a harder stage than yesterday. There has been an important breakaway in the middle of the race with the best riders but it was too hard to stay up there.”
This royal breakaway followed a move by Anastasia Chulkova (RusVelo) and Tetyana Ryabchenko (Chirio Forno d’Asolo) who stayed away from km 56 to 69 and were rejoined by fourteen counter-attackers: Emma Johansson, Annette Edmondson and Loes Gunnewijk (Orica-AIS), Shelley Olds (Tibco), Giorgia Bronzini (Wiggle Honda), Elisa Longo Borghini, Chloe Hosking and Cecilie Johnsen (Hitec), Amy Pieters (Argos-Shimano), Romy Kasper (Boels), Elena Kuchinskaia and Oksana Kozonchuk (RusVelo), Marta Tagliaferro (MCipollini) and Sara Mustonen (Faren-Let’s Go Finland). Among the big names, only Lucy Garner was missing. She was affected by a mechanical.
“Once the breakaway was over, we went for a big bunch sprint”, Bronzini continued. “I chose to follow the wheel of Chloe and to go out only 100 metres before the line. It was a faster sprint today, it suited me more. I won it thanks to my team. They supported me until the finishing line.”
Hosking was all fired up for time bonuses. Her consistency was rewarded as she came second in all sprints. On both occasions of the intermediate sprints, she got beaten by Annette Edmondson but she was surprised to hear the result of the first sprint. “I actually thought that I had won it but now I’ve heard that I was second”, the Australian said without expressing a hint of disappointment over all these second places. “Everyone was a bit nervous because of the wet road. The final sprint was not as clean as it normally is. Giorgia got off my wheel, so she had more power. I’m feeling good. Hopefully I can get a stage win, which gives you ten seconds. It would be the best way to get the yellow jersey for good.”
Another duel is expected between Hosking and Bronzini during the third and last stage. However, the Orica-AIS team often mentioned for having the best lead out train hasn’t said its last words, with Annette Edmondson standing only four seconds down on her compatriot from Hitec in the general classification. “Tomorrow it’ll be another stage and I’ll try to be even faster and win again”, Bronzini added. “But I might also preserve some power for the world cup race on Sunday. For my further goals, I’m proud that the world championships will be held in my country in September this year but the course is so hard… I don’t know if I’ll be able to race for another rainbow jersey myself, but for sure I’ll be on good form to support the Italian team.”
Brief results
Stage 2 (113.7km)
1. Giorgia Bronzini (Ita) Wiggle Honda, 2.44.26
2. Chloe Hosking (Aus) Hitec-Products UCK
3. Annette Edmondson (Aus) Orica-AIS
4. Sara Mustonen (Fin) Faren Let’s go Finland
5. Marta Bastianelli (Ita) Faren Let’s go Finland all st
Overall
1. Chloe Hosking (Aus) Hitec-Products UCK, 4.31.25
2. Annette Edmondson (Aus) Orica-AIS, 0.04
3. Lucy Garner (GBR) Argos-Shimano, 0.09
4. Giorgia Bronzini (Ita) Wiggle Honda, st
5. Oksana Kozonchuk (Rus) RusVelo, 0.15
Jersey holders
- Yellow: Chloe Hosking (Aus) Hitec-Products UCK
- Green: Chloe Hosking (Aus) Hitec-Products UCK (worn by Annette Edmondson)
- Blue (best Asian): Kim Eun Hee (Kor) Korea National team