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| Emma Johansson claims stage one victory in Women's Tour of Britain | Emma Johansson claims stage one victory in Women's Tour of Britain |
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| There is a happily familiar template for major cycling events in Britain in these days of two-wheeled plenty, and one of the joys of a radical new venture such as the Friends Life Women's Tour is that it seems to slot seamlessly into the local fabric. That was certainly the case on the race's inaugural stage through Northamptonshire, won by Emma Johansson with Marianne Vos hot on her heels. | |
| The Swede will be the first yellow jersey of the race on Thursday's leg to Bedford, but Vos is lurking close behind and Lizzie Armitstead is in aggressive mood after finishing eighth. | The Swede will be the first yellow jersey of the race on Thursday's leg to Bedford, but Vos is lurking close behind and Lizzie Armitstead is in aggressive mood after finishing eighth. |
| The tone was set at the start in Oundle, a town dominated by its public school, which ensured a large captive audience for the opening kilometre while the 58 miles that followed unfurled against a backdrop familiar to those who have seen the London Olympics road race events: union flags waving from the roadside, hordes of screaming schoolchildren holding handwritten posters – the pick here being Keep Calm and Carry on Pedalling – accompanied by nervous-looking teachers, knots of spectators on every vantage point and deep clusters of onlookers in the towns and villages. | The tone was set at the start in Oundle, a town dominated by its public school, which ensured a large captive audience for the opening kilometre while the 58 miles that followed unfurled against a backdrop familiar to those who have seen the London Olympics road race events: union flags waving from the roadside, hordes of screaming schoolchildren holding handwritten posters – the pick here being Keep Calm and Carry on Pedalling – accompanied by nervous-looking teachers, knots of spectators on every vantage point and deep clusters of onlookers in the towns and villages. |
| To some extent the occasion got to Armitstead, who was in reflective mood after the sinuous, slightly uphill finish on Derngate in Northampton. "I made several mistakes today," said the London silver medallist. "In the sprint I just went far too early – from about 500m to go – and gave Emma the perfect lead-out. In a normal race scenario you see crowds at 200m to go and that's when you sprint, but here they began at one kilometre to go, and it got to my head a bit." | To some extent the occasion got to Armitstead, who was in reflective mood after the sinuous, slightly uphill finish on Derngate in Northampton. "I made several mistakes today," said the London silver medallist. "In the sprint I just went far too early – from about 500m to go – and gave Emma the perfect lead-out. In a normal race scenario you see crowds at 200m to go and that's when you sprint, but here they began at one kilometre to go, and it got to my head a bit." |
| Vos also regretted the way things panned out. "Lizzie launched her sprint early and when I caught her I went, at about 200m to go. But it was too early. You know from the race book that it is uphill, but you don't know how hard it's going to be until you sprint there." | Vos also regretted the way things panned out. "Lizzie launched her sprint early and when I caught her I went, at about 200m to go. But it was too early. You know from the race book that it is uphill, but you don't know how hard it's going to be until you sprint there." |
| "Perhaps Lizzie got too excited," said Johansson, who is set to be Armitstead's biggest rival in the World Cup this season. She now leads overall with Vos four seconds behind. | "Perhaps Lizzie got too excited," said Johansson, who is set to be Armitstead's biggest rival in the World Cup this season. She now leads overall with Vos four seconds behind. |
| Along with the Swede, another to time her effort just right was the local racer Hannah Barnes, the top sprinter in the UK last year, who was delighted with third place in this company after using her knowledge of the roads to the full. She has earned the right to wear the red, white and blue jersey of best Briton for Thursday and is eight seconds behind Johansson. | |
| Not much further back, in a creditable sixth place, was Britain's double world junior champion Lucy Garner, who will be on her home roads when the race heads through Leicestershire early on Thursday's stage. | Not much further back, in a creditable sixth place, was Britain's double world junior champion Lucy Garner, who will be on her home roads when the race heads through Leicestershire early on Thursday's stage. |
| Armitstead clearly loved the occasion but was left frustrated after her team miscalculated the distance to the first time-bonus sprint, which was taken by Ellen van Dijk. Armitstead clearly wants an aggressive race, but Wednesday was a contained affair apart from a couple of solo efforts, most notably from Elise Delzenne of Specialized-lululemon as the race looped around Northampton before the finale. | Armitstead clearly loved the occasion but was left frustrated after her team miscalculated the distance to the first time-bonus sprint, which was taken by Ellen van Dijk. Armitstead clearly wants an aggressive race, but Wednesday was a contained affair apart from a couple of solo efforts, most notably from Elise Delzenne of Specialized-lululemon as the race looped around Northampton before the finale. |
| "We tried after the first climb," said Armitstead, "but the crosswinds weren't strong enough and the hedges were too high. I hope it becomes more challenging; perhaps it will by the end." | "We tried after the first climb," said Armitstead, "but the crosswinds weren't strong enough and the hedges were too high. I hope it becomes more challenging; perhaps it will by the end." |
| The climbs were mere pimples among the yellow rapeseed fields and honey-stone villages which the field largely took in their stride, but they smiled on another Briton, Barnes's United Healthcare team mate Sharon Laws, who rode in the Beijing Olympics for Great Britain. Fourth and second places at Harrington and Spratton left her in the Queen of the Mountains jersey even though she was still a little jet lagged after flying in from the US on Monday. | |
| Vos expects that the time bonuses which are awarded at the two daily intermediate sprints and at the finish – and where she has stolen an early march on Armitstead thanks to her second place at the chequered flag – will be key in the next few days. "The roads aren't easy, constantly up and down, but it's hard to attack," she said. "The bunch rolls along but it's tough up front. It's going to be about the bonus sprints, I think." | Vos expects that the time bonuses which are awarded at the two daily intermediate sprints and at the finish – and where she has stolen an early march on Armitstead thanks to her second place at the chequered flag – will be key in the next few days. "The roads aren't easy, constantly up and down, but it's hard to attack," she said. "The bunch rolls along but it's tough up front. It's going to be about the bonus sprints, I think." |