Tour de Yorkshire: Kirsten Wild wins stage one in Doncaster
- Published
Dutch rider Kirsten Wild won a sprint finish to claim stage one of the women's Tour de Yorkshire in Doncaster.
The Wiggle High5 rider held off Amalie Dideriksen and Britain's Alice Barnes to also pick up 10 bonus seconds to lead the two-stage race.
Dani Rowe is fourth after earning four bonus seconds in intermediate sprints.
Fellow Briton Pfeiffer Georgi will wear the Queen of the Mountains jersey on stage two after the 17-year-old was first over the only climb of the day.
"I was told to treat it like a normal junior race so I did and went on the attack," Georgi told ITV4.
"I knew there was only one climb so I wanted to attack and hold on and that's what I did."
Wild, who won a similar finish in Doncaster in 2016, said: "When I saw it was the same finish as two years ago I was really excited.
"My team were excellent all day and although the sprint might look easy, it's not."
The women's race has been expanded to two stages this year and Wild is not expecting to claim the overall title because Friday's finale finishes at the top of a tough climb to the Cow and Calf rocks on Ilkley Moor.
She added: "We don't defend my leader's jersey tomorrow, but I will try and help the girls get it for a team-mate."
Rowe rode a tactically astute race, winning one intermediate sprint for three bonus seconds and picking up another to put her ahead of her rivals for the overall victory.
She is riding for the British Cycling team and while she did not feature in the sprint finish, may go well on the ascent out of Ilkley.
Rowe "Good start today picking up some cheeky bonus sprint seconds & staying safe in a hectic final! Fourth on GC ahead of tomorrow which I can guarantee is going to be epic. GB girls were fabulous."
Friday's stage starts in Barnsley and the 128km race takes in three categorised climbs.
Stage one of the four-day men's race takes place on Thursday afternoon.
- Published3 May 2018
- Published2 May 2018