Ireland's Imogen Cotter has spent today's final stage of Trophée des Grimpeuses Vresse-sur-Semois (2.2) in the climbers' jersey after an attacking ride on the opening stage of the race yesterday.
The Irish woman, who rode Rás na mBan on the national team last week, went on the attack yesterday on the 132.3km stage from Vresse-sur-Semois to Bièvre and took maximum points at the top of two categorised climbs.
Cotter (28) was eventually caught and the stage was won by Lotte Kopecky (Belgium) in a sprint from a breakaway. Floortje Mackaij (Team DSM) was 2nd and Anouska Koster (Jumbo-Visma) 3rd.
The winning five-rider group was 19 seconds up on a chasing group of eight. The remains of the main bunch, which numbered just 34 riders, was 52 seconds down on the winner. Ireland's Alice Sharpe (Team Rupelcleaning) and Cotter (Keukens Redant) were both in that group, placing 24th and 41st respectively.
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They were two of five Irish women in the race; Megan Armitage (Team Rupelcleaning) placing 61st at 9:11, Mia Griffin (Team Rupelcleaning) 84th at 16:31 and Ellen McDermott a non-finisher.
Both McDermott (Isorex No-Aqua) and Armitage were the victims of crashes, though Armitage was able to continue.
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Stage 1 winner Kopecky, who normally rides with Liv Racing, topped the climbers' classification after the opening stage. However, she had the race lead thanks to her stage victory.
That meant the climbers' jersey passed to Cotter for today's stage 2, as she was 2nd in the classification and just one point down on Kopecky.
Today's stage 2 - the final day - saw the riders race 105.5km from Bohan to Vresse-sur-Semois. Like yesterday, the circuit today featured repeated short climbs which split the main field. Floortje Mackaij (Team DSM) took the stage win in a sprint from a four-rider group that was 1:45 up on a chasing group.
That stage win, combined with the fact she was in the winning group yesterday, meant she took the overall victory in the two-day race. Tayler Wiles (Trek-Segafredo) was 2nd today and Ella Harris (Canyon SRAM Racing) was 3rd.
Ireland's Sharpe, Armitage and Cotter were all in the remains of the peloton today at 6:15, placing 28th, 48th and 56th respectively. Griffin finished in 63rd at 7:27.
Cotter ended the race 6th in the climbers' classification as the women in today's front group mopped up all the points. Omer Shapira (Canyon SRAM Racing) won the classification from Liv Racing's Kopecky and Amber Kraak (Jumbo Visma). In the final general classification, Sharpe was 26th at 7:59, Cotter was 38th at 8:04, Armitage was 51st at 16:18 and Griffin was 66th at 24:14.
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