Ellen McDermott has continued a very strong run of results at the Baloise Ladies Tour, taking 8th on the final stage into Zulte.
McDermott (Isorex No-Aqua) didn't get off to the greatest of starts in the race as she crashed on stage 1 - some 115.6km into Eeklo. She took a tumble into the bushes but quickly got back on her bike and back into the peloton.
The Irishwoman, who was national criterium champion two years ago, clearly recovered well as she got into the mix in the bunch sprint and took 17th place. The stage was won by Mischa Bredewold (Parkhotel Valkenburg) from a three-rider breakaway.
The following day saw the riders take on a split stage, with a morning road race of 84km into Knokke-Heist followed by an afternoon 7.6km TT. McDermott got into the action at the front of the peloton on the morning stage with 16th place.
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And after getting herself used to the sprints, she went for broke on the final stage taking 8th place, with that stage claimed in a bunch sprint by Lonneke Uneken of SD Worx, who also won the race overall.
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McDermott's compatriot Imogen Cotter (Keukens Redant Cycling Team) was also in the race and finished in the bunch on all three road stages.
Those results in Belgium, riding against leading pro teams, came after a very strong ride in the UK at the end of last month for McDermott when she claimed 2nd in the Rutland–Melton International CiCLE Classic.
That was the first round of the Britain's National Road Series since August, 2019, due to the pandemic. The victory went to Abi Smith (Team Breeze), who rode the final 40km solo.
McDermott, who races for Team Boompods when competing in the UK and Ireland, made the chasing group and won the sprint from that group to claim 2nd place; a big result for the 32-year-old.
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