Megan Armitage has put in a brilliant ride at Scheldeprijs in Belgium today when she spent the vast majority of the race in the breakaway. The 25-year-old's three-rider move was only caught on the last lap of the finishing circuit, with less than 10km to go.
Armitage (IBCT) went clear with 106km remaining in the 138km race after making multiple efforts to get up the road. When she finally got clear she had Abi Smith (EF Education-TIBCO-SVB) and Simone Boilard (St Michel - Auber93) for company. Their lead never got above two minutes, though they stuck to their task and rode well as a unit.
Just as the three leading riders were being brought back, with the gap just under 20 seconds, British rider Smith (20) attacked from the front and managed to distance Armitage and Boilard on the last stretch of cobbles with just 8km to go.
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She rode away from Armitage and Boilard, with that duo caught with 6km to go. However, with the World Tour teams massing on the front, all determined to set up a bunch sprint, Smith did not last too much longer out front on her own and was herself caught by the bunch with 5km to go.
That set up a bunch sprint, despite a major crash in the peloton just after the breakaway riders were caught, won by Lorena Wiebes (Team DSM), who took her 40th victory aged just 23 years.
More to come.
