Two, Kristen Faulkner Takes Overall Lead

The second stage of the Tour of Britain Women’s competition saw a thrilling finish as Mara Roldan of Picnic-Post NL pulled off a successful late breakaway, claiming the win by a narrow margin of 12 seconds. Roldan’s victory, which came on the steep approach to Saltburn-by-the-Sea, marked a significant upset in the competition and highlighted her growing prowess as a rider.

Roldan’s win, which saw her edge out Riejanne Markus of Lidl-Trek, came after a grueling ride that included two climbs up Saltburn Bank, a challenging stretch of road that tested the riders’ endurance and strategy. The 21-year-old Canadian rider, who hails from the Yukon territory, made a push for victory with 14km to go and held on to win ahead of Markus. The stage was marked by a series of attrition, with riders dropping off the pace as the competition wore on.

Despite not taking the stage win, Kristen Faulkner of EF Education-Oatly made a significant impact, finishing ninth but doing enough to take the overall leader’s green jersey. Faulkner, the Olympic road race champion in Paris, leads Markus by just four seconds, with two stages to go. Faulkner’s teammate, Cat Ferguson, finished fifth for the second stage in a row, just behind third-placed Ally Wollaston of FDJ-Suez. Ferguson’s consistent performance has solidified her position in the overall standings, and she now sits fourth, 14 seconds off Faulkner’s mark.

The stage began in wet conditions, with stage one winner and overall leader Kim Le Court of AG Insurance-Soudal falling early on. Le Court’s fall and subsequent struggles to regain her position in the peloton marked a significant setback for the team, and she now sits 21st overall after stage two. Meanwhile, two-time former winner Lizzie Deignan of Lidl-Trek is down in 16th place, a disappointing result for the British rider who was expected to contend for the overall title.

In a post-race interview, Faulkner attributed her success to her team’s efforts in the first half of the race, which kept her safe at the front. “Once the circuit came, it was just a race of attrition,” Faulkner said. “We dropped some of the GC leaders, which was great, and it allowed me to finish with the jersey.” Faulkner added that she felt strong on the final climb, both times up it, and that many riders were fighting to stay in the race. “It was a tough stage, but I’m happy with how it went,” Faulkner said.

The Tour of Britain continues on Saturday with stage three, which will see riders take a circuitous 148.7km route through the Scottish Borders. The competition concludes with a 10-lap circuit around Glasgow city centre on Sunday, a thrilling finale that promises to be a fitting conclusion to the competition.

Key Statistics:

Mara Roldan (Picnic-Post NL) wins stage two of the Tour of Britain Women’s competition.

Kristen Faulkner (EF Education-Oatly) takes the overall lead, leading Riejanne Markus (Lidl-Trek) by 4 seconds.

Cat Ferguson (Movistar) finishes fifth for the second stage in a row, solidifying her position in the overall standings.

Kim Le Court (AG Insurance-Soudal) falls early in the stage and now sits 21st overall.

Lizzie Deignan (Lidl-Trek) is down in 16th place, a disappointing result for the two-time former winner.