You would not have guessed it from the mood around SD Worx-Protime at the end of the final stage of the Tour of Britain Women, but the Dutch team dominated the race last week. Dominated it to such an extent that after winning the first three stages of the four stage race, they felt able to try and engineer stage four for one of the team’s hardest workers, Christine Majerus.
This hubris proved their undoing, however, with the clean sweep foiled by a late surge from Ruby Roseman-Gannon (Liv AlUla Jayco) taking the win from Majerus. That explained the mood at the end of the race. Lotte Kopecky could have, and probably should have, won the final stage for herself after a day of impressive defensive riding from the world champion, but explained later that she was trying to set up Majerus.
The end of the final stage, therefore, looked very odd. Coming into the final corner, Kopecky was attempting to lead Majerus out, but went too fast too soon, and was out in front - alone. She then looked over her shoulder, sitting up for the Luxembourgish rider, before Majerus launched her sprint, only to celebrate early, and be pipped by Roseman-Gannon.
You already know my thoughts on celebrating early - just do it after the finish line - although I appreciate this would mean missing out on the all important dream photo. A first WorldTour win for Majerus in five years would have been a big deal.
“It’s ok, you can laugh,” she posted on Instagram later. “My mistake for being happy too early and congrats to Ruby for believing in it until the line. Thanks teamies for giving me my chance today, you know I am sorry for messing it up.”
What it did prove, more than anything else, is that it is really hard to engineer a win. It’s difficult, even if you’re the best rider in the world, as Lotte Kopecky is. She could have ridden away to another victory, but in trying to sort it out for her teammate, it ended in mild embarrassment.
It’s too clever by half. In order to win a bike race, you put your best pieces in the places where they excel, and then let them do their thing. Lorena Wiebes was there, the fastest sprinter in the world, and couldn’t launch because of Majerus. Kopecky, as already discussed, could have won herself. Instead, the plan came before the race situation, and in the end it fizzled out.
Of course, these are all decisions made at high-speed, in a matter of seconds, but you have to back yourself to take a win when the opportunity is there, surely. There are opportunities when races can be decided or gifted - like Wout van Aert and Christophe Laporte at Gent-Wevelgem last year - but for the most part, especially in a sprint situation, bike racing is really hard to manufacture.
We should probably be pleased by this, as the sport remains live and exciting right to the end; it is hard to fix or sort; it’s why proper racing feels so different to the kermesses where the winner has been decided beforehand. SD Worx-Protime might have looked a bit silly in their hubris, but it was a good reminder of why bike racing is so good, and it was a huge win for Roseman-Gannon.
