Marta Tagliaferro has won the first stage in the Tour de Feminin. In the Czech Republic the Italian rider of Team Hitec Products – Birk Sport was the fastest in the bunch sprint. Kaat Hannes (Jos Ferron) finished in second place and Evy Kuijpers (CCC) was third. With her win Marta is also the first leader in the race, while Ingvild Gaskjenn wears the white leadersjersey of the youth classification.
Ingrid Lorvik is the new Norwegian champion. She gave Team Hitec Products – Birk Sport the win in the road race on Sunday, for the fifth year in a row. Ingrid won the race with a solo. Behind her Vita Heine, the winner of the last three years, and Ingvild Gaskjenn were in a chasing group of seven riders. They defended Ingrid’s lead, while Ingvild sprinted to a bronze medal and Vita finished in fifth place.
It is a successful season for Vita Heine. After winning stages in both the Tour of Uppsala and Lotto Thüringen Ladies Tour, she Thursday crowned herself as Norwegian champion in the time trial. It was Vita’s first race again after crashing out of the Lotto Thüringen Ladies Tour, one day after her stage win. Julie Meyer Solvang set the ninth time, while Amalie Lutro was 13th and with that the best U23 rider.
After the win of Marta Tagliaferro on Saturday, the same riders of Team Hitec Products – Birk Sport raced again on Sunday. In the Belgium UCI 1.1. classic Dwars door de Westhoek they showed themselves very good, being involved in a lot of attacks. However, in the end the race ended in a bunch. The Italian Elisa Balsamo won the race, while first year elite rider Lonneke Uneken showed herself again with a fifth place.
A little bit more than a week after Vita Heine won a stage in the Lotto Thüringen Ladies Tour, Marta Tagliaferro has given Team Hitec Products – Birk Sport a new victory. The 29-years old won the Omloop van de IJsseldelta, a UCI 1.2 race with start and finish in Zwolle. Marta joined Pernille Mathiesen in de last kilometers, in an attack from a twelve riders big front group. She then was the fastest in the sprint.
Another victory for Vita Heine and Team Hitec Products – Birk Sport. After her stage win in the Tour of Uppsala last month, she now also won a stage in the Lotto Thüringen Ladies Tour. A big one, as the German race had a lot of world class riders on the start. Vita won the 3rd stage last Thursday, that finished on the ‘local famous’ Hankaberg, named after Hanka Kupfernagel. However, a day later Vita broke her hand and with that it was a week with mixed feelings for her.