New Zealand - NZCT Women’s Tour of New Zealand 2010

WCN quicklink >>          Preview1     Preview 2    Stage 1     Stage 1 Full    Stage 2     Stage 2 Full     Stage 3     Stage 3 Full

                                          Stage 4     Stage 4 Full     Stage 5     Stage 5 Full    Stage 6    Stage 6 Full

Previous coverage of the Tour of New Zealand in Wellington  >>  2010   2009    2008    2007    2006    2005  

On this page >>  Write-up      Results      General Classification     Photos

Palmerston North, 125km

Irene Digenis (Prime Estate Team) won the Women’s Tour of New Zealand’s third stage, just seconds ahead of the peloton that failed to catch her. Behind Digenis, fellow breakaway riders Gayle Brownlee (Handy Rentals Team) and Yvette Hill-Willis (Litespeed Team) rounded out the podium places.

Hill-Willis attacked on the second of three laps in Ashhurst, after several previous breakaway attempts had been thwarted by the USA National Team of race leader Shelley Evans. Brownlee followed the attack and she was chased by Digenis and Sia Svendsen (Handy Rentals Team). Given the position of the riders on general classification, the peloton chose not to chase the breakaway group. 

In the later stages of the race, the peloton made a tactical error and miss timed their chase to catch the leaders. The peloton were within metres of the leaders on the at the line. Evans sprinted strongly but it was not enough to catch the leaders. 

Evans held onto her leaders jersey into stage 4's TT.