Shelley Evans of the US National Team won her fourth stage of the Tour of New Zealand in the final Downtown Wellington criterium. Former Australian criterium champion Kirsty Broun (AIS Australian Women’s Cycling) was second and Joanne Kiesanowski (New Zealand National Team) was third. Due to aggressive tactics by Evans’ US team the main bunch consisted of just 16 riders at the finish.
The only possible way to overhaul Evans, or teammate Amber Neben, was to get in a successful breakaway and so there were a number of attacks initiated in the early stages, particularly from Kiesanowski. In response the US team took to the front of the peloton and increased the pace in order to both prevent any escapes and to drop as many riders as possible off the back.
Despite the speed, former Danish New Zealander Linda Villumsen (New Zealand National Team), who rides for HTC-Columbia, had a number of attempts to break away but to no avail. The AIS Australian Women’s Cycling team had all six of its riders in the leading group, but US riders Neben and Jessica Phillips delivered Evans to the line and she took her fourth stage win.
The time bonuses mean that Evans’ winning margin goes up to 16 seconds over Neben and 45 over Tiffany Cromwell (AIS Australian Women’s Cycling).
Result stage 6
1. Shelley Evans (USA) US National Team
2. Kirsty Broun (Aus) AIS Australia Women’s Cycling
3. Joanne Kiesanowski (NZl) New Zealand National Team
4. Ruth Corset (Aus) Nashua
5. Tiffany Cromwell (Aus) AIS Australia Women’s Cycling
6. Sara Mustonen (Swe) Hitec Products
7. Liu Xin (Chn) Giant Pro Cycling-China
8. Masami Morita (Jap) Japan National Team
9. Amber Neben (USA) US National Team
10. Linda Villumsen (NZl) New Zealand National Team
Final standings after stage 6
1. Shelley Evans (USA) US National Team
2. Amber Neben (USA) US National Team @ 16s
3. Tiffany Cromwell (Aus) AIS Australia Women’s Cycling @ 45s