Chloe Hosking of the Cipollini team has won the third stage of the Women’s Tour Down Under.
Stage three of this four stage World Tour Women’s race with Orica Scott’s Amanda Spratt in the leader’s jersey was over 92.4km from Tanunda to Lyndoch in the Barossa wine region of South Australia.
On a day where temperatures were at thirty three degrees, the peloton was together until Erin Kinnealy of Holden Cycling attacked with just over ten kilometres gone and took a lead of twenty two seconds and then 1.02 after twenty five kilometres.
Kinnealy was still clear to take the first intermediate sprint with Sprints leader Chloe Hosking taking second place.
Her gap dropped to fifty seconds as she headed for the day’s Queen Of The Mountains climb at Whispering Wall in Williamstown and on that climb, she was joined by Kirsten Howard before the peloton caught them both and Janneke Ensing took the climb points ahead of Katrin Garfoot of Orica Scott.
A crash a kilometre from the top of the climb split the peloton into three groups and it was Ann Sophie Duyck and Lucy Bechel who were ahead with sixty kilometres raced.
They were brought back and Chloe Hosking took the second sprint before the peloton was all together as they started on the second climb at Whispering Wall which Ensing of Cipollini team again took the maximum points from with Britain’s Emma Pooley third and Spratt the race leader fourth.
Going into the final ten kilometres of the stage and there was a group of 25-30 riders out in front which had four Orica Scott riders on the front going into the final kilometre. However, Chloe Hosking put in a late burst and took the victory ahead of stage two winner Kirsten Wild of Cylance Pro Cycling.
Amanda Spratt keeps the Blue Leader's jersey going into the final stage.
Source: DSG
