DERVAN SHOWING STRONG FORM IN FRANCE

Siobhan Dervan has been riding strongly in the Trophée d'Or Féminin in France, and yesterday took her second consecutive twelfth-place finish in the race.

On Thursday the Team Fenixs rider crossed the line in a 21-woman group which was 25 seconds behind the stage winner Béatrice Thomas (ESGL 93 - GSD Gestion). Thomas outsprinted Edita Pucinskaite (Gaus RDZ) to snag the victory, while Dervan’s group was led in by world and Olympic champion Nicole Cooke (Great Britain).

“It was a very hilly stage,” she told Irishcycling.com afterwards. “We were sprinting for fourth in a big group that included Cooke and Emma Johannson.”

She was twelfth again yesterday behind the victorious Joëlle Numainville (Canada), and improved her GC position. Dervan had started the day a very solid eighteenth overall, being one of sixteen riders who were level on time with the eighth-placed contestant Julia Martisova (Gaus RDZ). Thomas continues leads the overall standings by one second head of Pucinskaite.

Dervan’s strong campaign began on Tuesday when she was 32nd in a bunch gallot into Sancoins, as won by Monica Holler (Bigla Cycling Team). Wednesday saw the riders complete two split stages; Dervan was 43rd in the morning leg to Orval, crossing the line in a group sixteen seconds behind the winner Diana Ziliute (Pasta Zara Titanedi) plus three others.

She then rolled in 46th in the afternoon bunch gallop, where Diana Ziliute (Pasta Zara Titanedi) showed her speed to win.

Thursday’s stage brought that twelfth place and a replication of that yesterday provided a further sign that she is coming into very good form. Her aim is to keep building condition prior to the world road race championships at the end of September in Mendrisio, Switzerland.

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Trophée d'Or Féminin, France (2.2), August 25-29:

August 25, Stage 1: St Amand Montrond – Sancoins:

1, Monica Holler (Bigla Cycling Team) 72.6km in 1 hours 51 mins 18 secs
2, Nicole Cooke (Great Britain)
3, Rochelle Gilmore (Lotto Belisol Ladiesteam)
4, Emma Johansson (Red Sun Cycling Team)
5, Diana Ziliute (Pasta Zara Titanedi)
6, Pascale Jeuland (Vienne Futuroscope) all same time

Irish:

32, Siobhan Dervan (Fenixs) same time

August 26, Stage 2: Chateaumeillant – Orval:

1, Diana Ziliute (Pasta Zara Titanedi) 73.4km in 1 hours 51 mins 44 secs
2, Emma Johansson (Red Sun Cycling Team)
3, Noemi Cantele (Bigla Cycling Team)
4, Svetlana Bubnenkova (Fenixs)
5, Rochelle Gilmore (Lotto Belisol Ladiesteam) at 16 secs
6, Ludivine Henrion (Red Sun Cycling Team)

Irish :

43, Siobhan Dervan (Fenixs

August 26, Stage 3: Mehun s/ Yèvre:

1, Diana Ziliute (Pasta Zara Titanedi) 65.1km in 1 hours 38 mins 7 secs
2, Rochelle Gilmore (Lotto Belisol Ladiesteam)
3, Nicole Cooke (Great Britain)
4, Julia Martisova (Gaus RDZ)
5, Emma Johansson (Red Sun Cycling Team)
6, Gema Pascual Torrecilla (Biskaïa Durango) all same time

Irish :

46, Siobhan Dervan (Fenixs) same time


August 27, Stage 4: Cosne s/ Loire:

1, Béatrice Thomas (ESGL 93 - GSD Gestion) 97km in 2 hours 44 mins 35 secs
2, Edita Pucinskaite (Gaus RDZ)
3, Ludivine Henrion (Red Sun Cycling Team) at 23 secs
4, Nicole Cooke (Great Britain mins 25 secs
5, Emma Johansson (Red Sun Cycling Team)
6, Joelle Numainville (Canada) both same time

Irish:

12, Siobhan Dervan (Fenixs) same time


General classification after stage 4:

1, Béatrice Thomas (ESGL 93 - GSD Gestion) 8 hours 5 mins 50 secs
2, Edita Pucinskaite (Gaus RDZ) at 1 sec
3, Diana Ziliute (Pasta Zara Titanedi) at 7 secs
4, Emma Johansson (Red Sun Cycling Team) at 13 secs
5, Noemi Cantele (Bigla Cycling Team) at 16 secs
6, Nicole Cooke (Great Britain) at 27 secs

Irish:

18, Siobhan Dervan (Fenixs) at 35 secs


(full results not available yet for stage five, will be posted later).

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