Lisa Brennauer has sprinted to another podium on Stage 2 of the Energiewacht Tour in Winsum, Netherlands. Brennauer was second behind Chantal Blaak (DLT) who took over the leaders jersey from her team mate Ellen van Dijk who managed third.

The winning break was formed early in the race. Within the first 12 kilometres a group of 15 elite riders made the break after cross winds wrecked havoc with the peloton. Brennauer and team mate Elena Cecchini knew it was on the cards and were pleased to be in it. “We knew that it was going to be a fight for the breakaway directly from the start. Today was a typical dutch day of racing: incredibly strong winds and cold. We were really happy to be with four riders, also Alexis and Barbara, in the front” said Brennauer.

CANYON//SRAM Racing worked well to be strongly represented in that winning break that went from the gun. A flurry of later attacks saw Guarischi the first to be off the front in a group of three around 88 kilometres into the race. Guarischi was then joined by another three riders to make a group of six. At this moment, Directeur Sportif Ronny Lauke said the team made an error not to send someone else across to the front. “Overall I’m pleased with the girls race. They were patient and concentrated at the beginning. When Blaak went across to the front group that had only Barbara for us, then at this point Alexis and Elena had to work on the front to hold the gap and this was our biggest error for the day. In the end it was van Dijk who took Lisa again across to be at the front. When Lisa has become second, then her podium rewards the team for their work, so we are pleased.”

The race was over five circuits so riders had an opportunity to see the technical finish each passage. In the last kilometres several attacks were splitting the front of the race. Brennauer said “I went into the tricky final section around one kilometre to go on second position. Everyone wanted to be first around the corner that was about 500 metres to go. You could see in the laps before that if you go around that particular corner in first positon you will not get passed by anyone anymore because it was so narrow. I sprinted for it against Elvin and Blaak. I was second into it. I was second at the line.” 

After the team’s strong performance in the team time trial (TTT) on stage one, both Cecchini and Brennauer said they could feel the effects of the TTT. Cecchini said, “I could feel it in my legs for sure, but I was ready for a big day of echelon racing. I was really pleased to make the front group and to help the team. The concentration took away the pain feeling in my legs, and I was pleased to not be bored at the back of the race!”

Brennauer is now third on general classification, 11 seconds behind Blaak before tomorrow’s stage in Stadskanaal. Follow the racing action on the team’s twitter @WMNcycling using #EWT16.

Stage 3: Stadskanaal – Stadskanaal, 12:00 CEST 131.9km

Stage 4a: Zuidhorn – Zuidhorn, 10:00 CEST, 75.4km

Stage 4b Individual Time Trial: Leek, 15:00 CEST, 13.6km

Stage 5: Borkum – Borkum, 12:30, 119.3km

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