Just after the Strade Bianche finish line, 2016 victor Lizzie Armitstead was embraced by teammate and 2015 winner Megan Guarnier. Photo: Iri Greco / BrakeThrough Media | brakethroughmedia.com
Boels – Dolmans had to start Tuesday’s Durango-Durango Emakumeen Saria without its world champion Lizzie Armitstead, who’s responsible for four of the team’s 11 wins to date. No matter, U.S. national champ Megan Guarnier won the hilly 113-kilometer Spanish race ahead of two Wiggle – High5 riders, Elisa Longo Borghini and Emma Johansson.
“Elisa [Longo Borghini] and I worked well together, and I ended up on the front for the final kilometer,” Guarnier said. “It is a somewhat technical finish, and I jumped after the last round-about.”
Earlier in the day, Boels announced that Armitstead, winner of Tour of Flanders the Sunday prior, was out sick.
Quick correction: @L_ArmiTstead will not race #Durango or #Bira due to illness. https://t.co/7eHltYOUlw
— Boels-Dolmans (@boelsdolmansct) April 12, 2016
The #Bira that the team refers to is Euskal Emakumeen Bira, a UCI 1.2 stage race that begins Wednesday and runs four days through Spain’s Basque region.
“We have a very strong team here,” Guarnier added. “We’ll take each stage of Bira one-by-one. I have no doubt that the team will be competitive throughout the week.”
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