Evans takes final stage, overall classification

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USA National Team’s Shelley Evans has claimed the Women’s Tour of New Zealand overall victory on debut in an International Cycling Union (UCI) ranked stage race. Evans sealed the overall title in emphatic style, winning a 20-strong sprint to claim her fourth stage victory and add another 10 seconds to her winning margin.

Evans won the final stage ahead of Australia’s Kristy Broun (Australian Institute of Sport) and Joanne Kiesanowski (New Zealand National Team). Kiesanowski was just the third New Zealand rider to finish on a stage podium at their home race this week.

Behind Evans the top riders on general classification experienced no change on the final stage. Her team-mate Amber Neben took second place, while Tiffany Cromwell’s (Australian Institute of Sport) third place secured her the best young rider classification win.

Just 20 riders finished the final criterium stage, after 55 riders were lapped by the lead group throughout the stage. The small number of riders finishing the event meant the overall classifications looked remarkably lean, with the USA National Team claiming the teams victory over the only other squad with enough finishing riders to classify – Australian Institute of Sport.

Evans’ victory is the second consecutive overall win by a rider making her UCI stage race debut, after Amber Halliday’s victory in 2009. While Halliday snuck away to a solo victory on one of last year’s road stages, Evans victory came thanks to her accumulation of time bonuses from stage victories coupled with a strong second place in the 11 kilometre time trial on stage four.