Hayley Simmonds: I'm more than just a time triallist

 Hayley Simmonds and Katie Scott from the CAMS-Basso Bikes team on stage 5 at The Women's Tour
Hayley Simmonds and Katie Scott from the CAMS-Basso Bikes team on stage 5 at The Women's Tour (Image credit: Getty Images)

After a disappointing result in the time trial on stage 3, Hayley Simmonds (CAMS-Basso Bikes) went on the attack on stage 5 with a huge solo break that at one point saw the British rider move into the virtual lead.

Simmonds attacked early on in the stage and having started the day 2:55 down on race leader Demi Vollering (SD Worx), quickly moved into the virtual race lead with a four-minute advantage with around 32km remaining.

Daniel Benson

Daniel Benson was the Editor in Chief at Cyclingnews.com between 2008 and 2022. Based in the UK, he joined the Cyclingnews team in 2008 as the site's first UK-based Managing Editor. In that time, he reported on over a dozen editions of the Tour de France, several World Championships, the Tour Down Under, Spring Classics, and the London 2012 Olympic Games. With the help of the excellent editorial team, he ran the coverage on Cyclingnews and has interviewed leading figures in the sport including UCI Presidents and Tour de France winners.

Read more
Chloe Dygert (Canyon-SRAM zondacrypto) scores the win in Stirling on stage 3 of the Santos Women's Tour Down Under
'I was really jittery going into the final kilometre' – Patience key as Dygert sweeps up Women's Tour Down Under final stage
Daniek Hengeveld (Ceratizit-WNT) celebrates her first Women's WorldTour win on stage 1 of the Women's Santos Tour Down Under in Aldinga
'I was finally racing like I was 18 again' – Daniek Hengeveld grasps winning moment at Women’s Tour Down Under
Ally Wollaston (FDJ Suez) signing on for stage 1 of the 2025 Women's Santos Tour Down Under 2025
‘Paid the price’ – Solo attack foils Ally Wollaston’s perfect beginning with new team at Tour Down Under
GEELONG AUSTRALIA FEBRUARY 01 Race winner Ally Wollaston of New Zealand and Team FDJ Suez celebrates the victory with her teammates Marie Le Net of France Elise Chabbey of Switzerland and Amber Kraak of The Netherlands after the 9th Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race 2025 Womens Elite a 1418km one day race from Geelong to Geelong UCIWWT on February 01 2025 in Geelong Australia Photo by Dario BelingheriGetty Images
'Not just a sprinter' - No pigeon-holing Wollaston after Women’s Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race victory
Picture by Zac Williams/SWpix.com - 18/01/2025 - Cycling - 2025 Santos Women's Tour Down Under, Stage 2 Unley to Willunga Hill, Adelaide, Australia - Silke Smulders, Jayco Alula, finishes second.
Silke Smulders – The rider that put home team Liv AlUla Jayco back in the Women's Tour Down Under GC game
ALDINGA AUSTRALIA JANUARY 17 Daniek Hengeveld of The Netherlands and CeratizitWnt Pro Cycling Team celebrates at finish line as stage winner during the 9th Santos Womens Tour Down Under 2025 Stage 1 a 101 9km stage from Brighton to Snapper PointAldinga UCIWWT on January 17 2025 in Aldinga Australia Photo by Dario BelingheriGetty Images
Women's Tour Down Under: Daniek Hengeveld surprises sprinters to take solo win on stage 1
Latest in Women's cycling
Map of women's Dwars door Vlaanderen 2025
Dwars door Vlaanderen Women 2025 Route
DE PANNE BELGIUM MARCH 27 Lorena Wiebes of Netherlands and Team SD Worx Protime celebrates at finish line as race winner during the 8th Womens Classic BruggeDe Panne 2025 a 1527km one day race from Brugge to De Panne UCIWT on March 27 2025 in De Panne Belgium Photo by Luc ClaessenGetty Images
Classic Brugge-De Panne Women: Lorena Wiebes takes win number six of 2025
ARSCHOT BELGIUM MARCH 02 Tiffany Cromwell of Australia and Team CANYONSRAM signing prior to the 17th Fenix Omloop van het Hageland 2025 a 1356km one day race from Aarschot to TieltWinge on March 02 2025 in Aarschot Belgium Photo by Rhode Van ElsenGetty Images
Surgery for Tiffany Cromwell after first fractures of career at Milan-San Remo
Joe Laverick and Chris Mehlman battled at the front of the race, with Laverick pushing away in the final five miles
Joe Laverick, Lauren Stephens take back-to-back wins at Rattlesnake Gravel Grind
DE PANNE BELGIUM MARCH 21 Elisa Balsamo of Italy and Team Lidl Trek celebrates at finish line as race winner ahead of LR Chiara Consonni of Italy and UAE Team ADQ Daria Pikulik of Poland and Team Human Powered Health and Charlotte Kool of The Netherlands and Team dsmfirmenich PostNL during the 7th Womens Classic BruggeDe Panne 2024 a 155km one day race from Brugge to De Panne on March 21 2024 in De Panne Belgium Photo by Luc ClaessenGetty Images
How to watch the Classic Brugge-De Panne 2025 – Live streams, TV coverage
Anna Yamauchi rides to pro women's victory at 2025 Lake Sonoma MTB
Anna Yamauchi tops Katerina Nash in 'slide it to ride it' slippery edition of Lake Sonoma MTB
Latest in News
WALLERS FRANCE JULY 06 Tadej Pogacar of Slovenia and UAE Team Emirates white best young jersey competes passing through a cobblestones sector during to the 109th Tour de France 2022 Stage 5 a 157km stage from Lille to WallersArenberg TDF2022 WorldTour on July 06 2022 in Wallers France Photo by Bernard Papon PoolGetty Images
'He has the engine' - Geraint Thomas has no doubts Tadej Pogačar can conquer 2025 Paris-Roubaix despite lack of experience
French rider of team Visma Lease A Bike Christophe Laporte speaks during a press conference after winning the 118th edition of the 213,9 km Paris-Tours one day cycling race, in Tours, central France on October 6, 2024. (Photo by GUILLAUME SOUVANT / AFP)
Christophe Laporte misses out on cobbled Classics due to cytomegalovirus
SANREMO ITALY MARCH 22 Tadej Pogacar of Slovenia and Team UAE Team Emirates competes during the 116th MilanoSanremo 2025 a 289km one day race from Pavia to Sanremo UCIWT on March 22 2025 in Sanremo Italy Photo by Dario BelingheriGetty Images
'When he starts somewhere, it is to try to win' – Why Tadej Pogačar can win Paris-Roubaix
Wout Van Aert wears an aero helmet during a road stage of the Volta ao Algarve
'A tried and tested recipe' – Wout Van Aert hopes altitude training can give him the edge on return to racing at E3 Saxo Classic
The Hiplok Z Lok Combo bike lock on a worktop
Keep the bike thieves at bay with one of the best lightweight bike locks – the Hiplok Z Lok Combo has 40% off in this Amazon Big Spring Sale deal
DE PANNE BELGIUM MARCH 26 Jonathan Milan of Italy and Team LidlTrek on second place poses on the podium ceremony after the 49th Classic BruggeDe Panne 2025 Mens Elite a 1956km one day race from Brugge to De Panne UCIWT on March 26 2025 in De Panne Belgium Photo by Luc ClaessenGetty Images
Yellow cards for Milan, Kristoff and Schwarzmann at crash-hit Classic Brugge-De Panne