Maggie Coles-Lyster triumphs in sprint-finale in Fayetteville
Image 1 of 13
Maggie Coles-Lyster wins stage 4 at Joe Martin Stage Race(Image credit: Snowy Mountain Photography)
Women's classification leaders on the starting line of stage 4(Image credit: SnowyMountain Photography)
Fans lined the course for the start of the women's professional race(Image credit: SnowyMountain Photography)
Skylar Schneider (L39ION of Los Angeles) took a flier early in the race, trying to get away from the EF Education First squad who controlled through the race(Image credit: SnowyMountain Photography)
Diana Penuela (DNA Pro Cycling) and Heidi Franz (Instafund LaPrima) also tried to escape from the clutches of EF Education-TIBCO-SVB but were reeled back in short order(Image credit: SnowyMountain Photography)
Florence Chardon (Fount Cycling Guild) attacked late in the race trying to escape solo.(Image credit: SnowyMountain Photography)
Austin Killips (ATX Wolfpack p/b ProBikeKit) put in an effort on the climb to to the finish to grab the mid-race QOM points and secure the overall jersey(Image credit: SnowyMountain Photography)
The pace slowed with 4 laps to go as riders started to set up for the finish(Image credit: SnowyMountain Photography)
With one lap to go fans anticpated a hotly contested field sprint(Image credit: SnowyMountain Photography)
They were not dissapointed as Maggie Coles-Lyster (DNA Pro Cycling) beat Skylar Schneider (L39ION of Los Angeles) to the line with a bike throw(Image credit: SnowyMountain Photography)
Emma Langley (EF Education-TIBCO-SVB) kept her pace on track and went on to win the stage(Image credit: SnowyMountain Photography)
Women's final classification jerseys: Ngaire Barraclough (The Cyclery Racing) in the White Best U23 rider jersey, Heidi Franz (InstaFund LaPrima) in the Green Sprint, Emma Langley (EF Education-TIBCO SVB) in the Pink Overall leaders jerseys, and Austin Killips (ATX Wolfpack p/b Probikekit) in the polka dot climber jersey(Image credit: SnowyMountain Photography)
Clara Honsinger, Emily Newsom, Emma Langley, Sara Poidevin, and Lauren Stephens from EF Education-TIBCO SVB took home the overall team GC competition(Image credit: SnowyMountain Photography)
Maggie Coles-Lyster (DNA Pro Cycling Team) won the finale, stage 4, at the Joe Martin Stage Race. The Canadian won the sprint to the line ahead of Skylar Schneider and Shayna Powless (L39ION of Los Angeles) in Fayetteville.
Emma Langley (EF Education-TIBCO-SVB) secured the overall title ahead of Austin Killips (ATX Wolfpack) and Heidi Franz (InstaFund Racing).
The final stage of the Joe Martin Stage Race was a 16-lap criterium held on a technical 1.2km course with an uphill finish in Fayetteville. EF Education-TIBCO-SVB took immediate control at the front of the field to protect stage 3 time trial winner and overall race leader Langley.
"We weren't entirely sure what the other teams were going to throw at us, so we knew we just had to be on our A-game and control the front," said Langley. "And the girls did just that for me.”
Franz took the first sprint for points and bonuses bringing her closer in the overall classification to second-placed rider Killips. Franz started the day just eight second behind Killips in the overall.
Her effort was followed by an attack from Schneider, who cleared the field with 12 laps to go. A group bridged across to Schneider but the move was shut down ahead of the next sprint with nine laps to go.
Franz took the sprint again, for points and time, over the finish line climb and then cleared the field with Diana Penuela (DNA Pro Cycling Team) with eight to go. That move, too, was reeled back in by EF Education-TIBCO-SVB's supreme team work to set pace at the front of the peloton.
Killips jumped from the field with six laps to go causing the field to extend single file, and briefly catching Langley toward the back, but it all came back together at the end of that lap.
Killips attacked again with five to go but EF Education-TIBCO-SVB were much quicker to respond with US Champion Lauren Stephens keeping the field together with four teammates, as L39ION of Los Angeles moved in just behind.
Florence Chardon (Fount Cycling Guild) attacked at the top of the finish line climb with three laps to go, but her efforts were short-lived as L39ION of Los Angeles moved forward in the last three laps.
"The last couple of laps, honestly, it got a little chaotic," said Coles-Lyster. "The last three laps kind of rushed up on us and I felt like I kept getting shuffled back but then I had a couple teammates there with me just helping, giving me space and bringing me back up to the front."
L39ION of Los Angeles, EF Education-TIBCO-SVB, InstaFund Racing, DNA Pro Cycling were the dominant teams seeing two laps to go, with Stephens doing the bulk of the work to keep the race together through the bell lap.
L39ION of Los Angeles took over in the final 800 metres with four riders and DNA Pro Cycling's Coles-Lyster also decided that she would tuck in behind. Shayna Powless launched the L39ION of Los Angeles lead-out with Skylar Schneider on her wheel, but in the sprint to the line it was Coles-Lyster who took the victory, turning around what had been a tough month. The 23-year-old hit her head in a crash at the Tour of Gila and had to withdraw.
“It was a little touch and go a couple of weeks ago whether I was even going to be here but to have recovered, got a couple of days of training in, and then to come here and help the team in the past few races and win the crit is just unbelievable," said Coles-Lyster. "This is my first UCI win and it's just an amazing thing."
Cyclingnews is the world's leader in English-language coverage of professional cycling. Started in 1995 by University of Newcastle professor Bill Mitchell, the site was one of the first to provide breaking news and results over the internet in English. The site was purchased by Knapp Communications in 1999, and owner Gerard Knapp built it into the definitive voice of pro cycling. Since then, major publishing house Future PLC has owned the site and expanded it to include top features, news, results, photos and tech reporting. The site continues to be the most comprehensive and authoritative English voice in professional cycling.
