Hitec Products’ Audrey Cordon sprinted to third place at today’s Omloop van het Hageland in Belgium after an incredibly aggressive and exciting race. The French rider won the group sprint for third from an elite chase group of eight after Lizzie Armitstead (Boels Dolmans) and Emma JOHANSSON (Orica-AIS) escaped on the final climb of the day. Armitstead, the 2012 winner of the event, claimed the race honours ahead of Johansson. The third Belgian race in eight days, the 126 kilometre Omloop van het Hageland had everything you expect from the Belgian spring races; short, sharp climbs, narrow roads, and cobbles. Hitec Products team leader Elisa LONGO BORGHINI said the teams plan was simple; make the discisive break of the day and be extremely aggressive. ?We rode really well as a team today,? Longo Borghini said. The race, made up of one large 59 kilometre loop and five 13 kilometre finishing circuits around the Belgium town of Tielt-Winge, was marred by a huge crash at just over 50 kilometres which impeded much of the peloton. Shortly after the crash a group of 16 went clear and quickly established a one minute gap, however the hard chasing peloton never allowed the break to gain too much time and the gap hovered around the one minute mark for the remainder of the race. With most major teams represented the break continued to work hard as they entered the 13 kilometre finishing circuit which consisted of a steep one kilometre climb.?Hitec Products, Boels Dolmans, Rabo/Liv and Orica-AIS were all well represented with three riders each in the break away. ?We were well represented in the break with myself, Audrey (Cordon), and Julie (Leth) so it was a good situation for us and Lauren (Kitchen) was very attentive in the peloton marking dangerous riders like Kirsten WILD (Giant Shimano),? Longo Borghini said. ?Ashleigh was unlucky to get caught up in the crash and have a mechanical issue so couldn?t rejoin the race but I know she felt good,? she said. With two laps to go Armitstead launched an attack over the climb and was followed by Johansson, Longo Borghini, Sofie DE VUYST (Futurumshop.nl), and Katarzyna Niewiadoma (Rabo-Liv) however the group were quickly caught back by the rest of their break away?companions. With just under 20 kilometres to race attacks were being fired off the front of the break away group like fireworks on New Years Eve. Armitstead launched one final assault on the short, steep climb with just under six kilometres to race and only Johansson was able to follow. Longo Borghini found herself in the dreaded ‘no-mans-land’ between the leading two and the chasing group. The leading duo went under the one kilometre to go banner with a slim eight second lead over a chasing group of eight. Longo Borghini was caught with 500 metres left to race and her teammate, Hitec Products’ Audrey Cordon lead the chase group home to claim third and her first UCI podium of 2014. The 24 year old French rider moved to Hitec Products in 2014 after spending six year with the French outfit Vienne-Futuroscope. ?I?m so happy with this third place. It is something that just pays back all my effort and all the support I have received from my family and friends over the last few years,? Cordon said. ?I hope this is just the beginning and there are more exciting things to come in 2014 with Hitec Products,? she said. Images copyright Sportfoto.nl
