Top South African cycling export and Commonwealth Games bronze medallist Ashleigh Moolman-Pasio hung on a nailbiting sprint to claim fourth place in the final round of the UCI Women Road World Cup in France on Saturday, August 29.
Lizzie Armistead wins the 2015 Grand Prix de Plouay-Bretagne with South Africa’s Ashleigh Moolman-Pasio finishing fourth © Cor Vos/uci.ch
The Bigla Pro Cycling rider finished just off the podium at the 121km Grand Prix de Plouay-Bretagne, which was won for a second time by Lizzie Armistead. Emma Johansson was second with Pauline Ferrand Prévot third.
Cycling SA women’s commission director Lise Olivier said it was arguably one of the best recent displays of competitive women’s cycling.
Every rider who is targeting the World Championship title at the end of September is in top form and it showed on Saturday,” said Olivier.
Moolman-Pasio’s South African teammate Cherise Stander stayed with the front bunch until about 35km to go, while An-Li Kachelhoffer and Heidi Dalton also impressed amid illustrious company.
“Both Cherise and An-Li finished in a group that contained past Giro winners, a leader of the World Cup series and other really big names,” said Olivier.
“Entering a team into a World Cup as their first race was always going to be tough but these are the kinds of races we dream about doing.”
Team SA will now turn their attention to a pair of UCI 2.2 rated tours – the Tour Cycliste Féminin International de l’ArArche in France from September 2 to 7, and the Premondiale Giro Toscana Int. Femminile Memorial Michela Fanini in Italy from September 11 to 13.
