Walsall, in the West Midlands, welcomed the AJ Bell Women’s Tour, the world’s leading international women’s cycle race, for the first time in 2021.
Stage two started at the Walsall Arboretum, the area’s famous Victorian Park, and culminate with a finish on Lichfield Street in the heart of the town and in the shadows of Walsall Town Hall.
With action aplenty on the 10-kilometre clockwise circuit around Hayhead Woods, Barr Beacon nature reserve and Pool Green, the circuit included three intermediate sprints at Barr Common as well as offering points towards the ŠKODA Queen of the Mountains competition at the top of the 1.2km long Barr Beacon climb. A thrilling run in to the line as debutant Clara Copponi moved into the overall lead with Amy Pieters winning stage two.
British rider Pfeiffer Georgi, 21, led at the final turn but was overtaken in a sprint finish and came fifth. FDJ Nouvelle Aquitaine Futuroscope's Copponi, 22, was second, having come third in the opening stage.
"It was a hectic final," said Pieters, who has previously won three Women's Tour stages. "It was an urgent sprint but it went well at the end."
Georgi is the highest-placed Brit in the overall standings in eighth, 10 seconds behind Frenchwoman Copponi.
Walsall became only the third venue – after both Stoke-on-Trent and Chesterfield in 2017 – in history to welcome both the start and finish of a Women’s Tour road stage on the same day.
