Yellow jersey for Villumsen in NVGP

Jun 20th, 10. Kiwi Linda Villumsen will be wearing the leader's yellow jersey for tomorrow's final stage of the Nature Valley Grand Prix after a great attack in today's Menomonie road stage.

Villumsen in yellow ©EpicImages.us

Going into this tour the plan wasn’t for Villumsen to be the leader, that was the role of her HTC Columbia teammate Evelyn Stevens, who before today was 5th on GC, one second behind Villumsen.

Villumsen's role is generally as a worker for the team but sometimes that role creates opportunities for success, as happened today.

Over the rolling hills, Villumsen and one other rider got away from the peloton with 56km to go.

“I was actually dropped, and as soon as we made it back I went with an attack and the next thing we had 10secs and then so on," Villumsen explained to RoadCycling.co.nz

"We worked well together, and I gave it all just to try and get some more time or keep the other teams working in the back.  If it happened, they would come back.  I knew too that behind me I have a strong team and the next person would always be ready to go.”

Villumsen soon became the 'leader on the road' and at the end of the first of three finishing laps Villumsen and Erinne Willock (Webcor) had a 41sec gap back to the rest of the peloton.

Despite a fierce chase the peloton didn’t catch the leading duo.  Villumsen crossed the line second after her breakaway companion and with the rest of the peloton crossing 26sec later, she took over the lead of the tour.

Villumsen now leads the General Classification by 11sec over Shelley Evans (Peanut Butter & Co TWENTY12) and Ruth Corset (Team Tibco) in third, +34sec.  The young Kiwi is also leading the Best Young Rider Classification, by 53sec.

“We do have an awesome team, and we work so well together always - no matter which one ends up with the jersey it is good for us,” Villumsen said.

As for tomorrow’s final stage, 13 laps of a circuit which includes the tough 18% Chilkoot Hill, Villumsen said the team hasn’t yet decided who they will support for the overall tour title. 

“Evelyn is for sure the best climber of all of us, and we have not finished yet, we have one day tomorrow, a bit of a hilly criterium and they say it will decide the race so I am super nervous,” said Villumsen.

Full stage results ...