Lizzie Deignan’s farewell Tour of Britain began with a mix of personal celebration and professional frustration as her Lidl-Trek team was unable to prevent Mauritian national champion Kim Le Court from taking the opening stage victory and overall race lead on familiar Yorkshire roads.
The race’s opening day featured a fast 85.6km stage from Dalby Forest to Redcar’s beachfront, passing through some of Deignan’s longtime training routes near her home in Otley, West Yorkshire. Despite having a strong team presence in the chase group pursuing the day’s breakaway, Deignan’s squad could not reel in Le Court and Olympic champion Kristen Faulkner, who stayed ahead to contest the seaside finish.
Le Court, riding for AG Insurance-Soudal, described the day as a success for her and her team, expressing satisfaction that her legs responded well and that she could pull off the win. She was optimistic about maintaining the leader’s jersey, highlighting the next stage as one that better suits her strengths.
Deignan was active throughout the stage, but the decisive moment came when Le Court launched a powerful attack on Langburn’s Bank, the steepest section of the second categorized climb, with gradients reaching 16%. This acceleration proved too strong for her competitors, including Deignan’s teammate Anna Henderson, who, despite being a silver medallist from the Paris 2024 Olympics, could not match the pace.
Only Faulkner, riding for EF Education-Oatly, managed to bridge the gap to Le Court. The pair then collaborated on the descent and during the rolling terrain into Redcar, building a lead of around 30 seconds over the chasing pack. Despite Lidl-Trek having four riders in the pursuit group and support from Cat Ferguson’s Movistar team and the French FDJ-Suez squad, the peloton could not close down the advantage.
The partnership nearly faltered when Faulkner nearly crashed in the final kilometers, misjudging a right-hand bend and skidding against a traffic island. Demonstrating sportsmanship and strategic awareness, Le Court waited for her companion, knowing their joint effort gave them the best chance of success.
Behind them, Lorena Wiebes, a previous stage winner, sprinted to third place, while 19-year-old Cat Ferguson, competing in her debut Tour of Britain, was the first British rider to finish, claiming fifth. Ferguson, the junior world road race champion, currently sits sixth overall, just 18 seconds behind Le Court, and leads the best young rider classification.
Ferguson admitted she had expected the breakaway to be caught and the stage to end in a bunch sprint. She was surprised the two leaders managed to hold off the chase group, acknowledging their superior strength and crediting them for staying away.
While Deignan herself admitted that her chances of contending for the overall title may be behind her, Ferguson is viewed as a natural successor and is well-positioned to make her mark as the race progresses. The young rider plans to approach each day carefully and treat the race with a team-first mentality.
The second stage, scheduled for Friday, will take the peloton from Hartlepool to Saltburn-by-the-sea, concluding with the challenging climb up Saltburn Bank. This steep and twisting finish has been decisive in recent National Championships and previous editions of the women’s road race, where it played a crucial role in determining the winner. Notably, Pfeiffer Georgi of the Picnic PostNL team won the last two editions of this stage, highlighting the importance of strong climbing and tactical skill on this final ascent.
As Deignan embarks on her final Tour of Britain on home soil, the spotlight also turns to emerging talents like Ferguson, who will seek to continue the legacy and compete fiercely over the coming days. The blend of personal milestones, tough competition, and iconic British climbs promises an exciting and emotional race ahead.
