Roldan wins stage two as Faulkner takes overall lead
Canada's Mara Roldan won stage two of the Lloyd's Tour of Britain Women as Kristen Faulkner of the United States took the leader's green jersey.
Roldan, 21, of Team Picnic-Post NL broke away with 14km to go on the short steep climbs into Saltburn.
Advertisement
Britain's 19-year-old Cat Ferguson finished fifth for the second day in a row to move up to fourth in the general classification, just 14 seconds down.
Ferguson, who rides for the Movistar World Tour team, and is considered one of the brightest talents in the sport, remains in the white young rider's jersey.
Rolden finished the stage just ahead of pursuer Riejanne Markus of Lidl-Trek and a small group, including Ferguson, after the peloton split on the final circuit, which included the gruelling category one climbs on Saltburn bank.
Olympic road race champion Faulkner, of EF Education-Oatly, leads Markus by four seconds overall.
Advertisement
Two-time Tour of Britain winner Lizzie Deignan of Lidl-Trek is 16th - two minutes seven seconds down in the GC.
Drama right from the off
After just one kilometre of a frantic official start in sodden conditions at Hartlepool Docks, the green jersey wearer Kim le Court of AG Insurance-Soudal hit the tarmac with two other riders, and took several minutes to gingerly return to the peloton.
Thursday's winner of stage one now sits 21st in the GC after finishing nearly three minutes down in Saltburn.
There were several sketchy moments as the weather started to improve as the race moved down the coast, including a busy day for the British continental CJ O'Shea team, who experienced a bike change, and separate front and rear punctures for their riders.
Advertisement
A miserable day was capped for AG Insurance-Soudal by the retirement of Gladys Verhulst-Wild of the Netherlands, who vaulted off her bike and landed deep in the undergrowth late in the stage following a high-speed downhill crash with Liv AlUla-Jayco's Josie Talbot of Australia.
Stage two result
1. Mara Roldan (Can/Team Picnic-PostNL) 2hrs 57mins 38secs
2. Riejanne Markus (Ned/Lidl-Trek) +12secs
3. Ally Wollaston (Aus/FDJ-Suez) +18secs
4. Megan Jastrab (USA/Team Picnic-PostNL) Same time
5. Cat Ferguson (GB/Movistar Team)
6. Karlijn Swinkels (Ned/UAE-Team ADQ)
7. Cecilie Uttrup-Ludwig (Den/Canyon Sram-Zondacrypto)
Advertisement
8. Sarah Van Dam (Can/Ceratizit)
9. Kristen Faulkner (USA/EF Education-Oatly)
10, Quinty Ton (Ned/Liv AlUla-Jayco) +22secs
General classification after stage two
1. Kristen Faulkner (USA/EF Education-Oatly) 4hrs 57mins 3secs
2. Riejanne Markus (Ned/Lidl-Trek) +4secs
3. Ally Wollaston (Aus/FDJ-Suez) +12secs
4. Cat Ferguson (GB/Movistar Team) +14secs
5. Karlijn Swinkels (Ned/UAE Team ADQ) +14secs
6. Megan Jastrab (USA/Team Picnic-PostNL) +16secs
7. Sarah Van Dam (Can/Ceratizit) Same time
8. Cecilie Uttrup-Ludwig (Den/Canyon Sram-Zondacrypto)
9. Quinty Ton (Ned/Liv AlUla-Jayco) +20secs
10. Anna Henderson (GB/Lidl-Trek) Same time
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Buzz Feed
an hour ago
- Buzz Feed
Pokémon Might Be Headed To The Brisbane 2032 Olympics!
From Sonny Angels and Labubus to sneakers and comic books, it seems like everyone these days is collector. Now, one of your collections might actually get you into the Olympics — but only if you know how to use it. That's right, your days of ripping open packets of Pokémon cards and battling your friends could soon become an Olympic-qualifying sport. How? Well, the popular trading card game meets a number of eligibility criteria, making a strong case to the Australian Olympic Committee for consideration. A number of people have already signed a growing petition to make this happen — and you can too. Pokémon TCG's global appeal, competitive structure, international ranked players, inclusive nature and strong engagement from people under 30 make it suitable for consideration ahead of the Brisbane Olympics in 2032. There's a full-format tournament at CollectFest 2025 — Australia's first festival for collectors — to showcase what the concept will look like on the Olympic stage. There'll be training, big competitions and even a learn-to-play session to get traders and contestants of all skills levels involved. People like Asif Mir are keen to make this happen in time for Brisbane 2032. 'This isn't just nostalgia. It's a serious competitive pursuit with national champions, international rankings, and millions of active players," says the long time collector and player. Director of CollectFest, Brendan Munchan explains that this bid for Pokémon TCG to be in the Olympics isn't to "replace traditional sport" but instead opens up a new possibility of giving strategy-based games their own "seat at the table". You can get involved in the tournament at CollectFest 2025 (or even, sign the petition) to give Pokémon TCG a fighting chance on the Olympic stage. What do you think of Pokémon joining the Olympics?
Fox Sports
2 hours ago
- Fox Sports
Paris' iconic cauldron from the Olympic Games returns to light up summer nights
Associated Press PARIS (AP) — A year after it captivated crowds during the Paris Olympics, a centerpiece of the summer Games made a comeback Saturday to light up the French capital's skyline. The iconic helium-powered balloon that attracted myriads of tourists during the summer Games has shed its Olympic branding and is now just called the 'Paris Cauldron.' It rose again into the air later Saturday, lifting off over the Tuileries Garden just as the sun was about to set. Despite the suffocating hot weather in Paris, around 30,000 people were expected to attend the launch, which coincided with France's annual street music festival — the Fete de la Musique, the Paris police prefecture said. And it won't be a one-time event. After Saturday's flight, the balloon will lift off into the sky each summer evening from June 21 to Sept. 14, for the next three years. The cauldron's ascent may become a new rhythm of the Parisian summer, with special flights planned for Bastille Day on July 14 and the anniversary of the 2024 opening ceremony on July 26. Gone is the official 'Olympic' branding — forbidden under International Olympic Committee reuse rules — but the spectacle remains. The 30-meter (98-foot) -tall floating ring, dreamed up by French designer Mathieu Lehanneur and powered by French energy company EDF, simulates flame without fire: LED lights, mist jets and high-pressure fans create a luminous halo that hovers above the city at dusk, visible from rooftops across the capital. Though it stole the show in 2024, the cauldron was only meant to be temporary, not engineered for multi-year outdoor exposure. To transform it into a summer staple, engineers reinforced it. The aluminum ring and tether points were rebuilt with tougher components to handle rain, sun and temperature changes over several seasons. Though it's a hot-air-balloon-style, the lift comes solely from helium — no flame, no burner, just gas and engineering. The structure first dazzled during the Olympics. Over just 40 days, it drew more than 200,000 visitors, according to officials. Now anchored in the center of the drained Tuileries pond, the cauldron's return is part of French President Emmanuel Macron's effort to preserve the Games' spirit in the city, as Paris looks ahead to the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles. in this topic
Fox Sports
3 hours ago
- Fox Sports
Pacers' Tyrese Haliburton suffers right leg injury in NBA Finals. His father says it's an Achilles
Associated Press OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Indiana star Tyrese Haliburton was starting a move toward the basket, and his right leg didn't seem to move with him. And the ensuing scene was heartbreaking for the Pacers. Haliburton — who was playing with a strained right calf — tumbled to the court in a heap, immediately began punching the floor in frustration and needed to be helped to the locker room in Game 7 of the NBA Finals against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Sunday night. John Haliburton, Tyrese's father, told ABC it was an Achilles tendon injury. An MRI is still likely to confirm that, but there are simple tests — without a need for imaging — that doctors typically use to determine whether there is a serious injury to the tendon. The Pacers quickly ruled out Haliburton for the rest of Game 7 with that they called a lower right leg injury, and replays appeared to show something popping in the back of his leg. The injury happened with 4:55 left in the first quarter. Haliburton put no weight on the leg and had his face wrapped in towels as he was taken to the Pacers' locker room for evaluation. Virtually the entire Indiana playing, coaching and medical staff surrounded him on the court once he got hurt. 'It's a heartbreak, man,' Pacers center Myles Turner told ABC during an in-game interview after the opening period. 'It's unfortunate ... but we've got his back.' Haliburton, who had been dealing with leg issues in the series and had the calf issue flare up in Game 5, had been getting all sorts of treatment to get the calf in good enough shape for him to play in the last two games of the NBA Finals. He played well in Game 6, and Game 7 started promisingly — with Haliburton making three deep 3-pointers. And then he was gone. 'I think I have to be as smart as I want to be,' Haliburton said before Game 6 last week. 'Have to understand the risks, ask the right questions. I'm a competitor. I want to play. I'm going to do everything in my power to play. That's just what it is.' Haliburton, part of the team that won Olympic gold at the Paris Games last summer, was using hyperbaric chamber therapy, massage, needle treatments, electronic stimulation, special tape and a wrap to help treat the calf strain. He said after Game 6 that his treatment was going on virtually around the clock. John Haliburton told ABC sideline reporter Lisa Salters that his son was surrounded by family and watching the game in the Pacers' locker room. 'He said that Tyrese is doing as well as he can be under the circumstances,' Salters said on the broadcast. Injuries have been a huge factor in these playoffs. Boston star Jayson Tatum was wheeled off with a right Achilles tendon tear that essentially ended any realistic hope the Celtics had of defending the title they won last season. He will surely miss at least some of next season as well. Milwaukee's Damian Lillard also tore an Achilles tendon in the Bucks' first-round series against Indiana. Golden State's Stephen Curry ran out of time before his injured hamstring could allow him to return to the Warriors' second-round series against Minnesota. If the Los Angeles Lakers' season had gone past the first round, LeBron James would have been sidelined with a knee sprain. James was watching Game 7 and immediately posted his reaction to Haliburton's injury on social media. It was a one-word expletive, which didn't need much explanation. For Lillard, for Tatum — and now, quite possibly, for Haliburton — the issues will linger into next season or rob of them of the chance to play in 2025-26 entirely. ___ AP NBA: recommended
