CANYON//SRAM Racing: Amialiusik slips to second in Czech Republic

Alena Amialiusik has slipped to second place on the general classification after a tough stage at Grácia Orlová yesterday in Lichnov. The stage was won solo by Olena Pavlukhina (BTC), more than two minutes ahead of Ane Santesteban Gonza (ALE) and Shara Gillow (AUS).

Amialiusik was in the select group who made it over the first Category 1 climb, just 27km into the stage. "I was with the front group and everything was okay, we were around 14 riders and I felt good. The girl from BTC attacked and went, but she was just a few hundred metres in front of us and we were working together so I was not panicked at that point."

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Amialiusik's team mates Hannah Barnes and Elena Cecchini were in the second group after the climb but rejoined the lead group not long after the descent. Amialiusik said "And then, as soon as Elena's group caught us, all of a sudden the time gap to the leader was more than 2 minutes. Elena and Hannah worked really hard on the front, we were going fast on the flat sections and in the headwinds too. On the climbs I paced it and normally the gap would come down from our work. But the gap went out even further, more than 3:15, and I feel sorry because our team was working really hard on the front to catch one rider."

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Amialiusik is now in second place on the the general classification, 2 minutes 10 seconds behind Pavlukhina. Today, a double stage has an individual time trial in the morning and a short mountain stage in the afternoon. "Now I am really motivated and I want to do good in time trial. Our team is looking forward to doing some good races today."

The racing action can be followed on the team's Twitter @WMNcycling using #GraciaOrlova.

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