Kiesanowski sounds Olympic warning

Christchurch cyclist Joanne Kiesanowski showed that her Olympic preparations are on track when she won the second stage of the Tour de Bretagne Feminin in France today.

Kiesanowski outsprinted American Lauren Franges to take the 114km stage from Hillion to Yffiniac in the Brittany region of France, to also grab the lead with two stages remaining.

The New Zealander, who will compete in the road race in Beijing next month, leads the tour of general classification by 14 seconds from Franges with another American Alison Powers in third place 1min 22secs behind.

Kiesanowski was sell supported by the BikeNZ national team today in the top rating stage race that includes the full USA and British Olympic road teams as well as many of the leading professional teams in Europe.

With the help from the New Zealand team, especially Auckland’s Kaytee Boyd and Olympic mountainbiker Rosara Joseph (Wellington) who finished safely in the peleton today, Kiesanowski went clear with Franges and outsprinted the American to claim the overall lead as well as head the battle for the sprint points.

The New Zealand team, that also includes Counties Manukau riders Yvette Hill-Willis and Sarah Murdock and New Plymouth’s Kerrianne Torckler, are now second in the team classification just seven sections behind the USA.

The tour ends on Monday NZ time.

Results, stage 2, Tour de Bretagne Feminin, 114km, Hillion to Yffiniac:

Joanne Kiesanowski (NZL) 3:09.06, 1; Lauren Franges (Team USA) at 4 seconds, Alison Powers (Team USA) at 1:08. Other New Zealadners: Kaytee Boyd at 1:19, 41; Rosara Joseph at 1:19, 42; Yvette Hill-Willis at 1:43, 61; Sarah Murdoch at 1:47, 65; Kerrianne Torckler at 5:52, 84; Rachel Mercer (riding for Swifts Racing) at 6:19, 89.

Overall Classification after two stages: Kiesanowski 5:18.28, 1; Franges at 14 seconds, 2; Powers at 1:22, 3.