Liv Racing Xstra was active during the Festival Elsy Jacobs this weekend. After the prologue the team showed itself during the other two stages.
Short and fast start
The Festival Elsy Jacobs was opened by a short prologue over 2,2 hilly kilometres. Liv Racing Xstra started with four riders in this race. Alison Jackson finished the prologue in the top-20 as number 17, 11 seconds behind the stage winner. For Tereza Neumanova it was her first race after two months. The Czech rider opened well with a 27th position.
Jaskulska attacks, Jackson in top-10
On the second day the peloton tackled 121,4 km in and around Steinfort. Marta Jaskulska got in a breakaway of three riders for a long time. For a while it seemed the group with Jaskulska could make it to the finish, but the peloton decided else and reeled the escapees in at less than 10 kilometres to go. “It was a hard start of the stage with a high tempo on the climbs. Eventually one rider attacked and I decided to jump with her. We were with three riders in the front and worked well together, but the peloton didn`t give us enough room to make it till the finish”, Jaskulska told after the stage which was won by Marta Bastianelli. Alison Jackson was in the second group finishing 8th.
New try by Jaskulska
The third and final stage brought the peloton to Garnich. Liv Racing Xstra had one plan before the stage: be in the breakaway again. In the offensive start of the stage all our riders jumped with several groups, but no group got clear from the peloton. Then Jaskulska tried her luck on her own and got away while no other rider reacted. The Polish Liv Racing Xstra rider was in the front for some time, but was caught by the peloton. “After nobody got away early in the stage I was in the front alone for some kilometres. Too bad nobody bridged to me and we could work together to gain a nice advantage. Still I am happy with this race. We showed our team colors in all stages and rode really well as a team”, Jaskulska commented after the finish.
Jackson seemed on her way to another good result, but a crash of a rider in front of her in the final kilometres cost her some positions and the good result. Eventually the Canadian champion finished 14th, which was her position in the final classification also.