Hoskins Queen of the Mountains in Aviva Tour

World track champion Melissa Hoskins has wrapped up the queen of the mountains classification at the Aviva Women’s Tour in the UK.

Hoskins started the day with a two point advantage in the best climber competition and defended her position well to finish the Tour with the polka dot jersey.

Hoskins admitted post race that the jersey had not been her aim, but that she was delighted to claim the honour at the finish.

“It was a little bit of fun at the start but I said to the girls the other day that I started getting attached to it,” said the WAIS athlete.

“I went down swinging and managed to walk away with it so I’m pretty stoked.”

The jersey, alongside a most combative award for Gracie Elvin on the fifth and final stage, were bonuses for the ORICA-AIS team having put their priority in the general classification battle.

“We did everything that we planned to do today,” Hoskins said. “We got caught on the back foot a little bit at the start but we came back together for the sprint, we just didn’t manage to pick up any seconds there.”

“We were attentive all day, we had Gracie up the road, which wasn’t bad for us.

“I think all in all we raced really well as a team and we should be pretty proud of what we have achieved regardless of not getting on the podium on general classification.”

Sport director Martin Barras was pleased with the way the team attacked the race, particularly on the final stage.

“It was a good solid Tour for the team,” Barras said. “Today’s objective was to climb onto the podium and we had targeted Jolien D’Hoore specifically.”

“The team did a very good job setting up but at the end of the day we couldn’t quite tie it up at the first sprint which put some pressure on us for the rest of the day.

“Over the second queen of the mountain, Emma went for broke. That move was not about getting on the podium that was about trying to win the bike race. She went all or nothing and I love that, in my book that is always the better way to race.”

Overall, Barras said the team leaves another popular Aviva Women’s Tour satisfied.

“We did everything that we could, we did everything that we had to,” Barras said.

“Trying to get on the podium was part one of our objectives, but what we also did well was to hold onto the polka dot jersey so that in itself is a very positive outcome.

“I was very pleased with the way the team raced and I guess we just have to come back next year and get those extra couple of spots for the top of the podium.”

-OGE