Fall scuppers Archibald hopes

KATIE Archibald slipped down the standings after a fall during stage four of the OVO Energy Women’s Tour of Britain in Chesterfield.

Sarah Roy sprinted to victory while the race leader, Poland’s Katarzyna Niewiadom, finished safely in the main group and will take a lead of one minute and 25 seconds into today’s fifth and final stage in London.

Archibald (Team WNT) came off her bike nine kilometres from the end of the stage, scuppering her hopes of improving on her overall placing of eighth at the start of the day.

The Scot got up with the help of team-mate Natalie Grinczer and completed the race but finished 49th and fell to 19th in the general classification.

Roy (Orica Scott) pipped Luxembourg’s Christine Majerus (Boels Dolmans) to victory in the last 100 metres after the pair had moved clear of the peloton midway through the 123km stage. Team Sunweb’s Leah Kirchmann, from Canada, was third.

Conscious of the need to eat into Niewiadom’s overall advantage, Majerus did most of the work in breaking away from the pack. But despite moving to second in the general classification and trimming Niewiadoma’s overall lead by six seconds, it is unlikely to be enough to overcome the Pole.

However, Majerus knocked Niewiadoma off the top of the Wiggle Points jersey standings.

Australian Roy, who is 48th overall, suffered a fall after the line but while she was taken to hospital for precautionary checks, she was expected to be fit to compete today.

Jolien D’Hore (Wiggle HIGH5) retained the Eisberg Sprints jersey.

The Adnams Best British Rider jersey changed hands again, with Hannah Barnes (Canyon//SRAM) taking it from her sister Alice, with an advantage of five seconds.

France’s Audrey Cordon-Ragot (Wiggle HIGH5) was crowned Skoda Queen of the Mountains.