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Int.Thüringen-Rundfahrt der Frauen - 2.9.1
Germany, July 22-27, 2003
Main Page Results Previous Stage
Stage 7 - July 27: Gera - Zeulenroda , 111.9 km
Bruckner holds off chase, Polkhanova takes home yellow
By Kristy Scrymgeour
Kimberly Bruckner won the final stage of Thuringen Rundfahrt today when she attacked solo towards the end of the race and managed to hold off a chasing bunch who were continually moving in on her. US National Time trial champion, Bruckner, who had the bad fortune of flatting in yesterday's timetrial, has never considered this her favorite race, primarily due to a bad crash in her first attempt here. This year, however, may change her perspective, after a successful week with a stage win and a sixth placing in the General Classification.
The Thuringen region offered a very hot 37 degree day and a very aggressive start to the stage. T-Mobile were the primary aggressors using their three top ten riders to try to move up a little on the leaders board and go for that final stage win. Olivia Gollan from the Powerplate Bik team was working hard all day to cover breaks for her team leader Suzanne Ljunskog who was only four seconds behind race leader Valentina Polkhanova (Velodames Colnago) in the quest for the yellow jersey, and her other teammate Sara Carrigan who was sitting in third place overall.
Finally it was Brucker's teammate Dede Barry who made a convincing move to get a gap on the field. As she was caught, Bruckner attacked and powered away with a little over 13km remaining in the race. The last climb almost caused a problem for Bruckner as the field was splitting behind her and the remaining 28 riders in the front group came within 100m of her at the top of the climb. Over the crest, however, the chasers lost their momentum, of which Brucker took advantage and soloed home to take the win by 30 seconds. In the final 2km Arenda Grimberg (Farm Frites-Hartol) also gave one last ditch attempt to break away, but was sadly caught just on the line as Katia Longhin (Mixed Team) took the bunch sprint for second place in front of Tanja Hennes (Team Next 125) and Judith Arndt (Nurnberger).
Cyclingnews spoke with Bruckner after the race who was delighted with her win. "It was a perfect set up for us. The Russians (Velodames Colnago team) were attacking hard early in the race trying to get time bonus seconds and Powerplate Bik were forced to chase. That left the opportunity for us to attack later. After Dede was caught, I attacked and stayed away." Bruckner got some extra inspiration from her ex-teammate Petra Rossner (Nurnberger) along the way. "I was about three kilometers from the finish and I heard this familiar voice call out 'Kimstar, you're going to make it' and it meant so much to me, so I just put my head down all the way to the finish. When I got to the line I looked back and there was the bunch right behind me. It was nice to redo this tour and have good memories to take away."
In the General Classification, Polkhanova worked hard all day sprinting for bonus seconds to keep Ljunskog at Bay. She succeeded in doing so and will take home with her the yellow jersey of the Thuringen Runfahrt. Ljunskog finished second, only six seconds behind, followed by Carrigan and Arndt.
Most of the riders now go home to prepare for the Grand Boucle (the women's version of the Tour de France) which starts in the town of Sartene in Corsica on August 3 and will arrive in Paris on August 17.
Results
1 Kimberly Bruckner (USA) Team T-Mobile USA 3.21.12 2 Katia Longhin (Ita) Mixed Team 0.03 3 Tanja Hennes (Ger) Team Next 125 4 Judith Arndt (Ger) Equipe Nürnberger Versicherung 5 Angela Brodtka (Ger) Red Bull Team 6 Modesta Vzesnisuskaiit (Ltu) Mixed Team 7 Rachel Heal (GBr) British National Team 8 Liane Bahler (Ger) German National Team 9 Theresa Senff (Ger) Team Euregio Egrensis 10 Susanne Ljungskog (Swe) Bik-Powerplate 11 Mirjam Melchers (Ned) Farm Frites-Hartol 12 Chantal Beltman (Ned) Mixed Team 13 Valentyna Karpenko (Ukr) Velodames Colnago 14 Deirdre Barry (USA) Team T-Mobile USA 15 Claudia Stumpf (Ger) Equipe Hamburg-Mannheimer 16 Tina Liebig (Ger) Team Euregio Egrensis 17 Bogumila Matusiak (Pol) Bonda-Lukowski 18 Olga Zabelinskaia (Rus) Velodames Colnago 19 Christine Soeder (Aut) Team Stuttgart 20 Nina Göhl (Ger) German National Team 21 Sandra Rombouts (Ned) Team Next 125 22 Anita Valen (Nor) Bik-Powerplate 23 Valentina Polkhanova (Rus) Velodames Colnago 24 Yulia Razenkova (Rus) Velodames Colnago 25 Arenda Grimberg (Ned) Farm Frites-Hartol 26 Daniela Kenty (Ger) Red Bull Team 27 Kirstin Armstrong (USA) Team T-Mobile USA 28 Luise Keller (Ger) Red Bull Team 29 Sara Carrigan (Aus) Bik-Powerplate 30 Kym Shirley (Aus) Road Runner - Guerciotti Cycling Team 0.45 31 Desirée Schuler (Ger) Equipe Hamburg-Mannheimer 1.28 32 Kerstin Sosnowski (Ger) Equipe Hamburg-Mannheimer 33 Frances Newstead (GBr) British National Team 34 Miho Oki (Jpn) Farm Frites-Hartol 35 Sigrid Corneo (Ita) Road Runner - Guerciotti Cycling Team 36 Areke Hassink (Ned) Dutch National Team 37 Esther Van der Helm (Ned) Farm Frites-Hartol 38 Madeleine Lindberg (Swe) Equipe Nürnberger Versicherung 39 Zita Urbonaite (Ltu) Mixed Team 40 Joulia Martissova (Rus) Velodames Colnago 2.39 41 Dotsie Cowden (USA) Team T-Mobile USA 3.00 42 Kerstin Schmidt (Ger) Team Stuttgart 4.06 43 Trixi Worrack (Ger) Equipe Nürnberger Versicherung 44 Andrea Graus (Aut) Austrian National Team 45 Susanne Beyer (Ger) Team Stuttgart 46 Hanka Kupfernagel (Ger) Equipe Nürnberger Versicherung 4.37 47 Regina Marunde (Ger) German National Team 48 Charlotte Goldsmith (GBr) British National Team 5.32 49 Catherine Hare (GBr) British National Team 10.00 50 Magaret Hemsley (Aus) Equipe Nürnberger Versicherung 11.04 51 Daniela Pintarelli (Aut) Austrian National Team 11.50 52 Katrina Grove (USA) Team T-Mobile USA 53 Elisabeth Brandau (Ger) Team Stuttgart 54 Bernadette Schober (Aut) Austrian National Team 55 Anna Gusmini (Ita) Road Runner - Guerciotti Cycling Team 56 Suzanne De Goede (Ned) Farm Frites-Hartol 57 Iryna Simonova (Ukr) Velodames Colnago 58 Claudia Hecht (Ger) Team Euregio Egrensis 59 Josephine Groenveld (Ned) Dutch National Team 60 Daniela Fusar Poli (Ita) Road Runner - Guerciotti Cycling 61 Irene Hostettler (Swi) Team Next 125 62 Stacey Peters (USA) Team T-Mobile USA 63 Olivia Gollan (Aus) Bik-Powerplate 64 Jaccolien Wallaard (Ned) Dutch National Team 65 Madeleine Sandig (Ger) Team Euregio Egrensis 66 Debby Mansveld (Ned) Dutch National Team 67 Birgit Hollmann (Ger) RG Berlin Charlottenburg 68 Sandra Missbach (Ger) Farm Frites-Hartol 69 Bertine Spijkermann (Ned) Dutch National Team 17.35 70 Frederieka Van der Wiel (Ned) Dutch National Team 71 Malgorzata Wysocka (Pol) Bonda-Lukowski 22.06 72 Nicole Kampeter (Ger) Equipe Hamburg-Mannheimer 73 Katrin Leumann (Swi) Team Next 125 74 Paulina Brzezna (Pol) Bonda-Lukowski 75 Annette Griner (Ger) Team Stuttgart 76 Elke Gebhardt (Ger) German National Team 77 Andrea Haas (Aut) Austrian National Team 78 Doreen Weise (Ger) Equipe Hamburg-Mannheimer 79 Francis Linthorst (Ned) Bik-Powerplate Sprints Sprint, km 83,2 1 Valentina Polkhanova (Rus) Velodames Colnago 3 pts 2 Olga Zabelinskaia (Rus) Velodames Colnago 2 3 Susanne Ljungskog (Swe) Bik-Powerplate 1 Sprint, km 88,4 1 Deirdre Barry (USA) Team T-Mobile USA 3 pts 2 Rachel Heal (GBr) British National Team 2 3 Joulia Martissova (Rus) Velodames Colnago 1 Mountains Climb, km 44,9 1 Kirstin Armstrong (USA) Team T-Mobile USA 3 pts 2 Hanka Kupfernagel (Ger) Equipe Nürnberger Versicherung 2 3 Modesta Vzesnisuskaiit (Ltu) Mixed Team 1 Climb, km 80,5 1 Valentina Polkhanova (Rus) Velodames Colnago 3 pts 2 Mirjam Melchers (Ned) Farm Frites-Hartol 2 3 Dotsie Cowden (USA) Team T-Mobile USA 1 Climb, km 104,0 1 Kimberly Bruckner (USA) Team T-Mobile USA 3 pts 2 Valentina Polkhanova (Rus) Velodames Colnago 2 3 Theresa Senff (Ger) Team Euregio Egrensis 1 Final general classification 1 Valentina Polkhanova (Rus) Velodames Colnago 14.46.45 2 Susanne Ljungskog (Swe) Bik-Powerplate 0.06 3 Sara Carrigan (Aus) Bik-Powerplate 0.26 4 Judith Arndt (Ger) Equipe Nürnberger Versicherung 0.42 5 Yulia Razenkova (Rus) Velodames Colnago 1.00 6 Kimberly Bruckner (USA) Team T-Mobile USA 1.17 7 Deirdre Barry (USA) Team T-Mobile USA 1.37 8 Chantal Beltman (Ned) Mixed Team 2.05 9 Kirstin Armstrong (USA) Team T-Mobile USA 2.11 10 Arenda Grimberg (Ned) Farm Frites-Hartol 3.06 11 Rachel Heal (GBr) British National Team 3.35 12 Frances Newstead (GBr) British National Team 4.20 13 Daniela Kenty (Ger) Red Bull Team 6.23 14 Olga Zabelinskaia (Rus) Velodames Colnago 7.15 15 Mirjam Melchers (Ned) Farm Frites-Hartol 8.22 16 Anita Valen (Nor) Bik-Powerplate 17 Christine Soeder (Aut) Team Stuttgart 8.30 18 Theresa Senff (Ger) Team Euregio Egrensis 9.00 19 Valentyna Karpenko (Ukr) Velodames Colnago 9.01 20 Modesta Vzesnisuskaiit (Ltu) Mixed Team 9.03 21 Bogumila Matusiak (Pol) Bonda-Lukowski 9.09 22 Tina Liebig (Ger) Team Euregio Egrensis 9.19 23 Liane Bahler (Ger) German National Team 9.36 24 Katia Longhin (Ita) Mixed Team 9.42 25 Kym Shirley (Aus) Road Runner - Guerciotti Cycling Team 11.04 26 Joulia Martissova (Rus) Velodames Colnago 11.19 27 Sigrid Corneo (Ita) Road Runner - Guerciotti Cycling Team 12.01 28 Sandra Rombouts (Ned) Team Next 125 12.24 29 Claudia Stumpf (Ger) Equipe Hamburg-Mannheimer 12.46 30 Miho Oki (Jpn) Farm Frites-Hartol 12.52 31 Trixi Worrack (Ger) Equipe Nürnberger Versicherung 14.04 32 Nina Göhl (Ger) German National Team 14.20 33 Andrea Graus (Aut) Austrian National Team 14.59 34 Tanja Hennes (Ger) Team Next 125 15.00 35 Kerstin Sosnowski (Ger) Equipe Hamburg-Mannheimer 15.46 36 Luise Keller (Ger) Red Bull Team 16.34 37 Angela Brodtka (Ger) Red Bull Team 17.19 38 Areke Hassink (Ned) Dutch National Team 17.22 39 Dotsie Cowden (USA) Team T-Mobile USA 17.47 40 Zita Urbonaite (Ltu) Mixed Team 18.03 41 Susanne Beyer (Ger) Team Stuttgart 18.47 42 Kerstin Schmidt (Ger) Team Stuttgart 19.26 43 Desirée Schuler (Ger) Equipe Hamburg-Mannheimer 19.33 44 Esther Van der Helm (Ned) Farm Frites-Hartol 20.20 45 Hanka Kupfernagel (Ger) Equipe Nürnberger Versicherung 21.09 46 Olivia Gollan (Aus) Bik-Powerplate 21.41 47 Regina Marunde (Ger) German National Team 22.47 48 Madeleine Lindberg (Swe) Equipe Nürnberger Versicherung 24.01 49 Charlotte Goldsmith (GBr) British National Team 24.02 50 Birgit Hollmann (Ger) RG Berlin Charlottenburg 24.46 51 Madeleine Sandig (Ger) Team Euregio Egrensis 26.45 52 Debby Mansveld (Ned) Dutch National Team 28.12 53 Claudia Hecht (Ger) Team Euregio Egrensis 28.28 54 Katrina Grove (USA) Team T-Mobile USA 29.02 55 Suzanne De Goede (Ned) Farm Frites-Hartol 29.35 56 Irene Hostettler (Swi) Team Next 125 30.30 57 Stacey Peters (USA) Team T-Mobile USA 32.20 58 Josephine Groenveld (Ned) Dutch National Team 33.50 59 Jaccolien Wallaard (Ned) Dutch National Team 34.17 60 Magaret Hemsley (Aus) Equipe Nürnberger Versicherung 34.30 61 Iryna Simonova (Ukr) Velodames Colnago 35.24 62 Daniela Fusar Poli (Ita) Road Runner - Guerciotti Cycling 35.47 63 Katrin Leumann (Swi) Team Next 125 36.38 64 Catherine Hare (GBr) British National Team 37.33 65 Bertine Spijkermann (Ned) Dutch National Team 38.31 66 Malgorzata Wysocka (Pol) Bonda-Lukowski 39.03 67 Francis Linthorst (Ned) Bik-Powerplate 47.02 68 Paulina Brzezna (Pol) Bonda-Lukowski 50.27 69 Bernadette Schober (Aut) Austrian National Team 55.37 70 Daniela Pintarelli (Aut) Austrian National Team 56.14 71 Anna Gusmini (Ita) Road Runner - Guerciotti Cycling Team 1.01.58 72 Elisabeth Brandau (Ger) Team Stuttgart 1.06.05 73 Sandra Missbach (Ger) Farm Frites-Hartol 1.06.21 74 Nicole Kampeter (Ger) Equipe Hamburg-Mannheimer 1.07.20 75 Frederieka Van der Wiel (Ned) Dutch National Team 1.21.15 76 Andrea Haas (Aut) Austrian National Team 1.29.35 77 Doreen Weise (Ger) Equipe Hamburg-Mannheimer 1.31.14 78 Elke Gebhardt (Ger) German National Team 1.31.45 79 Annette Griner (Ger) Team Stuttgart 1.48.53 Sprints classification 1 Chantal Beltman (Ned) Mixed Team 13 pts 2 Judith Arndt (Ger) Equipe Nürnberger Versicherung 5 3 Yulia Razenkova (Rus) Velodames Colnago 4 4 Olga Zabelinskaia (Rus) Velodames Colnago 4 5 Joulia Martissova (Rus) Velodames Colnago 4 6 Sara Carrigan (Aus) Bik-Powerplate 3 7 Valentina Polkhanova (Rus) Velodames Colnago 3 8 Deirdre Barry (USA) Team T-Mobile USA 3 9 Katia Longhin (Ita) Mixed Team 3 10 Petra Rossner (Ger) Equipe Nürnberger Versicherung 2 11 Rachel Heal (GBr) British National Team 2 12 Hanka Kupfernagel (Ger) Equipe Nürnberger Versicherung 2 13 Malgorzata Wysocka (Pol) Bonda-Lukowski 2 14 Susanne Ljungskog (Swe) Bik-Powerplate 1 15 Trixi Worrack (Ger) Equipe Nürnberger Versicherung 1 16 Zita Urbonaite (Ltu) Mixed Team 1 17 Stacey Peters (USA) Team T-Mobile USA 1 Mountains classification 1 Valentina Polkhanova (Rus) Velodames Colnago 19 pts 2 Susanne Ljungskog (Swe) Bik-Powerplate 7 3 Yulia Razenkova (Rus) Velodames Colnago 6 4 Kimberly Bruckner (USA) Team T-Mobile USA 3 5 Chantal Beltman (Ned) Mixed Team 3 6 Kirstin Armstrong (USA) Team T-Mobile USA 3 7 Mirjam Melchers (Ned) Farm Frites-Hartol 3 8 Christine Soeder (Aut) Team Stuttgart 2 9 Hanka Kupfernagel (Ger) Equipe Nürnberger Versicherung 2 10 Sara Carrigan (Aus) Bik-Powerplate 1 11 Judith Arndt (Ger) Equipe Nürnberger Versicherung 1 12 Olga Zabelinskaia (Rus) Velodames Colnago 1 13 Theresa Senff (Ger) Team Euregio Egrensis 1 14 Modesta Vzesnisuskaiit (Ltu) Mixed Team 1 15 Dotsie Cowden (USA) Team T-Mobile USA 1 U23 classification 1 Claudia Stumpf (Ger) Equipe Hamburg-Mannheimer 14.59.31 2 Luise Keller (Ger) Red Bull Team 3.48 3 Claudia Hecht (Ger) Team Euregio Egrensis 15.42 4 Suzanne De Goede (Ned) Farm Frites-Hartol 16.49 5 Daniela Fusar Poli (Ita) Road Runner - Guerciotti Cycling 23.01 6 Bernadette Schober (Aut) Austrian National Team 42.51 7 Elisabeth Brandau (Ger) Team Stuttgart 53.19
