Grande Boucle Féminine Internationale - 2.9.1

France, August 3-17, 2003

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Stage 8 - August 10: Aubusson - Saint-Léonard-de-Noblat, 84.5 km

Zabirova displays her power

By Kristy Scrymgeour

Zoulfia Zabirova
Photo: © AFP

Zoulfia Zabirova (Road Runner - Guerciotti) won today's stage of the Grande Boucle after breaking away with two others early in the race. The former Olympic Champion is renowned for being strong in a breakaway and today was no different.

The day was once again stifling hot as the riders began the stage from Aubusson to Saint-Léonard-de-Noblat. What was meant to be an 84.5 km course turned into 93km as is typical in the Grande Boucle, and the 13 kilometer neutral was also much longer than planned. The heat did not seem to bother Zabirova as she began to attack from the start, as did riders from the Team 2002 Aurora RSM with Luisa Tamanini. The attacks were covered by Nurnberger riders each time and Tamanini got away with Madeleine Lindberg (Equipe Nürnberger Versicherung). They were soon caught and Zabirova continued to attack.

As early as the 22km mark, the decisive break of the day had formed with Zabirova, Rasa Polikeviciute (Team 2002 Aurora RSM) and Margaret Hemsley (Equipe Nürnberger Versicherung) all taking part. Zabirova forced the pace and the trio quickly gained time on the peloton. With 25km to go Zabirova attacked and as Hemsley tried to cover, Polikeviciute also attacked and managed to bridge to Zabirova. The two made time on Hemsley, but by the finish the gap was only 39 seconds. Near the end Zabirova attacked again and took the win over Polikeviciute. Hemsley took third place for the second time in the tour and Luisa Tamanini (Team 2002 Aurora RSM) took the bunch sprint for fourth place.

Once again there were no changes in the General Classification and Joane Somarriba Arrola (Bizkaia Panda Spiuk Sabeco) continues to hold the yellow jersey as tour leader. Tomorrow the terrain begins to flatten out a little for the 84 km stage from Châteauneuf - St-Georges, but the weather is still predicted to be hot.

Photography

Images by AFP Photo

Zoulfia Zabirova (Road Runner Guerciotti) and Rasa Polikeviciute (Team 2002) during their breakaway in stage 8
Zoulfia Zabirova (Road Runner Guerciotti) crosses the line in Saint-Léonard-de-Noblat to win the stage

Results

1 Zoulfia Zabirova (Rus) Road Runner - Guerciotti Cycling Team      2.25.18
2 Rasa Polikeviciute (Ltu) Team 2002 Aurora RSM                        0.07
3 Margaret Hemsley (Aus) Equipe Nürnberger Versicherung                0.39
4 Luisa Tamanini (Ita) Team 2002 Aurora RSM                            2.48
5 Anita Valen (Nor) Bik-Powerplate                                         
6 Alison Wright (Aus) Road Runner - Guerciotti Cycling Team                
7 Olga Zabelinskaia (Rus) Velodames-Colnago                                
8 Francesca Castrucci (Ita) Prato Marathon Bike                            
9 Sylvie Riedle (Fra) Les Pruneaux d'Agen                                  
10 Mette Andreasen Fischer (Den) Team S.A.T.S                              
11 Sabrina Emmasi (Ita) Prato Marathon Bike                            2.52
12 Giovanna Troldi (Ita) Les Pruneaux d'Agen                               
13 Corinne Sempe (Fra) French National Team                                
14 Tatiana Stiajkina (Ukr) Velodames-Colnago                               
15 Katrina Grove (USA) Team S.A.T.S                                        
16 Elisabeth Chevanne Brunel (Fra) Les Pruneaux d'Agen                     
17 Nadia Triquet (Fra) French National Team                                
18 Eneritz Iturriaga (Spa) Team 2002 Aurora RSM                            
19 Joane Somarriba Arrola (Spa) Bizkaia Panda Spiuk Sabeco                 
20 Nicole Brändli (Swi) Prato Marathon Bike                                
21 Jolanta Polikeviciute (Ltu) Team 2002 Aurora RSM                        
22 Judith Arndt (Ger) Equipe Nürnberger Versicherung                       
23 Fabiana Luperini (Ita) Team 2002 Aurora RSM                             
24 Susanne Ljungskog (Swe) Bik-Powerplate                                  
25 Marianna Lorenzoni (Ita) Team Catalunya-Aliverti-Kookai                 
26 Edita Pucinskaite (Ltu) S.C. Michela Fanini Record Rox                  
27 Ioulia Martissova (Rus) Bizkaia Panda Spiuk Sabeco                      
28 Karine Dalmais (Fra) French National Team                               
29 Sigrid Corneo (Ita) Road Runner - Guerciotti Cycling Team               
30 Christina Peick Andersen (Den) Team S.A.T.S                             
31 Trine Hansen (Den) Team S.A.T.S                                         
32 Lisbeth Simper (Den) S.C. Michela Fanini Record Rox                     
33 Nataliya Kachalka (Ukr) Team 2002 Aurora RSM                            
34 Emma James (Aus) Les Pruneaux d'Agen                                    
35 Francis Linthorst (Ned) Bik-Powerplate                                  
36 Tina Liebig (Ger) S.C. Michela Fanini Record Rox                        
37 Letizia Giardinelli (Ita) S.C. Michela Fanini Record Rox            3.01
38 Birgit Söllner (Ger) Equipe Nürnberger Versicherung                     
39 Helen Kelly (Aus) Team S.A.T.S                                          
40 Meredith Miller (USA) Team S.A.T.S                                      
41 Irene Puccioni (Ita) Prato Marathon Bike                            3.04
42 Montserrat Alonso Bernal (Spa) Team Catalunya-Aliverti-Kookai       3.07
43 Youlia Razenkova (Rus) Velodames-Colnago                            3.27
44 Ghita Beltman (Ned) Bizkaia Panda Spiuk Sabeco                          
45 Kirsty Robb (NZl) Bik-Powerplate                                        
46 Madeleine Lindberg (Swe) Equipe Nürnberger Versicherung                 
47 Petra Rossner (Ger) Equipe Nürnberger Versicherung                      
48 Erika Vilunaite (Ltu) Prato Marathon Bike                           8.20
49 Azucena Sanchez (Spa) Team Catalunya-Aliverti-Kookai                    
50 Magalie Finot Laivier (Fra) French National Team                        
51 Baukje Doedee (Ned) Team Catalunya-Aliverti-Kookai                      
52 Iosune Murillo Elkano (Spa) Bizkaia Panda Spiuk Sabeco                  
53 Cristina Alcalde Huertanos (Spa) Bizkaia Panda Spiuk Sabeco             
54 Volha Hayeva (Rus) Velodames-Colnago                                    
DNS Stefani Kortekaas (Ned) Bik-Powerplate                                 
 
General classification after stage 8
 
1 Joane Somarriba Arrola (Spa) Bizkaia Panda Spiuk Sabeco          22.25.10
2 Nicole Brändli (Swi) Prato Marathon Bike                             2.01
3 Fabiana Luperini (Ita) Team 2002 Aurora RSM                          3.36
4 Edita Pucinskaite (Ltu) S.C. Michela Fanini Record Rox               6.20
5 Judith Arndt (Ger) Equipe Nürnberger Versicherung                   10.09
6 Jolanta Polikeviciute (Ltu) Team 2002 Aurora RSM                    10.42
7 Susanne Ljungskog (Swe) Bik-Powerplate                              10.59
8 Olga Zabelinskaia (Rus) Velodames-Colnago                           12.46
9 Rasa Polikeviciute (Ltu) Team 2002 Aurora RSM                       22.15
10 Eneritz Iturriaga (Spa) Team 2002 Aurora RSM                       23.27
11 Marianna Lorenzoni (Ita) Team Catalunya-Aliverti-Kookai            27.44
12 Luisa Tamanini (Ita) Team 2002 Aurora RSM                          28.33
13 Katrina Grove (USA) Team S.A.T.S                                   29.26
14 Nataliya Kachalka (Ukr) Team 2002 Aurora RSM                       39.24
15 Tina Liebig (Ger) S.C. Michela Fanini Record Rox                   39.36
16 Tatiana Stiajkina (Ukr) Velodames-Colnago                          42.01
17 Elisabeth Chevanne Brunel (Fra) Les Pruneaux d'Agen                44.52
18 Anita Valen (Nor) Bik-Powerplate                                   50.11
19 Emma James (Aus) Les Pruneaux d'Agen                               54.08
20 Sigrid Corneo (Ita) Road Runner - Guerciotti Cycling Team          55.51
21 Ioulia Martissova (Rus) Bizkaia Panda Spiuk Sabeco                 58.32
22 Zoulfia Zabirova (Rus) Road Runner - Guerciotti Cycling Team       59.48
23 Lisbeth Simper (Den) S.C. Michela Fanini Record Rox              1.04.03
24 Karine Dalmais (Fra) French National Team                        1.08.59
25 Nadia Triquet (Fra) French National Team                         1.11.04
26 Margaret Hemsley (Aus) Equipe Nürnberger Versicherung            1.21.33
27 Volha Hayeva (Rus) Velodames-Colnago                             1.47.02
28 Ghita Beltman (Ned) Bizkaia Panda Spiuk Sabeco                   1.51.12
29 Giovanna Troldi (Ita) Les Pruneaux d'Agen                        1.51.22
30 Mette Andreasen Fischer (Den) Team S.A.T.S                       1.53.08
31 Youlia Razenkova (Rus) Velodames-Colnago                         1.54.39
32 Birgit Söllner (Ger) Equipe Nürnberger Versicherung              1.59.08
33 Sabrina Emmasi (Ita) Prato Marathon Bike                         2.02.21
34 Magalie Finot Laivier (Fra) French National Team                 2.04.14
35 Corinne Sempe (Fra) French National Team                         2.06.53
36 Erika Vilunaite (Ltu) Prato Marathon Bike                        2.14.26
37 Trine Hansen (Den) Team S.A.T.S                                  2.17.44
38 Sylvie Riedle (Fra) Les Pruneaux d'Agen                          2.18.19
39 Francis Linthorst (Ned) Bik-Powerplate                           2.20.28
40 Meredith Miller (USA) Team S.A.T.S                               2.22.28
41 Alison Wright (Aus) Road Runner - Guerciotti Cycling Team        2.22.52
42 Christina Peick Andersen (Den) Team S.A.T.S                      2.24.15
43 Francesca Castrucci (Ita) Prato Marathon Bike                    2.26.43
44 Irene Puccioni (Ita) Prato Marathon Bike                         2.26.47
45 Helen Kelly (Aus) Team S.A.T.S                                   2.36.14
46 Montserrat Alonso Bernal (Spa) Team Catalunya-Aliverti-Kookai    2.41.19
47 Letizia Giardinelli (Ita) S.C. Michela Fanini Record Rox         2.43.19
48 Kirsty Robb (NZl) Bik-Powerplate                                 2.44.13
49 Azucena Sanchez (Spa) Team Catalunya-Aliverti-Kookai             2.51.58
50 Baukje Doedee (Ned) Team Catalunya-Aliverti-Kookai               3.09.56
51 Madeleine Lindberg (Swe) Equipe Nürnberger Versicherung          3.12.08
52 Cristina Alcalde Huertanos (Spa) Bizkaia Panda Spiuk Sabeco      3.15.10
53 Petra Rossner (Ger) Equipe Nürnberger Versicherung               3.20.09
54 Iosune Murillo Elkano (Spa) Bizkaia Panda Spiuk Sabeco           3.22.05
 
Mountains classification
 
1 Fabiana Luperini (Ita) Team 2002 Aurora RSM                            54 pts
2 Joane Somarriba Arrola (Spa) Bizkaia Panda Spiuk Sabeco                49
3 Nicole Brändli (Swi) Prato Marathon Bike                               47
4 Tatiana Stiajkina (Ukr) Velodames-Colnago                              23
5 Jolanta Polikeviciute (Ltu) Team 2002 Aurora RSM                       21
6 Rasa Polikeviciute (Ltu) Team 2002 Aurora RSM                          21
7 Edita Pucinskaite (Ltu) S.C. Michela Fanini Record Rox                 18
8 Olga Zabelinskaia (Rus) Velodames-Colnago                              18
9 Susanne Ljungskog (Swe) Bik-Powerplate                                 16
10 Judith Arndt (Ger) Equipe Nürnberger Versicherung                     13
 
 
U23 classification
 
1 Nicole Brändli (Swi) Prato Marathon Bike                         22.27.11
2 Olga Zabelinskaia (Rus) Velodames-Colnago                           10.45
3 Eneritz Iturriaga (Spa) Team 2002 Aurora RSM                        21.26
4 Luisa Tamanini (Ita) Team 2002 Aurora RSM                           26.32
5 Tina Liebig (Ger) S.C. Michela Fanini Record Rox                    37.35
6 Volha Hayeva (Rus) Velodames-Colnago                              1.45.01
7 Mette Andreasen Fischer (Den) Team S.A.T.S                        1.51.07
8 Erika Vilunaite (Ltu) Prato Marathon Bike                         2.12.25
9 Alison Wright (Aus) Road Runner - Guerciotti Cycling Team         2.20.51
10 Irene Puccioni (Ita) Prato Marathon Bike                         2.24.46