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Grande Boucle Féminine Internationale - 2.9.1
France, August 4-18, 2002
Main Page Results Previous Stage Next Stage
Stage 11 - August 15: Bellac - Civaux, 77km
Stage win and green jersey for Itera Team's Slioussareva
By Chris Henry, Cyclingnews correspondent
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Russian spinter Olga Slioussareva (Itera Team) sprinted to victory in today's 11th stage of the Grande Boucle Féminine, dedicating the win to her teammate Valentina Polkhanova. As Slioussareva explained, "I wanted to win as a present for Valentina Polkanova, since it's her birthday today."
Today provided another transitional stage held in warm and sunny conditions, taking the riders 77km from Bellac to Civaux. There were plenty of riders ready to go on the attack, and early, short-lived attacks came from all corners of the peloton as the leaders of the general classification eyed each other warily.
The day's first Sprint Flash was taken by German Anke Wichmann (Michela Fanini), ahead of the always aggressive Susanne Ljungskog, and Maillot Or Zinaida Stahurskaia. As a result, Ljungskog took back another valuable 2" bonus from Stahurskaia, reducing the difference between first and second place overall to 36" on the road.
Third place overall Joane Somarriba sent her Deia Pragma Colnago teammate Tatiana Stiajkina on the offensive, in the hopes of provoking a selection. With the major mountains of this year's Tour behind, defending champion Somarriba will have few opportunities to regain time on the general classification, particularly with Susanne Ljungskog snatching sprint bonifications with relative ease.
"It's true that now I have to find a way to escape," Somarriba conceded before the start. "I have to keep my morale, since there are several days left before Paris. If we keep fighting, who knows what's possible."
The biggest break of the day started after an attack from Mixte Powerplate's sprinter Priska Doppmann, which prompted a response from Saturn's Kimberly Bruckner, who pulled back Doppmann but did not initially follow through with the acceleration. However, with the speed increasing and the head of the peloton becoming a bit disorganized, Acca Due O's Chantal Beltman sensed that the timing was right for a full on attack.
After Ljungskog took charge of the chase, with race leader Stahurskaia glued to her wheel, Kimberly Bruckner decided she too was ready to commit to a serious move, and escaped in search of Beltman. After a fairly lengthy chase, Bruckner caught Beltman, and the two worked well to consolidate their advantage. At this point it was the turn of Acca Due's second sister act to make its mark, as Chantal Beltman's sister Ghita made an effort to discourage the counter attacks from within the peloton.
Ultimately sensing that it would be too difficult to control the peloton, Ghita Beltman took the opposite approach, and attacked in an effort to bridge the gap to her sister and Saturn's Bruckner. A risky move, no doubt, as an ineffective attack would only serve to pull the peloton back to the breakaway. However, both Beltman sisters had the strength to break away from the pack, and Ghita succeeded in bridging the gap, pulling only one rider with her, the Russian Youlia Martissova (Itera Team).
With the break now a group of four, with the two Acca Due O sisters in the mix, cooperation appeared to be a thing of the past. Ghita Beltman was the first to break up the quartet with a short attack, followed again by Chantal. Ultimately the moves were made in vain, as the peloton had closed to within a few hundred meters and a bunch finish appeared inevitable. Kimberly Brucker gave it one last go in the lead group, but the sprinters' teams were driving hard and the break was steadily reeled in.
Not to be denied another chance for bonus seconds at the finish, Ljungskog took advantage of the confusion in the front of the reformed peloton and stormed down the final hill into Civaux with the peloton strung out behind her. Ljungskog took a number of risks as the road wound into town and under the 1km to go banner. In doing so she not only kept herself well positioned at the front of the race, she prevented any real organization from the sprinters' teams in the closing meters.
While it was unlikely that the Swede would hang on for the stage win, she did fend off all challengers but two, Olga Slioussareva and Sissy Van Alebeek of Team Farm Frites-Hartol. In the final sprint it was the flying Russian Slioussareva who took the win and regained the green points jersey from Saturn's Judith Arndt, who herself had wrestled it away one day before.
With another 8 seconds regained from sprint bonuses, Susanne Ljungskog moved even closer to overall leader Stahurskaia, and currently sits just 30 seconds back with three stages left to race. Joane Somarriba remains in third position, 1'04" behind.
Photos
Images by AFP
- Russian Olga Slioussareva sprints to victory in stage 11
- A plethora of jerseys on the Grande Boucle podium
Results
1 Olga Slioussareva (Rus) Itera Team 2.07.51 2 Sissy Van Alebeek (Ned) Team Farm Frites-Hartol 3 Susanne Ljungskog (Swe) Vlaanderen-T Interim 4 Regina Schleicher (Ger) Michela Fanini 5 Yvonne Brunen (Ned) Mixte Power Plate 6 Priska Doppmann (Swi) Mixte Power Plate 7 Arenda Grimberg (Ned) Team Farm Frites-Hartol 8 Sara Felloni (Ita) Edilsavino 9 Zinaida Stahurskaia (Blr) USC Chirio 0.04 10 Francesca Castrucci (Ita) Aliverti Kookai Imm Luca Atet 11 Sandra Rombouts (Ned) Equipe Nurnberger Versicherung 12 Judith Arndt (Ger) Saturn Cycling 13 Sylvie Riedle (Fra) C.A Mantes la ville 78 14 Alessandra Cappellotto (Ita) Mixte Power Plate 0.07 15 Zita Urbonaite (Ltu) Acca Due O 16 Kimberly Bruckner (USA) Saturn Cycling 17 Edita Pucinskaite (Ltu) Figurella Dream Team 18 Chantal Beltman (Ned) Acca Due O 19 Youlia Martissova (Rus) Itera Team 20 Stacey Peters (USA) USA National-T Mobile 21 Joane Somarriba Arrola (Spa) Deia Pragma Colnago 22 Iryna Chuzhynova (Ukr) Edilsavino 23 Alessandra d'Ettore (Ita) Aliverti Kookai Imm Luca Atet 24 Elisabeth Chevanne Brunel (Fra) C.A Mantes la ville 78 25 Veronique Belleter (Bel) Vlaanderen-T Interim 26 Nicole Brandli (Swi) Acca Due O 27 Shani Bloch (Isr) Michela Fanini 28 Birgit Sollner (Ger) Equipe Nurnberger Versicherung 29 Letizia Giardinelli (Ita) Michela Fanini 30 Liane Bahler (Ger) Equipe Nurnberger Versicherung 31 Kym Shirley (Aus) Itera Team 32 Lada Kozlikova (Cze) Itera Team 33 Eneritz Iturriaga Mazaga (Spa) Deia Pragma Colnago 34 Tatiana Stiajkina (Ukr) Deia Pragma Colnago 35 Marta Evangelisti (Ita) Edilsavino 36 Teodora Ruano Sanchon (Spa) Deia Pragma Colnago 37 Karine Dalmais (Fra) French National Team 38 Sandrine Marcuz (Fra) French National Team 39 Marcia Eicher-Vouets (Swi) C.A Mantes la ville 78 40 Ghita Beltman (Ned) Acca Due O 41 Amber Neben (USA) USA National-T Mobile 0.15 42 Mari Holden (USA) USA National-T Mobile 43 Vilija Purlite (Ltu) Figurella Dream Team 44 Valentina Polkhanova (Rus) Itera Team 45 Edita Kubelskiene (Ltu) Figurella Dream Team 46 Iosune Murillo Elkano (Spa) Mixte Sabeco Bizkaia 47 Daniela Veronesi (Ita) Edilsavino 48 Rasa Polikeviciute (Ltu) Acca Due O 49 Helga Faccin (Ita) USC Chirio 50 Anke Wichmann (Ger) Michela Fanini 51 Isabelle Moulis (Fra) French National Team 52 Cristina Alcalde Huertanos (Spa) Mixte Sabeco Bizkaia 53 Laure Werner (Bel) Vlaanderen-T Interim 54 Silvia Parietti (Ita) Figurella Dream Team 55 Ina Yoko Teutenberg (Ger) Saturn Cycling 56 Cindy Pieters (Bel) Vlaanderen-T Interim 57 Valentyna Karpenko (Ukr) Deia Pragma Colnago 0.19 58 Marina Khodtchenkova (Rus) Edilsavino 59 Lisbeth Simper (Den) Michela Fanini 60 Marta Vilajosana Andreu (Spa) Aliverti Kookai Imm Luca Atet 61 Francis Linthorst (Ned) Mixte Power Plate 62 Baukje Doedee (Ned) Mixte Sabeco Bizkaia 63 Kim Anderson (USA) USA National-T Mobile 64 Debby Mansveld (Ned) Vlaanderen-T Interim 65 Montserrat Alonso Bernal (Spa) Mixte Sabeco Bizkaia 66 Rosalisa Lapomarda (Ita) Aliverti Kookai Imm Luca Atet 67 Agurtzane Elorriaga Derteano (Spa) Mixte Sabeco Bizkaia 68 Emma James (Aus) C.A Mantes la ville 78 69 Penny Edwards (GBr) USC Chirio 70 Madeleine Lindberg (Swe) Team Farm Frites-Hartol 71 Jolanta Polikeviciute (Ltu) Acca Due O 72 Anna Ramirez (Spa) Aliverti Kookai Imm Luca Atet 73 Tetyana Andrushchenko (Ukr) USC Chirio 74 Anouska Van Der Zee (Ned) Team Farm Frites-Hartol 75 Magalie Finot (Fra) French National Team 0.27 76 Alexandra Nohles (Ger) Mixte Power Plate 1.08 77 Cornelia Cyrus (Rus) Itera Team 20.10 78 Tiziana Smorgon (Ita) Figurella Dream Team 79 Cynthia Compain (Fra) C.A Mantes la ville 78 General classification after stage 11 1 Zinaida Stahurskaia (Blr) USC Chirio 27.24 2 Susanne Ljungskog (Swe) Vlaanderen-T Interim 0.30 3 Joane Somarriba Arrola (Spa) Deia Pragma Colnago 1.04 4 Edita Pucinskaite (Ltu) Figurella Dream Team 1.47 5 Nicole Brandli (Swi) Acca Due O 2.26 6 Valentina Polkhanova (Rus) Itera Team 11.50 7 Judith Arndt (Ger) Saturn Cycling 14.54 8 Rasa Polikeviciute (Ltu) Acca Due O 22.03 9 Amber Neben (USA) USA National-T Mobile 27.38 10 Kimberly Bruckner (USA) Saturn Cycling 32.14 11 Alessandra Cappellotto (Ita) Mixte Power Plate 35.56 12 Tatiana Stiajkina (Ukr) Deia Pragma Colnago 44.21 13 Jolanta Polikeviciute (Ltu) Acca Due O 53.35 14 Cindy Pieters (Bel) Vlaanderen-T Interim 56.59 15 Rosalisa Lapomarda (Ita) Aliverti Kookai Imm Luca Atet 1.02.02 16 Sandrine Marcuz (Fra) French National Team 1.13.33 17 Priska Doppmann (Swi) Mixte Power Plate 1.14.38 18 Shani Bloch (Isr) Michela Fanini 1.18.48 19 Teodora Ruano Sanchon (Spa) Deia Pragma Colnago 1.26.21 20 Eneritz Iturriaga Mazaga (Spa) Deia Pragma Colnago 1.28.25 21 Elisabeth Chevanne Brunel (Fra) C.A Mantes la ville 78 1.29.42 22 Liane Bahler (Ger) Equipe Nurnberger Versicherung 1.30.20 23 Iryna Chuzhynova (Ukr) Edilsavino 1.30.29 24 Birgit Sollner (Ger) Equipe Nurnberger Versicherung 1.32.01 25 Madeleine Lindberg (Swe) Team Farm Frites-Hartol 1.33.26 26 Youlia Martissova (Rus) Itera Team 1.36.45 27 Valentyna Karpenko (Ukr) Deia Pragma Colnago 1.37.01 28 Silvia Parietti (Ita) Figurella Dream Team 1.40.08 29 Regina Schleicher (Ger) Michela Fanini 1.43.35 30 Sara Felloni (Ita) Edilsavino 1.50.23 31 Arenda Grimberg (Ned) Team Farm Frites-Hartol 1.52.12 32 Mari Holden (USA) USA National-T Mobile 1.52.48 33 Karine Dalmais (Fra) French National Team 1.55.25 34 Edita Kubelskiene (Ltu) Figurella Dream Team 1.56.41 35 Marcia Eicher-Vouets (Swi) C.A Mantes la ville 78 1.57.04 36 Daniela Veronesi (Ita) Edilsavino 1.57.26 37 Sandra Rombouts (Ned) Equipe Nurnberger Versicherung 1.58.31 38 Chantal Beltman (Ned) Acca Due O 1.59.07 39 Lada Kozlikova (Cze) Itera Team 2.00.19 40 Sylvie Riedle (Fra) C.A Mantes la ville 78 2.03.19 41 Zita Urbonaite (Ltu) Acca Due O 2.06.37 42 Helga Faccin (Ita) USC Chirio 2.08.04 43 Olga Slioussareva (Rus) Itera Team 2.10.22 44 Letizia Giardinelli (Ita) Michela Fanini 2.11.45 45 Kim Anderson (USA) USA National-T Mobile 2.14.53 46 Yvonne Brunen (Ned) Mixte Power Plate 2.18.26 47 Laure Werner (Bel) Vlaanderen-T Interim 2.18.46 48 Ghita Beltman (Ned) Acca Due O 2.23.09 49 Lisbeth Simper (Den) Michela Fanini 2.25.49 50 Kym Shirley (Aus) Itera Team 2.27.47 51 Marta Vilajosana Andreu (Spa) Aliverti Kookai Imm Luca A 2.29.44 52 Emma James (Aus) C.A Mantes la ville 78 2.36.37 53 Cristina Alcalde Huertanos (Spa) Mixte Sabeco Bizkaia 2.36.53 54 Veronique Belleter (Bel) Vlaanderen-T Interim 2.37.14 55 Francis Linthorst (Ned) Mixte Power Plate 2.37.33 56 Baukje Doedee (Ned) Mixte Sabeco Bizkaia 2.45.33 57 Tetyana Andrushchenko (Ukr) USC Chirio 2.45.37 58 Stacey Peters (USA) USA National-T Mobile 2.48.39 59 Debby Mansveld (Ned) Vlaanderen-T Interim 2.48.49 60 Ina Yoko Teutenberg (Ger) Saturn Cycling 2.50.48 61 Penny Edwards (GBr) USC Chirio 2.52.15 62 Anouska Van Der Zee (Ned) Team Farm Frites-Hartol 2.52.45 63 Alessandra d'Ettore (Ita) Aliverti Kookai Imm Luca Atet 2.55.20 64 Sissy Van Alebeek (Ned) Team Farm Frites-Hartol 3.05.06 65 Anke Wichmann (Ger) Michela Fanini 3.05.10 66 Tiziana Smorgon (Ita) Figurella Dream Team 3.06.02 67 Marina Khodtchenkova (Rus) Edilsavino 3.08.40 68 Montserrat Alonso Bernal (Spa) Mixte Sabeco Bizkaia 3.09.52 69 Vilija Purlite (Ltu) Figurella Dream Team 3.19.30 70 Alexandra Nohles (Ger) Mixte Power Plate 3.20.29 71 Francesca Castrucci (Ita) Aliverti Kookai Imm Luca Atet 3.27.32 72 Agurtzane Elorriaga Derteano (Spa) Mixte Sabeco Bizkaia 3.29.45 73 Marta Evangelisti (Ita) Edilsavino 3.31.07 74 Magalie Finot (Fra) French National Team 3.35.21 75 Anna Ramirez (Spa) Aliverti Kookai Imm Luca Atet 3.40.28 76 Isabelle Moulis (Fra) French National Team 3.48.43 77 Iosune Murillo Elkano (Spa) Mixte Sabeco Bizkaia 3.53.33 78 Cornelia Cyrus (Rus) Itera Team 4.24.32 79 Cynthia Compain (Fra) C.A Mantes la ville 78 5.48.21 Points classification 1 Olga Slioussareva (Rus) Itera Team 111 pts 2 Judith Arndt (Ger) Saturn Cycling 93 3 Susanne Ljungskog (Swe) Vlaanderen-T Interim 85 4 Zinaida Stahurskaia (Blr) USC Chirio 70 5 Regina Schleicher (Ger) Michela Fanini 67 6 Alessandra Cappellotto (Ita) Mixte Power Plate 59 7 Rasa Polikeviciute (Ltu) Acca Due O 51 8 Nicole Brandli (Swi) Acca Due O 48 9 Sara Felloni (Ita) Edilsavino 46 10 Joane Somarriba Arrola (Spa) Deia Pragma Colnago 45 Mountains classification 1 Zinaida Stahurskaia (Blr) USC Chirio 140 pts 2 Edita Pucinskaite (Ltu) Figurella Dream Team 91 3 Susanne Ljungskog (Swe) Vlaanderen-T Interim 72 4 Nicole Brandli (Swi) Acca Due O 71 5 Joane Somarriba Arrola (Spa) Deia Pragma Colnago 61 6 Valentina Polkhanova (Rus) Itera Team 53 7 Rasa Polikeviciute (Ltu) Acca Due O 42 8 Amber Neben (USA) USA National-T Mobile 24 9 Judith Arndt (Ger) Saturn Cycling 19 10 Olga Slioussareva (Rus) Itera Team 16 Combination classification 1 Zinaida Stahurskaia (Blr) USC Chirio 84 pts 2 Susanne Ljungskog (Swe) Vlaanderen-T Interim 80 3 Edita Pucinskaite (Ltu) Figurella Dream Team 62 4 Nicole Brandli (Swi) Acca Due O 62 5 Judith Arndt (Ger) Saturn Cycling 60 6 Joane Somarriba Arrola (Spa) Deia Pragma Colnago 60 7 Rasa Polikeviciute (Ltu) Acca Due O 52 8 Valentina Polkhanova (Rus) Itera Team 49 9 Olga Slioussareva (Rus) Itera Team 42 10 Alessandra Cappellotto (Ita) Mixte Power Plate 40 Sprints classification 1 Olga Slioussareva (Rus) Itera Team 84 2 Debby Mansveld (Ned) Vlaanderen-T Interim 42 3 Youlia Martissova (Rus) Itera Team 27 4 Susanne Ljungskog (Swe) Vlaanderen-T Interim 12 5 Zinaida Stahurskaia (Blr) USC Chirio 12 6 Edita Pucinskaite (Ltu) Figurella Dream Team 9 7 Nicole Brandli (Swi) Acca Due O 9 8 Rasa Polikeviciute (Ltu) Acca Due O 9 9 Iryna Chuzhynova (Ukr) Edilsavino 9 10 Anke Wichmann (Ger) Michela Fanini 9
