23rd Tour de l'Aude - 2.1

France, May 18-27, 2007

Photography

Stage 9 - May 27: Limoux - Limoux, 68 km

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Images by CJ Farquharson/WomensCycling.net

The French team await the start in Limoux.
The final stage begins...
The break forms in the early kilometres.
Lang Meng (Giant) in the break.
Marianne Vos (DSB Bank) leads the chase after the break - Vos also won the points competition.
Sigrid Corneo (Menikini Gysko) in the break.
The break on the climb.
The break corners off the main part of the descent.
Svetlana Bubnenkova (Fenixs) works hard.
The bunch on the climb.
Julia Martissova (AS Team FRW) won the sprints competition.
Ina Teutenberg (T-Mobile) leads the break through a village, watched by locals.
Climbing the final part to the summit.
The French National Team were working hard for Maryline Salvetat.
Amber Neben (Flexpoint) with 20km to go.
The French team chases the second group - the GC contenders.
Svetlana Bubnenkova (Fenixs) has been consistent throughout the race.
Susanne Ljungskog (Flexpoint) looks for the progress of the break ahead on a corner.
Ina Teutenberg (T-Mobile) wins the final stage of the 2007 Tour de l'Aude.
Susanne Ljungskog (Team Flexpoint) celebrates her overall win as she crosses the line in Limoux.
The final yellow jersey for a delighted Susanne Ljungskog.

Stage 8b - May 26: Axat - Quillan, 62 km

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Images by CJ Farquharson/WomensCycling.net

Today's second stage went through some stunning gorges.
Sigrid Corneo (Menikini Gysko) waits for the start.
Worrack leads the break.
Judith Arndt (T-Mobile) tried desperately to keep her race lead.
Trixi Worrack climbs strongly.
Susanne Ljungskog (Flexpoint) rode hard on the second half, the descent, to close the gap on Worrack.
Claudia Hausler (Nürnberger) worked for Worrack's win today.
Nicole Brändli (Bigla) was a strong contender in the break.
Kim Anderson (T-Mobile) looks concerned already.
Sharon van Essen (DSB Bank) finished in the bunch.
Beatrice Thomas (French National Team).
Sarah Duester (Raleigh) looks concerned.
The strain shows on the face of the race leader.
Claudia Hausler leads Trixi Worrack as the pair of Nürnberger riders made their dramatic attack after Amber Neben (Flexpoint).
Judith Arndt (T-Mobile) tries to make up some of the lost time.
Amber Neben (Flexpoint) waits for team-mate Susanne Ljungskog at the end of the narrowest part of the descent.
Hausler and Worrack race away from the field.
Neben Ljungskog and Brändli chase Hausler and Worrack.
Worrack wins the stage.
Ljungskog takes second place.
A great race by Trixi Worrack (Nürnberger).
Trixi Worrack (Nürnberger) the stage winner.
Marianne Vos (DSB Bank) still in the points jersey.
Claudia Hausler (Nürnberger) keeps the mountains jersey.
The new race leader Susanne Ljungskog (Team Flexpoint).

Stage 8a - May 26: Quillan - Axat, 55 km

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Images by CJ Farquharson/WomensCycling.net

The peloton crosses a bridge early in the stage.
The bunch all together early in the stage.
The bunch strings out on a corner.
French National Team riders stick together.
The view from the bunch.
Flexpoint, Nürnberger and T-Mobile on the front of the bunch.
Claudia Hausler (Nürnberger) and Fabiana Luperini (Menikini) head off into the distance
Worrack leads Arndt and Ljungskog with 15 km to go.
Arndt wins the stage ahead of Ljungskog.
A big finishing effort from Lang Meng (Giant)
Marianne Vos (DSB Bank) kept the points jersey.
Claudia Hausler (Nürnberger) held on to the mountains jersey.
Judith Arndt (T-Mobile) protected her race lead by winning the stage.

Stage 7 - May 25: Arques - Rennes Les Bains, 104 km

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Images by CJ Farquharson/WomensCycling.net

Amber Neben (Flexpoint) in the bunch.
Claudia Hausler (Nürnberger) has been in the mountains jersey since the first stage.
Judith Arndt and the T-Mobile team rode well to protect the jersey today.
Eléna Kuchinskaya (AS Team FRW) in the young rider's jersey.
The break on a climb, led by ExpressCopy.com's Anne Samplonius.
The bunch in pursuit of the leaders.
Melissa Holt (ExpressCopy.com) has been active all race.
Marianne Vos (DSB Bank) races in the bunch.
Andrea Graus (Nürnberger) on a climb.
The bunch accelerates towards the leaders as they climb.
Beatrice Thomas (France) takes a look at the hairpin corner ahead.
Eva Lutz (Nürnberger) leads the break.
Edita Puckinskaite (Nürnberger) has been relatively quiet in terms of action on this tour.
Nicole Brändli (Team Bigla).
Ina-Yoko Teutenberg (T-Mobile) leads the chase to protect Judith Arndt's leader's jersey.
Thomas (France) leads the break.
Teutenberg pulls the bunch ahead of Angela Brodtka (Germany) and Edita Puckinskaite (Nürnberger).
Fabiana Luperini (Menikini) and Claudia Hausler (Nürnberger) jump clear of the bunch to lead on the penultimate climb.
The bunch chases Luperini and Hausler.
Olga Slyusareva (Fenixs) had a spill but remounted to finish safely in a bunch.
Charlotte Becker (Nürnberger) - the German team was busy today, helping Hausler in the mountains.
Marianne Vos (DSB Bank) takes her fourth stage win in the 2007 Tour de l'Aude.
Priska Doppmann (Raleigh) wears the stage winner's jersey as the real stage winner (Marianne Vos, points leader) and second placed (Judith Arndt, overall lead) have their own jerseys to wear on Stage 8.
Eléna Kuchinskaya (AS Team FRW) young rider's competition leader.
Claudia Hausler (Nürnberger) seems happy to keep the mountains jersey.
Julia Martissova (AS Team FRW) kept the sprints jersey.
Marianne Vos (DSB Bank) in the points jersey.
Judith Arndt (T-Mobile) is still in the race lead.

Stage 6 - May 24: Rieux Minervois - Rieux Minervois, 113 km

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The race was neutralised for the opening kilometres, due to a (unrelated) traffic accident on the parcours.
Judith Arndt (T-Mobile) in the bunch.
Amber Neben (Flexpoint).
An early attack from Marlyn Binnendijk (Netherlands) woke some legs up.
The bunch rolls along.
Loës Gunnewijk (Flexpoint), Andrea Thürig (Bigla), Eva Lutz (Nürnberger) and Linda Villumsen (T-Mobile) escaped from the bunch.
Loës Gunnewijk (Flexpoint) rides in the break.
Linda Villumsen (T-Mobile) leads team-mates Ina-Yoko Teutenberg and Judith Arndt.
New Zealander Marina Duvnjak.
TV interest in the race has been high, with daily coverage.
Jo Kiesanowski had her birthday on Stage 6.
The chasing group is sprayed with dust as team cars are moved up into the gap behind the break.
Linda Villumsen (T-Mobile) wins in Rieux-Minervois.
The sprint for fifth.
Villumsen puts on the stage winner's white jersey.
Villumsen in the white stage winner's jersey.
Tanja Hennes did not start Stage 6 so the sprints jersey passed to Julia Martissova (AS Team FRW).
The young rider's competition jersey went to Eléna Kuchinskaya (AS Team FRW).
Judith Arndt kept the race lead.
Winner of Stage 5, Fabiana Luperini (Menikini Gysko).
Villumsen and Arndt await the presentation ceremony whilst a local dignitary takes a picture of the photographers.

Stage 5 - May 23: Osseja - Osseja, 110 km

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Images by CJ Farquharson/WomensCycling.net

A smile at the start from Sarah Duester (Raleigh Lifeforce).
Natalia Boyarskaya (Fenixs) made the first break of the day.
Claudia Hausler (Nürnberger) was going to have a busy day protecting her mountains jersey.
Amber Neben (Flexpoint) made the break and stays within sight of the race lead.
Fabiana Luperini (Menikini Gysko) was the breakaway winner.
Hank Kupfernagel (Germany) has been very competitive in the Tour de l'Aude so far.
Zoulfia Zabirova (Bigla) did not look comfortable all day.
Race leader Judith Arndt (T-Mobile) takes a gel, whilst Amber Neben (Flexpoint) zips up.
Luperini with 20km to go.
Arndt and Neben lead the chase for Luperini.
The race set out in poor conditions.
The bunch corners.
Svetlana Bubnenkova (Fenixs) was not as active as some expected today.
Boyarskaya (Fenixs) and fellow early escapee Béatrice Thomas (France).
The bunch stays together apart from the Fenixs/France escape on the first climb.
Jennifer Hohl (Bigla)
Claudia Hausler (Nürnberger) lays her bike over on the main descent.
The front group on the descent.
Hanke Kupfernagel (Germany) leads a group.
The yellow jersey approaches a steep climbing section.
Amber Neben (Flexpoint) leads the group in chasing Luperini.
Steep drops off the side of the climbs were the order of the day in the Pyrenees.
Neben, Nicole Brändli (Bigla) and Arndt at the front of the chasing group.
Fabiana Luperini (Menikini Gysko) wins.
Judith Arndt protects her jersey with a fourth place on the stage.
Stage winner Fabiana Luperini (Menikini Gysko)
Marianne Vos (DSB Bank) keeps the points jersey and also leads the young rider competition.
A very tired Tanja Hennes (Bigla) kept the sprint jersey.
Judith Arndt puts on the race leader's jersey which she will wear on Stage 6.

Stage 4 - May 22: Castelnaudary - Castelnaudary, 107 km

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Race leader Judith Arndt (T-Mobile) and Tanja Hennes (Bigla) chats before the start.
Marina Duvnjak (New Zealand).
Anne Garcia (Comunidad Valenciana).
Judith Arndt (T-Mobile) and Marianne Vos (DSB Bank) roll along.
Kim Anderson (T-Mobile).
T-Mobile spent a long time at the front of the race today.
The race leader sits on the wheel of teammate Ina-Yoko Teutenberg.
Teutenberg (T-Mobile) created the pace for many kilometres in Stage 4
Svetlana Bubnenkova (Fenixs).
Amber Neben (Team Flexpoint) takes on some nourishment.
Tanja Slater (Raleigh Lifeforce) was in the break.
Any vantage point for spectators in Fanjeaux.
Claudia Hausler (Nürnberger) is still in the mountains competition lead.
Andrea Graus (Nürnberger) was caught from her solo break in the closing kilometres.
The sprint: Judith Arndt in yellow was second, Marianne Vos (centre) won and Jo Kiesanowski (Raleigh Lifeforce)(right) was third.
That makes it three wins at l'Aude for Vos.
Tanja Hennes (Bigla) keeps the sprints jersey.
Claudia Hausler (Nürnberger), mountains competition leader.
Daiva Tuslaite (Lithuania), young rider competition leader.
Marianne Vos (DSB Bank) is the points leader.
A smile from the race leader Judith Arndt (T-Mobile).
A breakaway on a climb.
A French national team rider leads through a descent to the first climb of the day, Cote de Labecede Lauragais.
Trixi Worrack (Nürnberger) made a solo breakaway and had an advantage approaching one minute.
Ina-Yoko Teutenberg leads T-Mobile's chase of Worrack to defend the yellow jersey for Judith Arndt.
Sigrid Corneo (Menikini Gysko) in the break.
Edita Puckinskaite (Nürnberger) takes a corner.
An Aude ruin.
The Kiwis have a base in the Aude region - in Limoux.
Teutenberg driving the pace, again.
Andrea Thürig (Bigla).
The effort shows for Andrea Graus during her solo break.

Stage 3 - May 21: Lezignan Corbières - Lezignan Corbières , 122 km

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Images by CJ Farquharson/WomensCycling.net

Marianne Vos makes a startline change into the green (points) jersey
Race leader - Judith Arndt (T-Mobile)
Olivia Gollan (Menikini Gysko) the only Australian in the field
Marianne Vos (DSB Bank) in the bunch
Zoulfia Zabirova (Team Bigla) makes the pace on a climb
Smiles at the front of the bunch - Nicole Brändli (Team Bigla) and Anke Wichmann (T-Mobile)
The bunch together on a climb
Marianne Vos (DSB Bank) wins stage number 2
Vos has the white stage winner's jersey temporarily
Vos has to pass the stage winner's jersey on to Angela Brodtka (Germany) to wear on Stage 4
Villumsen (T-Mobile) Hausler (Nürnberger) and Vos (DSB Bank)
Claudia Hausler (Nürnberger) is working hard to keep the mountains jersey
Tanja Hennes (Team Bigla) has the sprints jersey
Trixi Worrack (Nürnberger) leads on a climb
The beautiful countryside around Lezignan Corbieres
Worrack (Nürnberger) leads the bunch through a village
A call for assistance from Silvi Tirado (Communidad Valencian)
Ina-Yoko Teutenberg (T-Mobile)
Tanja Hennes (Team Bigla) 'winds up' the sprint just before a sprint prime point
The bunch all together

Stage 2 - May 20: Argeles Sur Mer (TTT), 41.6 km

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Images by CJ Farquharson/WomensCycling.net

Pedalling to nowhere, warming up in the shade of a wall.
Giant Pro Cycling get underway.
DSB Bank - with race leader Marianne Vos makes its start.
Only four riders left for Communidad Valenciana.
The Kiwis get going.
The first rider for AS Team FRW checks her gears as she gets underway.
Team ExpressCopy.com start as a compact group.
Fenixs won't take long to get into a line.
Menikini Gysko follow Sylvia Valsecchi up the hill.
The Dutch National team corner quickly.
France's national team start in a disciplined line.
Germany's riders look out for trouble as it begins.
Team Flexpoint on its way.
A nice line for Équipe Nürnberger.
T-Mobile underway, heading into the shade of the trees.
Judith Arndt leads the 'magentas' through a corner.
Christiane Soeder leads the Raleigh Lifeforce team through a corner.
Charlotte Becker and Edita Puckinskaite bring Nürnberger back to the finish.
Judith Arndt leads T-Mobile home for the win.
Raleigh Lifeforce return to Argeles sur Mer.
The T-Mobile team (L-R): Ina-Yoko Teutenberg, Anke Wichmann, Judith Arndt, Kim Anderson, Linda Villumsen, and Suzanne De Goede.
Judith Arndt and Claudia Hausler (Nürnberger).
T-Mobile line up after a successful day.
A high up vantage point: the roof of a race truck.
Global Racing set off.
Sylvia Valsecchi with the Menikini Gysko team.
T-Mobile sit in the shade before the start.
A changeover in the line for T-Mobile.
A little chaos as the team re-groups after a rider almost took the wrong turn.

Stage 1 - May 19: Port La Nouvelle - Port La Nouvelle, 115.5 km

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Stunning Aude region scenery.
The bunch rolls along.
Jessica Phillips (ExpressCopy.com) at the front of the bunch.
Nicole Brändli (Team Bigla) was part of a break which gained about 8 seconds.
Lunch anyone?
The bunch climbs through the Pyrenees Orientales.
Trixi Worrack (Nürnberger).
Team Flexpoint tried to stir things up on a mountains competition climb.
Anne Samplonius (ExpressCopy.com) checks to see if her acceleration has caused a gap.
Ina-Yoko Teutenberg (T-Mobile) and race leader, Christiane Soeder (Raleigh) ride together.
Sylvia Valsecchi (Menikini Gysko).
Tanja Hennes (Team Bigla) and Marianne Vos (DSB Bank).
Ellen van Dijk (Netherlands), Angela Brodtka (Germany) and Claudia Hausler (Nürnberger).
Marianne Vos (DSB Bank) wins Stage 1 from Ina-Yoko Teutenberg (T-Mobile).
The sprint - Vos and Teutenberg ahead of Brodtka.
The new race leader - Marianne Vos (DSB Bank).

Prologue - May 18: Gruissan - Gruissan (ITT), 3.9 km

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Linda Villumsen (T-Mobile) started strongly.
Andrea Thürig (Bigla) was eighth.
Sara Duester (Raleigh Lifeforce).
Ellen van Dijk (Netherlands) was third and fastest young rider.
Susanne Ljungskog (Team Flexpoint) rides in the Swedish Champion's colours.
Zoulfia Zabirova (Team Bigla) accelerates.
Alexandra Sontheimer (Germany) is another of the four young riders in the top ten.
Charlotte Becker (Nürnberger) is German TT Champion.
Priska Doppmann (Raleigh) starts with a big breath.
Judith Arndt (T-Mobile) came fifth.
World Road Race Champion, Marianne Vos (DSB Bank) time trialled to seventh place.
Amber Neben (Team Flexpoint) begins the defence of her title.
Neben wears number one as 2006 champion.
Hanka Kupfernagel (Germany) came second, five seconds down.
Trixi Worrack (Nürnberger) was champion in 2004.
The French flag shows the strength of the wind during the time trial.
A live update board of the results as they're announced.
Christiane Soeder (Raleigh) was fastest in the prologue.
Podium (L-R): Kupfernagel, Soeder, Arndt, Sontheimer and van Dijk.
Christiane Soeder (Raleigh) salutes the crowd.

Presentation May 17

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Team ExpressCopy.com make its debut at the race.
A crowded room watches the presentation.
The Directeurs Sportif.
Team Bigla seem happy and relaxed.
Les Pruneaux d'Agen - one of the three French teams competing.
Fenixs - always a danger, with Svetlana Bubnenkova in the mountains and Olga Slyusareva in the sprints.
Menikini Gysko - an experienced and strong team.
Raleigh Lifeforce - held the yellow jersey (and others) in 2006.
Team Flexpoint has already taken the jersey for the best belts!
Amber Neben listens as the audience is reminded of her wins in 2005 and 2006.