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23rd Tour de l'Aude - 2.1
France, May 18-27, 2007
Main Page Results Overall standings Stage Details Previous Stage Next Stage
Stage 5 - May 23: Osseja - Osseja, 110 km
Luperini victorious as Arndt proves hard to shake
By Greg Johnson
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The toughest stage of the 23rd Tour de l'Aude continued to sort the general classification contenders from the pretenders, as the peloton faced two brutal Hors Categorie climbs. As the peloton rolled back into Osseja some 110 kilometres after starting in the city, it was a lone rider that crossed the line, Fabiana Luperini (Menikini-Gysko), some 2.16 minutes ahead of second placed Claudia Häusler (Equipe Nürnberger Versicherung).
The day's action got underway at the first of the two major climbs, the 1836 metre high Col du Calvaire, where the first major attack took place. Russian Natalia Boyarskaya (Fenixs - HPB) and Béatrice Thomas (France) broke away as the peloton settled into a rhythm on the climb.
The duo stayed away for the massive ascent, forcing a higher pace to develop within the chasing bunch which inevitably led to a divide in the field similar to yesterday's stage. Riders in the pursuing bunch caught Boyarskaya and Thomas by the second climb, the 1866 metre Col de la Llose, a much more dramatic climb than the previous.
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Col de la Llose was the setting, and Luperini the protagonist of today's stage. The Italian went off the front and was never headed as she descended alone to the finish line.
In reality, letting Luperini and Häusler go off the front posed little threat to the general classification contenders, as she was amongst the group which lost over 20 minutes on Stage 4. It was a different story however for third placed Maryline Salvetat (France), who couldn't only be afforded little leeway, as she was only 3.10 behind on the overall standings.
With Salvetat a marked women, a unique bond was forged between rivals Judith Arndt (T-Mobile), Trixi Worrack (Equipe Nürnberger Versicherung) and Susanne Ljungskog (Team Flexpoint). The rival trio worked together to ensure the French rider reeled just four seconds back.
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Despite her attempts move up the general classification, defending champion Amber Neben (Team Flexpoint) could only manage seventh place on today's stage, rolling across the line with Swiss rider Nicole Brändli (Bigla). Young sensation Marianne Vos (Team DSB Bank), who has taken three stage victories so far, finished in ninth position.
"Neben tried to jump to take extra time on the classification," said Team Flexpoint manager Jean-Paul Poppel. "But Arndt was extended the helping hand of Trixi Worrack, the two formed a serious German combination, despite their different shirts."
While Arndt and Ljungskog continue to hold the top two positions on general classification it was Worrack who was the big winner from today's stage. The Netherlands rider moved into third position overall, after Kimberly Anderson (T-Mobile) and Loes Gunnewijk (Team Flexpoint) lost time on today's stage.
Other big winners from the fifth stage included Brändli, who jumped from 12th to fourth position, while Vos also capitalized on others losses, making up three spots to take sixth position.
Photography
For a thumbnail gallery of these images, click here
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.
Results
1 Fabiana Luperini (Ita) Menikini - Gysko 3.15.12 (33.81 km/h) 2 Claudia Häusler (Ger) Equipe Nürnberger Versicherung 2.16 3 Maryline Salvetat (Fra) France 2.27 4 Judith Arndt (Ger) T-Mobile Team - Women 2.31 5 Trixi Worrack (Ger) Equipe Nürnberger Versicherung 6 Susanne Ljungskog (Swe) Team Flexpoint 7 Amber Neben (USA) Team Flexpoint 2.33 8 Nicole Brändli (Swi) Bigla Cycling Team 9 Marianne Vos (Ned) Team DSB Bank 2.47 10 Priska Doppmann (Swi) Raleigh Lifeforce Pro Cycling Team 11 Edita Pucinskaite (Ltu) Equipe Nürnberger Versicherung 12 Andrea Bosman (Ned) Team DSB Bank 2.52 13 Sigrid Corneo (Ita) Menikini - Gysko 7.16 14 Svetlana Bubnenkova (Rus) Fenixs - HPB 15 Joanne Kiesanowski (NZl) Raleigh Lifeforce Pro Cycling Team 16 Julia Martisova (Rus) FRW - Gauss 17 Hanka Kupfernagel (Ger) Germany 18 Christelle Ferrier-Bruneau (Fra) Les Pruneaux D'Agen 19 Marina Jaunatre (Fra) France 20 Elena Kuchinskaya (Rus) FRW - Gauss 7.20 21 Kimberly Anderson (USA) T-Mobile Team - Women 7.23 22 Toni Bradshaw (NZl) New Zealand 24 Andrea Graus (Aut) Equipe Nürnberger Versicherung 25 Sarah Düster (Ger) Raleigh Lifeforce Pro Cycling Team 12.25 26 Natalia Boyarskaya (Rus) Fenixs - HPB 27 Daphny Van Den Brand (Ned) Vrienden Van Het Platteland 28 Loes Gunnewijk (Ned) Team Flexpoint 29 Marlyn Brinnendijk (Ned) Vrienden Van Het Platteland 30 Suzanne De Goede (Ned) T-Mobile Team - Women 31 Jennifer Hohl (Swi) Bigla Cycling Team 32 Lang Meng (Chn) Giant Pro Cycling Team 33 Anne Samplonius (Can) Team Expresscopy.com 12.28 34 Dorte Lohse Rasmussen (Den) Menikini - Gysko 35 Debby Van De Berg (Ned) Global Racing Team 36 Serena Sheridan (NZl) New Zealand 37 Jessica Phillips (USA) Team Expresscopy.com 38 Fabienne Sandig (Ger) Germany 39 Charlotte Becker (Ger) Equipe Nürnberger Versicherung 40 Linda Villumsen Serup (Den) T-Mobile Team - Women 41 Zoulfia Zabirova (Kaz) Bigla Cycling Team 12.30 42 Tanja Slater (GBr) Raleigh Lifeforce Pro Cycling Team 19.31 43 Ana Garcia Antequera (Spa) Comunidad Valenciana 19.32 44 Maribel Moreno Allue (Spa) Comunidad Valenciana 45 Tatsiana Sharakova (Blr) FRW - Gauss 46 Patricia Schwager (Swi) Raleigh Lifeforce Pro Cycling Team 47 Tatiana Antoshina (Rus) Fenixs - HPB 22.39 48 Olga Slyusareva (Rus) Fenixs - HPB 49 Sharon Van Essen (Ned) Team DSB Bank 50 Maria Rosario Rodriguez (Spa) Comunidad Valenciana 51 Béatrice Thomas (Fra) France 52 Melissa Holt (NZl) Team Expresscopy.com 53 Karine Gautard (Fra) France 54 Noemi Cantele (Ita) Bigla Cycling Team 55 Andrea Thürig (Swi) Bigla Cycling Team 56 Helen Wyman (GBr) Global Racing Team 57 Georgina Waibl (NZl) New Zealand 58 Olivia Gollan (Aus) Menikini - Gysko 59 Erinne Willock (Can) Team Expresscopy.com 60 Janne Brok (Ned) Vrienden Van Het Platteland 61 Oxana Kozonchuk (Rus) Fenixs - HPB 62 Silvia Valsecchi (Ita) Menikini - Gysko 63 Eva Lutz (Ger) Equipe Nürnberger Versicherung 64 Linda Van Rijen (Ned) Team DSB Bank 65 Tania Belvederesi (Ita) FRW - Gauss 26.30 66 Liane Bahler (Ger) Fenixs - HPB 67 Lina Skujaute (Ltu) Lithuania 32.18 68 Urte Juodvalkyte (Ltu) Lithuania 33.08 69 Carina Ketonen (Fra) Les Pruneaux D'Agen 70 Marieke Van Wanroij (Ned) Team DSB Bank 71 Carissa Wilkes (NZl) New Zealand 34.53 72 Nathalie Jeuland (Fra) France 73 Fanny Riberot (Fra) France 74 Eleonora Van Dijk (Ned) Vrienden Van Het Platteland 75 Sufen Ma (Chn) Giant Pro Cycling Team 76 Kettj Manfrin (Ita) FRW - Gauss 77 Iris Slappendel (Ned) Team Flexpoint 78 Sanne Van Paassen (Ned) Team DSB Bank 79 Marlen Johrend (Ger) Germany 80 Linda Ringlever (Ned) Global Racing Team 81 Tanja Hennes (Ger) Bigla Cycling Team 82 Luise Keller (Ger) Team Flexpoint 83 Agne Sukutyte (Ltu) Lithuania 39.03 84 Edita Janeliunaite (Ltu) Lithuania 85 Agne Miliskeviciute (Ltu) Lithuania 86 Xiong Ying Ruan (Chn) Giant Pro Cycling Team 87 Anke Wichmann (Ger) T-Mobile Team - Women 39.07 88 Jaccolien Wallaard (Ned) Vrienden Van Het Platteland 89 Fei Wang (Chn) Giant Pro Cycling Team 90 Ina Teutenberg (Ger) T-Mobile Team - Women 91 Miho Oki (Jpn) Menikini - Gysko 92 Joelle Numainville (Can) Team Expresscopy.com 93 Alexandra Sontheimer (Ger) Germany 94 Angela Brodtka (Ger) Germany 95 Marina Duvnjak (NZl) New Zealand 96 Linn Torp (Nor) Global Racing Team 46.42 97 Silvia Tirado Marquez (Spa) Comunidad Valenciana 98 Amanda Shaw (Can) Team Expresscopy.com 49.35 99 Catherine Moncassin-Prime (Fra) Les Pruneaux D'Agen 50.19 100 Céline Nivet (Fra) Les Pruneaux D'Agen 101 Li Ping (Chn) Giant Pro Cycling Team 102 Xiaoning Gao (Chn) Giant Pro Cycling Team DNS Eleonora Soldo (Ita) FRW - Gauss DNS Sigrid Jochems (Ned) Global Racing Team DNF Madeleine Sandig (Ger) Team Flexpoint DNF Aurore Jeudy (Fra) Les Pruneaux D'Agen DNF Romy Kasper (Ger) Germany DNF Michelle Hyland (NZl) New Zealand DNF Daiva Tuslaite (Ltu) Lithuania DNF Maria Auxiliadora Martin Morales (Spa) Comunidad Valenciana General classification after stage five 1 Judith Arndt (Ger) T-Mobile Team - Women 13.33.56 2 Susanne Ljungskog (Swe) Team Flexpoint 0.18 3 Trixi Worrack (Ger) Equipe Nürnberger Versicherung 0.43 4 Nicole Brändli (Swi) Bigla Cycling Team 1.08 5 Priska Doppmann (Swi) Raleigh Lifeforce Pro Cycling Team 1.10 6 Marianne Vos (Ned) Team DSB Bank 1.11 7 Andrea Bosman (Ned) Team DSB Bank 1.59 8 Amber Neben (USA) Team Flexpoint 2.04 9 Edita Pucinskaite (Ltu) Equipe Nürnberger Versicherung 2.48 10 Maryline Salvetat (Fra) France 3.01 11 Kimberly Anderson (USA) T-Mobile Team - Women 5.19 12 Joanne Kiesanowski (NZl) Raleigh Lifeforce Pro Cycling Team 5.34 13 Hanka Kupfernagel (Ger) Germany 5.50 14 Marina Jaunatre (Fra) France 6.14 15 Svetlana Bubnenkova (Rus) Fenixs - HPB 6.26 16 Julia Martisova (Rus) FRW - Gauss 6.30 17 Sigrid Corneo (Ita) Menikini - Gysko 6.37 18 Elena Kuchinskaya (Rus) FRW - Gauss 7.05 19 Andrea Graus (Aut) Equipe Nürnberger Versicherung 7.25 20 Toni Bradshaw (NZl) New Zealand 7.26 21 Loes Gunnewijk (Ned) Team Flexpoint 10.24 22 Sarah Düster (Ger) Raleigh Lifeforce Pro Cycling Team 10.49 23 Suzanne De Goede (Ned) T-Mobile Team - Women 11.33 24 Serena Sheridan (NZl) New Zealand 14.17 25 Claudia Häusler (Ger) Equipe Nürnberger Versicherung 16.13 26 Dorte Lohse Rasmussen (Den) Menikini - Gysko 16.18 27 Tanja Slater (GBr) Raleigh Lifeforce Pro Cycling Team 19.52 28 Debby Van De Berg (Ned) Global Racing Team 21.09 29 Andrea Thürig (Swi) Bigla Cycling Team 21.12 30 Fabiana Luperini (Ita) Menikini - Gysko 21.57 31 Karine Gautard (Fra) France 23.26 32 Olga Slyusareva (Rus) Fenixs - HPB 23.51 33 Georgina Waibl (NZl) New Zealand 24.16 34 Tatsiana Sharakova (Blr) FRW - Gauss 25.43 35 Patricia Schwager (Swi) Raleigh Lifeforce Pro Cycling Team 26.59 36 Oxana Kozonchuk (Rus) Fenixs - HPB 28.49 37 Maria Rosario Rodriguez (Spa) Comunidad Valenciana 31.08 38 Linda Villumsen Serup (Den) T-Mobile Team - Women 31.10 39 Charlotte Becker (Ger) Equipe Nürnberger Versicherung 31.43 40 Tatiana Antoshina (Rus) Fenixs - HPB 31.55 41 Zoulfia Zabirova (Kaz) Bigla Cycling Team 32.05 42 Christelle Ferrier-Bruneau (Fra) Les Pruneaux D'Agen 33.05 43 Daphny Van Den Brand (Ned) Vrienden Van Het Platteland 33.20 44 Fabienne Sandig (Ger) Germany 34.25 45 Marlyn Brinnendijk (Ned) Vrienden Van Het Platteland 34.31 46 Anne Samplonius (Can) Team Expresscopy.com 34.43 47 Luise Keller (Ger) Team Flexpoint 34.50 48 Jessica Phillips (USA) Team Expresscopy.com 34.53 49 Tanja Hennes (Ger) Bigla Cycling Team 35.26 50 Lang Meng (Chn) Giant Pro Cycling Team 35.42 51 Jennifer Hohl (Swi) Bigla Cycling Team 37.10 52 Helen Wyman (GBr) Global Racing Team 38.29 53 Maribel Moreno Allue (Spa) Comunidad Valenciana 42.23 54 Ana Garcia Antequera (Spa) Comunidad Valenciana 55 Natalia Boyarskaya (Rus) Fenixs - HPB 43.39 56 Eva Lutz (Ger) Equipe Nürnberger Versicherung 44.36 57 Béatrice Thomas (Fra) France 44.39 58 Olivia Gollan (Aus) Menikini - Gysko 44.46 59 Melissa Holt (NZl) Team Expresscopy.com 45.07 60 Sanne Van Paassen (Ned) Team DSB Bank 45.41 61 Noemi Cantele (Ita) Bigla Cycling Team 45.51 62 Sharon Van Essen (Ned) Team DSB Bank 50.13 63 Janne Brok (Ned) Vrienden Van Het Platteland 50.57 64 Liane Bahler (Ger) Fenixs - HPB 51.18 65 Silvia Valsecchi (Ita) Menikini - Gysko 52.46 66 Carissa Wilkes (NZl) New Zealand 55.52 67 Ina Teutenberg (Ger) T-Mobile Team - Women 55.59 68 Eleonora Van Dijk (Ned) Vrienden Van Het Platteland 56.41 69 Nathalie Jeuland (Fra) France 57.01 70 Urte Juodvalkyte (Ltu) Lithuania 58.45 71 Alexandra Sontheimer (Ger) Germany 58.55 72 Erinne Willock (Can) Team Expresscopy.com 59.00 73 Miho Oki (Jpn) Menikini - Gysko 59.42 74 Linda Ringlever (Ned) Global Racing Team 1.00.57 75 Iris Slappendel (Ned) Team Flexpoint 1.01.38 76 Carina Ketonen (Fra) Les Pruneaux D'Agen 1.02.01 77 Jaccolien Wallaard (Ned) Vrienden Van Het Platteland 1.02.59 78 Edita Janeliunaite (Ltu) Lithuania 1.03.03 79 Tania Belvederesi (Ita) FRW - Gauss 1.03.28 80 Linda Van Rijen (Ned) Team DSB Bank 1.04.44 81 Marieke Van Wanroij (Ned) Team DSB Bank 1.06.34 82 Fei Wang (Chn) Giant Pro Cycling Team 1.06.41 83 Fanny Riberot (Fra) France 1.06.47 84 Sufen Ma (Chn) Giant Pro Cycling Team 1.06.50 85 Lina Skujaute (Ltu) Lithuania 1.07.59 86 Joelle Numainville (Can) Team Expresscopy.com 1.08.17 87 Marlen Johrend (Ger) Germany 1.09.26 88 Angela Brodtka (Ger) Germany 1.10.14 89 Marina Duvnjak (NZl) New Zealand 1.11.26 90 Anke Wichmann (Ger) T-Mobile Team - Women 1.13.34 91 Amanda Shaw (Can) Team Expresscopy.com 1.15.06 92 Silvia Tirado Marquez (Spa) Comunidad Valenciana 1.16.33 93 Kettj Manfrin (Ita) FRW - Gauss 1.16.47 94 Xiaoning Gao (Chn) Giant Pro Cycling Team 1.19.17 95 Linn Torp (Nor) Global Racing Team 1.19.35 96 Catherine Moncassin-Prime (Fra) Les Pruneaux D'Agen 1.20.39 97 Li Ping (Chn) Giant Pro Cycling Team 1.23.37 98 Xiong Ying Ruan (Chn) Giant Pro Cycling Team 1.26.11 99 Agne Miliskeviciute (Ltu) Lithuania 1.34.27 100 Agne Sukutyte (Ltu) Lithuania 1.45.44 101 Céline Nivet (Fra) Les Pruneaux D'Agen 2.00.07
