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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 8b - May 26: Axat - Quillan, 62 km
Netherlands squad flex its point
By Greg Johnson
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After taking her first stage win on this morning's Stage 8a, Judith Arndt (T-Mobile) didn't save enough steam to maintain the yellow jersey in this afternoon's stage, relinquishing the leader's jersey to Team Flexpoint rival Susanne Ljungskog. While the stage from Axat to Quillan was by no means a monster, at 62 kilometres in length, eight days of riding combined with the morning's 55 kilometre stage was beginning to take its toll on the riders.
With the penultimate stage beginning at the base of an Hors Category climb the stage was quickly going to sort those who still had some in the tank, from those that didn't. Having showed a supremacy since its win in last weekend's Team Time Trial, today's penultimate stage saw the T-Mobile squad suffer the effects of a long week working to defend the yellow jersey. As the Bigla and Equipe Nürnberger Versicherung teams attacked hard on the climb, T-Mobile's Arndt was left to fend for herself.
With the magenta crew beginning to show some cracks its rivals teamed up to ensure the stranglehold was broken. Equipe Nürnberger Versicherung riders Trixi Worrack and Claudia Hausler attacked relentlessly up Col du Garavel, but it was reigning winner Amber Neben (Team Flexpoint) that reached the 1256 metre climb's peak first.
As she passed the summit, America's Neben put down the anchor and allowed Worrack to similar roll right by. The unquestionably blatant tactic payed dividends, with Neben's teammate Ljungskog catching her wheel and the pair time trialing all the way home.
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"Amber Neben opened the course for us," explained Team Flexpoint manager Jean-Paul Poppel. "She knew a gap to hit, but after the descent she totally sacrificed herself for Susanne Ljungskog, when she heard that Arndt could no longer follow. She let the German riders Worrack and Haussler pass, waited a full minute for Ljungskog. A beautiful example of team tactics."
While Worrack was gifted the stage win, and closed in on the general classification lead, it was Ljungskog that was the bigger winner of her squad's tactical race. The Swedish rider won the sprint for second from Nicole Brändli (Bigla) and Claudia Häusler (Equipe Nürnberger Versicherung), some 15 seconds behind the winnger.
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Neben took fifth place, some 18 seconds behind, while the Marianne Vos (Team DSB Ban) led bunch, containing now former yellow jersey holder Arndt, scrambled home over a minute later.
Ljungskog holds the yellow jersey as the 87 strong peloton heads into the final stage - an 86 kilometre loop in Limoux. The Swedish rider can't afford to rest on her laurels if her Dutch team is to take home its third consecutive Tour de l'Aude title, with Worrack just 11 seconds behind.
"All the German women will ride together against our team, but we knew that last year also," added Poppel. "We have the leadership and will cover with all the women to defend [our title]."
With the final stage featuring three climbs a comeback by T-Mobile's third placed Arndt isn't out of the question, but for the German rider to reclaim the 55 seconds lost on the penultimate stage will depend largely on how well her squad can recover overnight.
Photography
For a thumbnail gallery of these images, click here
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).
Results
1 Trixi Worrack (Ger) Equipe Nürnberger Versicherung 1.42.10 (36.411 km/h) 2 Susanne Ljungskog (Swe) Team Flexpoint 0.15 3 Nicole Brändli (Swi) Bigla Cycling Team 4 Claudia Häusler (Ger) Equipe Nürnberger Versicherung 5 Amber Neben (USA) Team Flexpoint 0.18 6 Marianne Vos (Ned) Team DSB Bank 1.33 7 Joanne Kiesanowski (NZl) Raleigh Lifeforce Pro Cycling Team 8 Julia Martisova (Rus) FRW - Gauss 9 Sigrid Corneo (Ita) Menikini - Gysko 10 Maryline Salvetat (Fra) France 11 Edita Pucinskaite (Ltu) Equipe Nürnberger Versicherung 12 Priska Doppmann (Swi) Raleigh Lifeforce Pro Cycling Team 13 Andrea Graus (Aut) Equipe Nürnberger Versicherung 14 Judith Arndt (Ger) T-Mobile Team - Women 15 Fabiana Luperini (Ita) Menikini - Gysko 16 Hanka Kupfernagel (Ger) Germany 1.37 17 Kimberly Anderson (USA) T-Mobile Team - Women 2.27 18 Linda Villumsen Serup (Den) T-Mobile Team - Women 3.09 19 Andrea Bosman (Ned) Team DSB Bank 3.41 20 Svetlana Bubnenkova (Rus) Fenixs - HPB 21 Georgina Waibl (NZl) New Zealand 22 Marina Jaunatre (Fra) France 23 Loes Gunnewijk (Ned) Team Flexpoint 24 Tanja Slater (GBr) Raleigh Lifeforce Pro Cycling Team 25 Tatsiana Sharakova (Blr) FRW - Gauss 6.07 26 Dorte Lohse Rasmussen (Den) Menikini - Gysko 27 Christelle Ferrier-Bruneau (Fra) Les Pruneaux D'Agen 28 Daphny Van Den Brand (Ned) Vrienden Van Het Platteland 29 Sarah Düster (Ger) Raleigh Lifeforce Pro Cycling Team 30 Lang Meng (Chn) Giant Pro Cycling Team 31 Toni Bradshaw (NZl) New Zealand 6.09 32 Elena Kuchinskaya (Rus) FRW - Gauss 6.11 33 Ana Garcia Antequera (Spa) Comunidad Valenciana 34 Marlyn Brinnendijk (Ned) Vrienden Van Het Platteland 11.50 35 Lina Skujaute (Ltu) Lithuania 12.59 36 Tatiana Antoshina (Rus) Fenixs - HPB 37 Karine Gautard (Fra) France 38 Debby Van De Berg (Ned) Global Racing Team 39 Helen Wyman (GBr) Global Racing Team 40 Nathalie Jeuland (Fra) France 41 Maribel Moreno Allue (Spa) Comunidad Valenciana 42 Fei Wang (Chn) Giant Pro Cycling Team 43 Suzanne De Goede (Ned) T-Mobile Team - Women 13.03 44 Béatrice Thomas (Fra) France 45 Jennifer Hohl (Swi) Bigla Cycling Team 46 Fabienne Sandig (Ger) Germany 47 Eva Lutz (Ger) Equipe Nürnberger Versicherung 13.06 48 Luise Keller (Ger) Team Flexpoint 49 Janne Brok (Ned) Vrienden Van Het Platteland 50 Anne Samplonius (Can) Team Expresscopy.com 51 Angela Brodtka (Ger) Germany 52 Sharon Van Essen (Ned) Team DSB Bank 53 Ina Teutenberg (Ger) T-Mobile Team - Women 54 Olivia Gollan (Aus) Menikini - Gysko 55 Silvia Valsecchi (Ita) Menikini - Gysko 56 Charlotte Becker (Ger) Equipe Nürnberger Versicherung 57 Xiong Ying Ruan (Chn) Giant Pro Cycling Team 14.39 58 Sufen Ma (Chn) Giant Pro Cycling Team 59 Natalia Boyarskaya (Rus) Fenixs - HPB 60 Edita Janeliunaite (Ltu) Lithuania 16.05 61 Oxana Kozonchuk (Rus) Fenixs - HPB 62 Agne Sukutyte (Ltu) Lithuania 63 Li Ping (Chn) Giant Pro Cycling Team 64 Fanny Riberot (Fra) France 65 Carina Ketonen (Fra) Les Pruneaux D'Agen 16.08 66 Linda Ringlever (Ned) Global Racing Team 16.11 67 Jaccolien Wallaard (Ned) Vrienden Van Het Platteland 68 Eleonora Van Dijk (Ned) Vrienden Van Het Platteland 69 Andrea Thürig (Swi) Bigla Cycling Team 70 Urte Juodvalkyte (Ltu) Lithuania 71 Kettj Manfrin (Ita) FRW - Gauss 72 Marlen Johrend (Ger) Germany 73 Alexandra Sontheimer (Ger) Germany 74 Anke Wichmann (Ger) T-Mobile Team - Women 75 Serena Sheridan (NZl) New Zealand 76 Miho Oki (Jpn) Menikini - Gysko 77 Liane Bahler (Ger) Fenixs - HPB 78 Melissa Holt (NZl) Team Expresscopy.com 79 Tania Belvederesi (Ita) FRW - Gauss 80 Marina Duvnjak (NZl) New Zealand 81 Noemi Cantele (Ita) Bigla Cycling Team 82 Iris Slappendel (Ned) Team Flexpoint 17.34 83 Marieke Van Wanroij (Ned) Team DSB Bank 22.37 84 Silvia Tirado Marquez (Spa) Comunidad Valenciana 85 Maria Rosario Rodriguez (Spa) Comunidad Valenciana 86 Agne Miliskeviciute (Ltu) Lithuania 87 Céline Nivet (Fra) Les Pruneaux D'Agen 23.30 DNF Erinne Willock (Can) Team Expresscopy.com DNF Amanda Shaw (Can) Team Expresscopy.com General classification after stage 8b 1 Susanne Ljungskog (Swe) Team Flexpoint 22.24.00 2 Trixi Worrack (Ger) Equipe Nürnberger Versicherung 0.11 3 Judith Arndt (Ger) T-Mobile Team - Women 0.55 4 Nicole Brändli (Swi) Bigla Cycling Team 1.33 5 Amber Neben (USA) Team Flexpoint 2.30 6 Marianne Vos (Ned) Team DSB Bank 2.46 7 Priska Doppmann (Swi) Raleigh Lifeforce Pro Cycling Team 2.48 8 Edita Pucinskaite (Ltu) Equipe Nürnberger Versicherung 4.33 9 Joanne Kiesanowski (NZl) Raleigh Lifeforce Pro Cycling Team 4.37 10 Maryline Salvetat (Fra) France 4.46 11 Andrea Bosman (Ned) Team DSB Bank 5.52 12 Julia Martisova (Rus) FRW - Gauss 6.09 13 Svetlana Bubnenkova (Rus) Fenixs - HPB 8.15 14 Sigrid Corneo (Ita) Menikini - Gysko 8.22 15 Kimberly Anderson (USA) T-Mobile Team - Women 8.43 16 Marina Jaunatre (Fra) France 10.07 17 Andrea Graus (Aut) Equipe Nürnberger Versicherung 16.12 18 Loes Gunnewijk (Ned) Team Flexpoint 16.22 19 Toni Bradshaw (NZl) New Zealand 16.25 20 Claudia Häusler (Ger) Equipe Nürnberger Versicherung 17.36 21 Elena Kuchinskaya (Rus) FRW - Gauss 17.52 22 Hanka Kupfernagel (Ger) Germany 18.42 23 Fabiana Luperini (Ita) Menikini - Gysko 24.04 24 Tanja Slater (GBr) Raleigh Lifeforce Pro Cycling Team 24.12 25 Dorte Lohse Rasmussen (Den) Menikini - Gysko 25.12 26 Sarah Düster (Ger) Raleigh Lifeforce Pro Cycling Team 28.05 27 Georgina Waibl (NZl) New Zealand 32.33 28 Suzanne De Goede (Ned) T-Mobile Team - Women 33.24 29 Serena Sheridan (NZl) New Zealand 35.14 30 Linda Villumsen Serup (Den) T-Mobile Team - Women 36.46 31 Tatsiana Sharakova (Blr) FRW - Gauss 47.14 32 Debby Van De Berg (Ned) Global Racing Team 48.48 33 Daphny Van Den Brand (Ned) Vrienden Van Het Platteland 50.42 34 Andrea Thürig (Swi) Bigla Cycling Team 51.08 35 Charlotte Becker (Ger) Equipe Nürnberger Versicherung 52.36 36 Jennifer Hohl (Swi) Bigla Cycling Team 54.47 37 Marlyn Brinnendijk (Ned) Vrienden Van Het Platteland 55.14 38 Tatiana Antoshina (Rus) Fenixs - HPB 56.03 39 Lang Meng (Chn) Giant Pro Cycling Team 56.58 40 Karine Gautard (Fra) France 58.07 41 Luise Keller (Ger) Team Flexpoint 58.55 42 Fabienne Sandig (Ger) Germany 1.00.52 43 Anne Samplonius (Can) Team Expresscopy.com 1.01.31 44 Eva Lutz (Ger) Equipe Nürnberger Versicherung 1.02.57 45 Christelle Ferrier-Bruneau (Fra) Les Pruneaux D'Agen 1.03.24 46 Olivia Gollan (Aus) Menikini - Gysko 1.04.27 47 Ana Garcia Antequera (Spa) Comunidad Valenciana 1.06.00 48 Béatrice Thomas (Fra) France 1.10.38 49 Oxana Kozonchuk (Rus) Fenixs - HPB 1.12.40 50 Sharon Van Essen (Ned) Team DSB Bank 1.14.44 51 Helen Wyman (GBr) Global Racing Team 1.15.40 52 Noemi Cantele (Ita) Bigla Cycling Team 1.17.18 53 Natalia Boyarskaya (Rus) Fenixs - HPB 1.20.13 54 Ina Teutenberg (Ger) T-Mobile Team - Women 1.21.03 55 Melissa Holt (NZl) Team Expresscopy.com 1.21.16 56 Maria Rosario Rodriguez (Spa) Comunidad Valenciana 1.22.24 57 Maribel Moreno Allue (Spa) Comunidad Valenciana 1.27.02 58 Janne Brok (Ned) Vrienden Van Het Platteland 1.30.41 59 Tania Belvederesi (Ita) FRW - Gauss 1.30.54 60 Eleonora Van Dijk (Ned) Vrienden Van Het Platteland 1.30.58 61 Iris Slappendel (Ned) Team Flexpoint 1.33.07 62 Silvia Valsecchi (Ita) Menikini - Gysko 1.33.48 63 Urte Juodvalkyte (Ltu) Lithuania 1.33.57 64 Angela Brodtka (Ger) Germany 1.34.35 65 Liane Bahler (Ger) Fenixs - HPB 1.35.25 66 Nathalie Jeuland (Fra) France 1.36.32 67 Marlen Johrend (Ger) Germany 1.37.18 68 Miho Oki (Jpn) Menikini - Gysko 1.37.48 69 Alexandra Sontheimer (Ger) Germany 1.43.02 70 Carina Ketonen (Fra) Les Pruneaux D'Agen 1.45.25 71 Linda Ringlever (Ned) Global Racing Team 1.45.47 72 Fei Wang (Chn) Giant Pro Cycling Team 1.48.13 73 Jaccolien Wallaard (Ned) Vrienden Van Het Platteland 1.49.06 74 Sufen Ma (Chn) Giant Pro Cycling Team 1.49.15 75 Fanny Riberot (Fra) France 1.50.47 76 Lina Skujaute (Ltu) Lithuania 1.50.51 77 Kettj Manfrin (Ita) FRW - Gauss 1.51.04 78 Marieke Van Wanroij (Ned) Team DSB Bank 1.57.44 79 Anke Wichmann (Ger) T-Mobile Team - Women 2.01.35 80 Edita Janeliunaite (Ltu) Lithuania 2.02.31 81 Marina Duvnjak (NZl) New Zealand 2.04.04 82 Li Ping (Chn) Giant Pro Cycling Team 2.15.31 83 Xiong Ying Ruan (Chn) Giant Pro Cycling Team 2.18.55 84 Silvia Tirado Marquez (Spa) Comunidad Valenciana 2.26.17 85 Agne Sukutyte (Ltu) Lithuania 2.38.24 86 Agne Miliskeviciute (Ltu) Lithuania 2.47.44 87 Céline Nivet (Fra) Les Pruneaux D'Agen 3.14.21
