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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 2 - May 20: Argeles Sur Mer (TTT), 41.6 km
T-Mobile storms to victory after mistake
By Greg Johnson
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German squad T-Mobile stormed to an impressive six second victory in Sunday's Team Time Trial, despite making two mistakes by taking the wrong route at roundabouts. The magenta crew's winning margin over its rival teams sees its two time event winner Judith Arndt take the yellow jersey off the shoulders of Marianne Vos (Team DSB Bank) heading into tomorrow's Stage 3 from Lezignan Corbières - Lezignan Corbières.
"It's a great result. All the girls are out of breath now," said T-Mobile's sporting director Anna Wilson. "That we could win this despite all the confusion really shows how fast and hard they raced."
After Arndt led the squad astray at a roundabout two kilometres into the 41.6 kilometre stage, Ina-Yoko Teutenberg lost contact with the team at the half way point.
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"We had to make an on-the-spot decision and we couldn't afford to lose any more time," said Wilson, who was following in the team car.
The squads faced similar conditions to Friday's prologue, where riders battled strong winds across the course. "The first 10km were really technical," said Expresscopy.com's sports director Jeff Alexander, "and once they got through that the girls were heading straight into a headwind. I am really pleased with them, they ride very well as a team."
Taking second place in the TTT was the Netherlands squad Team Flexpoint, which completed the course some 27 seconds ahead of third placed Nurnberger Versicherung.
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The strong times posted by both T-Mobile and Team Flexpoint has helped lift most of the general classification contenders to the top of the timesheets. Just one second behind Germany's Arndt is teammate Linda Villumsen followed by two time event winner and defending champion Amber Neben (Team Flexpoint) a further eight seconds behind. Sweden's Susanna Ljunskog (Team Flexpoint) is a three time podium finisher at this event and currently sits in fourth place.
With the first three stages run and won the teams are expecting the action to heat up over the next eight stages, beginning with tomorrow's Stage 3. Tomorrow's stage, the longest of the event at 122 kilometres, begins with a short climb and rolls along until the riders are faced with a tough climb at the 75 kilometre mark.
"I expect to see many teams go on the offensive tomorrow," said Wilson. "I also expect to see the GC candidates make their moves. But with the profile tomorrow we might also see the stage decided in a bunch sprint in Lezignan Corbières."
Photography
For a thumbnail gallery of these images, click here
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.
Results
Team 1 T-Mobile Women 55.43 2 Team Flexpoint 0.06 3 Nurnberger Versicherung 0.33 4 Raleigh Lifeforce Creation HB 0.47 5 Bigla Cycling Team 0.48 6 Germany 1.50 7 France 2.26 8 Fenixs -HPB 2.43 9 Team DSB Bank 2.46 10 Menikini-Selle Italia-Gysko 3.50 11 Netherlands 4.04 12 A.S Team F.R.W 4.58 13 Team Expresscopy.Com 5.30 14 Lithuania 5.58 15 New Zealand 6.56 16 Comunidad Valenciana 7.16 17 Global Racing Team 7.47 18 Les Pruneaux D'agen 7.48 19 Giant Pro Cycling 8.35 General Classification after stage 2 1 Judith Arndt (Ger) T-Mobile Team - Women 4.01.29 2 Linda Villumsen Serup (Den) T-Mobile Team - Women 0.01 3 Amber Neben (USA) Team Flexpoint 0.09 4 Susanne Ljungskog (Swe) Team Flexpoint 0.10 5 Kimberly Anderson (USA) T-Mobile Team - Women 0.18 6 Madeleine Sandig (Ger) Team Flexpoint 0.21 7 Loes Gunnewijk (Ned) Team Flexpoint 8 Christiane Soeder (Aut) Raleigh Lifeforce Pro Cycling Team 0.31 9 Luise Keller (Ger) Team Flexpoint 0.33 10 Charlotte Becker (Ger) Equipe Nürnberger Versicherung 0.34 11 Trixi Worrack (Ger) Equipe Nürnberger Versicherung 0.37 12 Edita Pucinskaite (Ltu) Equipe Nürnberger Versicherung 13 Andrea Graus (Aut) Equipe Nürnberger Versicherung 0.38 14 Priska Doppmann (Swi) Raleigh Lifeforce Pro Cycling Team 0.45 15 Sarah Düster (Ger) Raleigh Lifeforce Pro Cycling Team 0.46 16 Joanne Kiesanowski (NZl) Raleigh Lifeforce Pro Cycling Team 0.47 17 Zoulfia Zabirova (Kaz) Bigla Cycling Team 18 Andrea Thürig (Swi) Bigla Cycling Team 0.49 19 Hanka Kupfernagel (Ger) Germany 0.56 20 Nicole Brändli (Swi) Bigla Cycling Team 0.59 21 Alexandra Sontheimer (Ger) Germany 1.00 22 Tanja Slater (GBr) Raleigh Lifeforce Pro Cycling Team 1.02 23 Marianne Vos (Ned) Team DSB Bank 1.06 24 Maryline Salvetat (Fra) France 1.15 25 Eleonora Van Dijk (Ned) Vrienden Van Het Platteland 1.21 26 Karine Gautard (Fra) France 1.23 27 Marina Jaunatre (Fra) France 1.24 28 Andrea Bosman (Ned) Team DSB Bank 1.29 29 Fabienne Sandig (Ger) Germany 1.30 30 Suzanne De Goede (Ned) T-Mobile Team - Women 31 Svetlana Bubnenkova (Rus) Fenixs - HPB 1.32 32 Béatrice Thomas (Fra) France 1.33 33 Romy Kasper (Ger) Germany 34 Eva Lutz (Ger) Equipe Nürnberger Versicherung 1.35 35 Marlyn Brinnendijk (Ned) Vrienden Van Het Platteland 1.39 36 Julia Martisova (Rus) FRW - Gauss 1.40 37 Olivia Gollan (Aus) Menikini - Gysko 38 Nathalie Jeuland (Fra) France 1.41 39 Oxana Kozonchuk (Rus) Fenixs - HPB 1.42 40 Sigrid Corneo (Ita) Menikini - Gysko 1.43 41 Tatsiana Sharakova (Blr) FRW - Gauss 1.45 42 Fabiana Luperini (Ita) Menikini - Gysko 1.46 43 Miho Oki (Jpn) Menikini - Gysko 1.47 44 Anne Samplonius (Can) Team Expresscopy.com 1.48 45 Olga Slyusareva (Rus) Fenixs - HPB 46 Jessica Phillips (USA) Team Expresscopy.com 1.58 47 Daiva Tuslaite (Ltu) Lithuania 2.00 48 Melissa Holt (NZl) Team Expresscopy.com 2.01 49 Elena Kuchinskaya (Rus) FRW - Gauss 2.07 50 Carissa Wilkes (NZl) New Zealand 2.11 51 Georgina Waibl (NZl) New Zealand 2.13 52 Daphny Van Den Brand (Ned) Vrienden Van Het Platteland 2.14 53 Maria Rosario Rodriguez (Spa) Comunidad Valenciana 2.15 54 Toni Bradshaw (NZl) New Zealand 2.18 55 Maribel Moreno Allue (Spa) Comunidad Valenciana 2.24 56 Ana Garcia Antequera (Spa) Comunidad Valenciana 57 Serena Sheridan (NZl) New Zealand 2.25 58 Michelle Hyland (NZl) New Zealand 2.26 59 Debby Van De Berg (Ned) Global Racing Team 2.32 60 Lang Meng (Chn) Giant Pro Cycling Team 2.50 61 Tanja Hennes (Ger) Bigla Cycling Team 2.58 62 Noemi Cantele (Ita) Bigla Cycling Team 4.24 63 Liane Bahler (Ger) Fenixs - HPB 4.26 64 Natalia Boyarskaya (Rus) Fenixs - HPB 4.29 65 Sanne Van Paassen (Ned) Team DSB Bank 4.34 66 Tatiana Antoshina (Rus) Fenixs - HPB 4.41 67 Amanda Shaw (Can) Team Expresscopy.com 5.04 68 Urte Juodvalkyte (Ltu) Lithuania 5.10 69 Jaccolien Wallaard (Ned) Vrienden Van Het Platteland 5.11 70 Edita Janeliunaite (Ltu) Lithuania 5.20 71 Christelle Ferrier-Bruneau (Fra) Les Pruneaux D'Agen 5.22 72 Linda Ringlever (Ned) Global Racing Team 5.37 73 Carina Ketonen (Fra) Les Pruneaux D'Agen 5.38 74 Fei Wang (Chn) Giant Pro Cycling Team 5.59 75 Jennifer Hohl (Swi) Bigla Cycling Team 6.04 76 Xiaoning Gao (Chn) Giant Pro Cycling Team 6.09 77 Dorte Lohse Rasmussen (Den) Menikini - Gysko 6.12 78 Iris Slappendel (Ned) Team Flexpoint 6.18 79 Silvia Valsecchi (Ita) Menikini - Gysko 7.18 80 Janne Brok (Ned) Vrienden Van Het Platteland 7.51 81 Patricia Schwager (Swi) Raleigh Lifeforce Pro Cycling Team 7.56 82 Joelle Numainville (Can) Team Expresscopy.com 8.43 83 Sharon Van Essen (Ned) Team DSB Bank 8.46 84 Silvia Tirado Marquez (Spa) Comunidad Valenciana 9.24 85 Marina Duvnjak (NZl) New Zealand 9.28 86 Helen Wyman (GBr) Global Racing Team 9.36 87 Catherine Moncassin-Prime (Fra) Les Pruneaux D'Agen 9.53 88 Sufen Ma (Chn) Giant Pro Cycling Team 10.48 89 Fanny Riberot (Fra) France 11.27 90 Maria Auxiliadora Martin Morales (Spa) Comunidad Valenciana 12.12 91 Linn Torp (Nor) Global Racing Team 12.26 92 Angela Brodtka (Ger) Germany 12.32 93 Li Ping (Chn) Giant Pro Cycling Team 12.51 94 Marieke Van Wanroij (Ned) Team DSB Bank 12.59 95 Erinne Willock (Can) Team Expresscopy.com 13.32 96 Lina Skujaute (Ltu) Lithuania 14.36 97 Ina Teutenberg (Ger) T-Mobile Team - Women 15.11 98 Anke Wichmann (Ger) T-Mobile Team - Women 15.29 99 Marlen Johrend (Ger) Germany 15.45 100 Claudia Häusler (Ger) Equipe Nürnberger Versicherung 16.22 101 Aurore Jeudy (Fra) Les Pruneaux D'Agen 17.04 102 Tania Belvederesi (Ita) FRW - Gauss 18.17 103 Xiong Ying Ruan (Chn) Giant Pro Cycling Team 18.53 104 Kettj Manfrin (Ita) FRW - Gauss 21.27 105 Linda Van Rijen (Ned) Team DSB Bank 21.38 106 Tiina Nieminen (Fin) Les Pruneaux D'Agen 28.30 107 Agne Sukutyte (Ltu) Lithuania 28.41 108 Céline Nivet (Fra) Les Pruneaux D'Agen 31.48 109 Eleonora Soldo (Ita) FRW - Gauss 32.29 110 Agne Miliskeviciute (Ltu) Lithuania 32.39 111 Sigrid Jochems (Ned) Global Racing Team 35.10 Young Rider Classification 1 Linda Villumsen Serup (Den) T-Mobile Team - Women 4.01.30 2 Alexandra Sontheimer (Ger) Germany 0.59 3 Marianne Vos (Ned) Team DSB Bank 1.05 4 Eleonora Van Dijk (Ned) Vrienden Van Het Platteland 1.20 5 Karine Gautard (Fra) France 1.22 6 Fabienne Sandig (Ger) Germany 1.29 7 Romy Kasper (Ger) Germany 1.32 8 Marlyn Brinnendijk (Ned) Vrienden Van Het Platteland 1.38 9 Nathalie Jeuland (Fra) France 1.40 10 Oxana Kozonchuk (Rus) Fenixs - HPB 1.41 11 Tatsiana Sharakova (Blr) FRW - Gauss 1.44 12 Daiva Tuslaite (Ltu) Lithuania 1.59 13 Elena Kuchinskaya (Rus) FRW - Gauss 2.06 14 Serena Sheridan (NZl) New Zealand 2.24 15 Urte Juodvalkyte (Ltu) Lithuania 5.09 16 Edita Janeliunaite (Ltu) Lithuania 5.19 17 Fei Wang (Chn) Giant Pro Cycling Team 5.58 18 Jennifer Hohl (Swi) Bigla Cycling Team 6.03 19 Iris Slappendel (Ned) Team Flexpoint 6.17 20 Joelle Numainville (Can) Team Expresscopy.com 8.42 21 Silvia Tirado Marquez (Spa) Comunidad Valenciana 9.23 22 Sufen Ma (Chn) Giant Pro Cycling Team 10.47 23 Maria Auxiliadora Martin Morales (Spa) Comunidad Valenciana 12.11 24 Lina Skujaute (Ltu) Lithuania 14.35 25 Marlen Johrend (Ger) Germany 15.44 26 Claudia Häusler (Ger) Equipe Nürnberger Versicherung 16.21 27 Linda Van Rijen (Ned) Team DSB Bank 21.37 28 Agne Sukutyte (Ltu) Lithuania 28.40 29 Agne Miliskeviciute (Ltu) Lithuania 32.38 30 Sigrid Jochems (Ned) Global Racing Team 35.09 Team Classification 1 T-Mobile Women 10.13.10 2 Team Flexpoint 0.16 3 Raleigh Lifeforce Creation HB 0.40 4 Nurnberger Versicherung 0.42 5 Bigla Cycling Team 0.50 6 Germany 2.07 7 France 3.04 8 Fenixs-HPB 3.35 9 Menikini-Selle Italia-Gysko 4.41 10 Netherlands 4.51 11 A.S Team F.R.W 5.56 12 Team DSB Bank 6.11 13 Team Expresscopy.Com 6.23 14 New Zealand 8.14 15 Comunidad Valenciana 8.36 16 Lithuania 13.17 17 Giant Pro Cycling 16.58 18 Global Racing Team 19.38 19 Les Pruneaux D'Agen 22.32
