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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
Stage 9 - May 27: Limoux - Limoux, 68 km
Flexpoint takes another l'Aude
By Greg Johnson
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After snatching the yellow jersey in a tactical penultimate stage yesterday, Team Flexpoint kept a high pace on the final 68 kilometre stage to ensure it held on for its third consecutive Tour de l'Aude victory. The Netherlands squad's Susanne Ljungskog won her first l'Aude by finishing 15th on the final stage, in a main bunch containing all the general classification contenders while a small, non-threatening group was allowed to go down the road.
Ahead of the main bunch was a small group consisting of eight riders who finished some 55 seconds ahead. Germany's Ina Teutenberg (T-Mobile) outsprinted the other seven riders in the group to take her squad's fourth stage victory of the event.
"It was a very successful week here for us," said T-Mobile sporting director Anna Wilson. "The team won four stages, Judith wore yellow for six days and finished the race on the podium. For sure the overall win would have been the icing on the cake, but we are delighted with the results overall."
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A 13-strong break of non-general classification contenders wasn't pursued by the peloton as it formed early on the final stage. As the finish neared, the pace increased and riders fell by the wayside, leaving just eight riders to sprint to the finish.
Meanwhile back in the main bunch Team Flexpoint kept a close eye on Trixi Worrack (Equipe Nürnberger Versicherung), who was just 11 seconds behind on GC, and former race leader Judith Arndt (T-Mobile). Despite some minor attacks throughout the stage, Flexpoint's yellow jersey was never seriously threatened, allowing Ljungskog to take her first win after finishing on the podium in three previous editions.
"For publicity this race is not that important, but among the riders this race is the Tour de France for woman," said Team Flexpoint manager Paul Van Poppel. "We didn't win a stage but the most important win is for us."
"The competition has exploit a weak moment of Amber Neben, when she lost contact in a descent a few days ago," added Van Poppel. "But it's very beautiful that we won with Ljungskog. On the penultimate day she took the jersey from Arndt and she set the base for the final win."
Worrack and Arndt maintained their second and third places respectively to fill out the general classification podium.
The women's peloton now heads across the Atlantic for its next World Cup round in Montreal, Canada.
Photography
For a thumbnail gallery of these images, click here
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.
Results
1 Ina Teutenberg (Ger) T-Mobile Team - Women 1.48.28 (37.615 km/h) 2 Joanne Kiesanowski (NZl) Raleigh Lifeforce Pro Cycling Team 3 Lang Meng (Chn) Giant Pro Cycling Team 4 Maryline Salvetat (Fra) France 5 Julia Martisova (Rus) FRW - Gauss 6 Sigrid Corneo (Ita) Menikini - Gysko 7 Svetlana Bubnenkova (Rus) Fenixs - HPB 8 Claudia Häusler (Ger) Equipe Nürnberger Versicherung 9 Priska Doppmann (Swi) Raleigh Lifeforce Pro Cycling Team 0.55 10 Tatsiana Sharakova (Blr) FRW - Gauss 11 Tania Belvederesi (Ita) FRW - Gauss 12 Kettj Manfrin (Ita) FRW - Gauss 13 Edita Janeliunaite (Ltu) Lithuania 14 Andrea Thürig (Swi) Bigla Cycling Team 15 Susanne Ljungskog (Swe) Team Flexpoint 16 Trixi Worrack (Ger) Equipe Nürnberger Versicherung 17 Fanny Riberot (Fra) France 18 Marianne Vos (Ned) Team DSB Bank 19 Dorte Lohse Rasmussen (Den) Menikini - Gysko 20 Amber Neben (USA) Team Flexpoint 21 Oxana Kozonchuk (Rus) Fenixs - HPB 22 Andrea Bosman (Ned) Team DSB Bank 23 Elena Kuchinskaya (Rus) FRW - Gauss 24 Toni Bradshaw (NZl) New Zealand 25 Jennifer Hohl (Swi) Bigla Cycling Team 26 Suzanne De Goede (Ned) T-Mobile Team - Women 27 Sarah Düster (Ger) Raleigh Lifeforce Pro Cycling Team 28 Marina Jaunatre (Fra) France 29 Judith Arndt (Ger) T-Mobile Team - Women 30 Nicole Brändli (Swi) Bigla Cycling Team 31 Marlen Johrend (Ger) Germany 32 Liane Bahler (Ger) Fenixs - HPB 33 Kimberly Anderson (USA) T-Mobile Team - Women 34 Georgina Waibl (NZl) New Zealand 35 Serena Sheridan (NZl) New Zealand 36 Noemi Cantele (Ita) Bigla Cycling Team 37 Christelle Ferrier-Bruneau (Fra) Les Pruneaux D'Agen 38 Sufen Ma (Chn) Giant Pro Cycling Team 39 Fei Wang (Chn) Giant Pro Cycling Team 40 Andrea Graus (Aut) Equipe Nürnberger Versicherung 41 Edita Pucinskaite (Ltu) Equipe Nürnberger Versicherung 42 Karine Gautard (Fra) France 43 Lina Skujaute (Ltu) Lithuania 44 Angela Brodtka (Ger) Germany 45 Debby Van De Berg (Ned) Global Racing Team 46 Helen Wyman (GBr) Global Racing Team 47 Béatrice Thomas (Fra) France 48 Fabienne Sandig (Ger) Germany 49 Sharon Van Essen (Ned) Team DSB Bank 50 Eva Lutz (Ger) Equipe Nürnberger Versicherung 51 Charlotte Becker (Ger) Equipe Nürnberger Versicherung 52 Daphny Van Den Brand (Ned) Vrienden Van Het Platteland 53 Fabiana Luperini (Ita) Menikini - Gysko 54 Miho Oki (Jpn) Menikini - Gysko 55 Linda Villumsen Serup (Den) T-Mobile Team - Women 56 Alexandra Sontheimer (Ger) Germany 57 Anne Samplonius (Can) Team Expresscopy.com 58 Tatiana Antoshina (Rus) Fenixs - HPB 59 Tanja Slater (GBr) Raleigh Lifeforce Pro Cycling Team 60 Silvia Valsecchi (Ita) Menikini - Gysko 61 Janne Brok (Ned) Vrienden Van Het Platteland 62 Loes Gunnewijk (Ned) Team Flexpoint 63 Olivia Gollan (Aus) Menikini - Gysko 1.12 64 Marlyn Brinnendijk (Ned) Vrienden Van Het Platteland 1.25 65 Iris Slappendel (Ned) Team Flexpoint 1.34 66 Natalia Boyarskaya (Rus) Fenixs - HPB 67 Luise Keller (Ger) Team Flexpoint 2.40 68 Anke Wichmann (Ger) T-Mobile Team - Women 69 Jaccolien Wallaard (Ned) Vrienden Van Het Platteland 6.58 70 Linda Ringlever (Ned) Global Racing Team 71 Eleonora Van Dijk (Ned) Vrienden Van Het Platteland 72 Marieke Van Wanroij (Ned) Team DSB Bank 73 Maria Rosario Rodriguez (Spa) Comunidad Valenciana 74 Maribel Moreno Allue (Spa) Comunidad Valenciana 75 Melissa Holt (NZl) Team Expresscopy.com 7.03 76 Marina Duvnjak (NZl) New Zealand 77 Nathalie Jeuland (Fra) France 12.13 78 Urte Juodvalkyte (Ltu) Lithuania 79 Xiong Ying Ruan (Chn) Giant Pro Cycling Team 80 Carina Ketonen (Fra) Les Pruneaux D'Agen 12.47 81 Céline Nivet (Fra) Les Pruneaux D'Agen 16.13 82 Silvia Tirado Marquez (Spa) Comunidad Valenciana 83 Li Ping (Chn) Giant Pro Cycling Team 84 Agne Miliskeviciute (Ltu) Lithuania 85 Agne Sukutyte (Ltu) Lithuania Final general classification 1 Susanne Ljungskog (Swe) Team Flexpoint 24.13.23 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 Joanne Kiesanowski (NZl) Raleigh Lifeforce Pro Cycling Team 3.33 9 Maryline Salvetat (Fra) France 3.51 10 Edita Pucinskaite (Ltu) Equipe Nürnberger Versicherung 4.33 11 Julia Martisova (Rus) FRW - Gauss 5.12 12 Andrea Bosman (Ned) Team DSB Bank 5.52 13 Svetlana Bubnenkova (Rus) Fenixs - HPB 7.19 14 Sigrid Corneo (Ita) Menikini - Gysko 7.27 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 16.41 21 Elena Kuchinskaya (Rus) FRW - Gauss 17.52 22 Fabiana Luperini (Ita) Menikini - Gysko 24.04 23 Tanja Slater (GBr) Raleigh Lifeforce Pro Cycling Team 24.12 24 Dorte Lohse Rasmussen (Den) Menikini - Gysko 25.12 25 Sarah Düster (Ger) Raleigh Lifeforce Pro Cycling Team 28.05 26 Georgina Waibl (NZl) New Zealand 32.33 27 Suzanne De Goede (Ned) T-Mobile Team - Women 33.24 28 Serena Sheridan (NZl) New Zealand 35.14 29 Linda Villumsen Serup (Den) T-Mobile Team - Women 36.46 30 Tatsiana Sharakova (Blr) FRW - Gauss 47.14 31 Debby Van De Berg (Ned) Global Racing Team 48.48 32 Daphny Van Den Brand (Ned) Vrienden Van Het Platteland 50.42 33 Andrea Thürig (Swi) Bigla Cycling Team 51.08 34 Charlotte Becker (Ger) Equipe Nürnberger Versicherung 52.36 35 Jennifer Hohl (Swi) Bigla Cycling Team 54.47 36 Marlyn Brinnendijk (Ned) Vrienden Van Het Platteland 55.44 37 Lang Meng (Chn) Giant Pro Cycling Team 55.59 38 Tatiana Antoshina (Rus) Fenixs - HPB 56.03 39 Karine Gautard (Fra) France 58.07 40 Luise Keller (Ger) Team Flexpoint 1.00.40 41 Fabienne Sandig (Ger) Germany 1.00.52 42 Anne Samplonius (Can) Team Expresscopy.com 1.01.31 43 Eva Lutz (Ger) Equipe Nürnberger Versicherung 1.02.57 44 Christelle Ferrier-Bruneau (Fra) Les Pruneaux D'Agen 1.03.24 45 Olivia Gollan (Aus) Menikini - Gysko 1.04.44 46 Béatrice Thomas (Fra) France 1.10.38 47 Oxana Kozonchuk (Rus) Fenixs - HPB 1.12.40 48 Sharon Van Essen (Ned) Team DSB Bank 1.14.44 49 Helen Wyman (GBr) Global Racing Team 1.15.40 50 Noemi Cantele (Ita) Bigla Cycling Team 1.17.18 51 Ina Teutenberg (Ger) T-Mobile Team - Women 1.19.58 52 Natalia Boyarskaya (Rus) Fenixs - HPB 1.20.52 53 Melissa Holt (NZl) Team Expresscopy.com 1.27.24 54 Maria Rosario Rodriguez (Spa) Comunidad Valenciana 1.28.27 55 Janne Brok (Ned) Vrienden Van Het Platteland 1.30.41 56 Tania Belvederesi (Ita) FRW - Gauss 1.30.54 57 Maribel Moreno Allue (Spa) Comunidad Valenciana 1.33.05 58 Iris Slappendel (Ned) Team Flexpoint 1.33.46 59 Silvia Valsecchi (Ita) Menikini - Gysko 1.33.48 60 Angela Brodtka (Ger) Germany 1.34.35 61 Liane Bahler (Ger) Fenixs - HPB 1.35.25 62 Eleonora Van Dijk (Ned) Vrienden Van Het Platteland 1.37.01 63 Marlen Johrend (Ger) Germany 1.37.18 64 Miho Oki (Jpn) Menikini - Gysko 1.37.48 65 Alexandra Sontheimer (Ger) Germany 1.43.22 66 Urte Juodvalkyte (Ltu) Lithuania 1.45.15 67 Nathalie Jeuland (Fra) France 1.47.50 68 Fei Wang (Chn) Giant Pro Cycling Team 1.48.13 69 Sufen Ma (Chn) Giant Pro Cycling Team 1.49.35 70 Fanny Riberot (Fra) France 1.50.47 71 Lina Skujaute (Ltu) Lithuania 1.50.51 72 Kettj Manfrin (Ita) FRW - Gauss 1.51.04 73 Linda Ringlever (Ned) Global Racing Team 1.51.50 74 Jaccolien Wallaard (Ned) Vrienden Van Het Platteland 1.55.09 75 Carina Ketonen (Fra) Les Pruneaux D'Agen 1.57.17 76 Edita Janeliunaite (Ltu) Lithuania 2.02.31 77 Anke Wichmann (Ger) T-Mobile Team - Women 2.03.20 78 Marieke Van Wanroij (Ned) Team DSB Bank 2.03.47 79 Marina Duvnjak (NZl) New Zealand 2.10.12 80 Xiong Ying Ruan (Chn) Giant Pro Cycling Team 2.30.13 DNF Li Ping (Chn) Giant Pro Cycling Team DNF Silvia Tirado Marquez (Spa) Comunidad Valenciana DNF Agne Sukutyte (Ltu) Lithuania DNF Agne Miliskeviciute (Ltu) Lithuania DNF Céline Nivet (Fra) Les Pruneaux D'Agen
