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25th Tour de l'Aude - 2.2 WE
France, May 15-24, 2009
Main Page Results Overall standings Stage Details Next Stage
Prologue - May 15: Gruissan – Gruissan (ITT), 3.9km
Villumsen snatches opening prologue
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Linda Villumsen took a close win for Columbia-Highroad in the 3.9-kilometre prologue of Tour de L'Aude on Friday. On a day where strong winds made racing difficult, Villumsen finished just fractions of a second ahead of Regina Bruins (Cervelo Test Team) of Holland. The third last rider to start, Villumsen did not have a long wait before she knew she was both the stage winner and the first leader of the race.
"I only knew I'd gotten the best time when I saw a couple of race officials chasing after me when I'd crossed the finish line," Villumsen said. "I was quite surprised they told me I was the fastest, because I'd wanted to do well, but I've only ever won one prologue before. Normally I always seemed to finish somewhere in the top five without ever winning, so I told the race officials to check their times again. But when they insisted, I had to believe them!"
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The reigning Danish national time trial champion Villumsen said that although flat, the 3.9-kilometre course that opened up the 10-day race was never straightforward. "The course was very short and partly held on city roads and partly out in the countryside," she said. "The strong winds made it very technical. The first part was a headwind, then it turned into a tailwind. It was tricky. Fortunately we'd gone over the course a couple of times in the morning so we knew what to expect. Then when each of my teammates came in from the course they were very upbeat about all our chances. We supported each other a lot. In any case, on a course as short as that, you go out and give it everything. No real tactics are possible."
Bruins' Cervelo Test Team was happy with its riders' efforts in the opening time trial. Kristin Armstrong claimed fourth place over the 3.9 kilometre course, putting her in a strong position.
"I feel pretty well today," said Bruins, "[Sport director] Manel Lacambra told me during the race that I was 10 seconds faster than the fastest time at that moment and in the next corner I lost some important time. I will see how the next day works out. We have an incredibly strong team here and I will work for the strongest of us."
The victory was Villumsen's second win of the season and the German rider will not try to defend her leader's jersey. "I'll obviously try and defend the jersey for as long as possible, and it's good because Columbia-Highroad has more options for the general classification than just me," she said. "To start with, Ina [Teutenberg] finished fifth in the prologue. But really we'll have to wait and see until after the team time trial on Sunday. Then we'll have a much better idea of what we can do overall. This is a very tough race and it's only just begun."
Photography
For a thumbnail gallery of these images, click here
Images by CJ Farquharson/WomensCycling.net
- Ina-Yoko Teutenberg (Team Columbia-Highroad Women) heads off on the short time trial, she finished fifth.
- Regina Bruins (Cervelo Test Team) was just half a second behind Linda Villumsen to take second place.
- Noemi Cantele (Bigla Cycling Team) was third, just one second behind Linda Villumsen.
- Linda Villumsen (Team Columbia-Highroad Women) is the Danish time trial champion. She used her skills today to take victory in the prologue.
- Olympic time trial champion Kristin Armstrong (Cervelo Test Team) finished fourth fastest on the short 3.9km test.
- Linda Villumsen (Team Columbia-Highroad Women) wears the first leader's jersey of the 25th anniversary Tour de l'Aude.
Results
1 Linda Villumsen (Ger) Team Columbia Highroad Women 4.52 (48.082 km/h) 2 Regina Bruins (Ned) Cervelo Test Team 0.01 3 Noëmie Cantele (Ita) Bigla Cycling Team 0.01 4 Kristin Armstrong (USA) Cervelo Test Team 0.03 5 Ina Teutenberg (Ger) Team Columbia Highroad Women 0.03 6 Amber Neben (USA) Equipe Nurnberger Versicherung 0.04 7 Marianne Vos (Ned) DSB Bank 0.05 8 Mirjam Melchers Van Poppel (Ned) Team Flexpoint 0.07 9 Emma Johansson (Swe) Red Sun Cycling Team 0.07 10 Trine Schmidt (Den) Team Flexpoint 0.08 11 Loes Gunnewijk (Ned) Team Flexpoint 0.10 12 Trixi Worrack (Ger) Equipe Nurnberger Versicherung 0.12 13 Katherine Bates (Aus) Team Columbia Highroad Women 0.12 14 Tatiana Antoshina (Rus) Gauss Rdz Ormu-Colnago 0.12 15 Charlotte Becker (Ger) Equipe Nurnberger Versicherung 0.13 16 Claudia Hausler (Ger) Cervelo Test Team 0.13 17 Modesta Vzesniauskaite (Ltu) Bigla Cycling Team 0.13 18 Susanne Ljungskog (Swe) Team Flexpoint 0.13 19 Emma Pooley (GBr) Cervelo Test Team 0.13 20 Madeleine Sandig (Ger) Equipe Nurnberger Versicherung 0.14 21 Liesbeth De Vocht (Bel) DSB Bank 0.14 22 Anne Blyth (GBr) Grande Bretagne 0.15 23 Chantal Beltman (Ned) Team Columbia Highroad Women 0.15 24 Iris Slappendel (Ned) Team Flexpoint 0.15 25 Nicole Cooke (GBr) Vision 1 Racing 0.17 26 Nikki Harris (GBr) Grande Bretagne 0.17 27 Julia Martisova (Rus) Gauss Rdz Ormu-Colnago 0.18 28 Denise Zuckermandel (Ger) Allemagne 0.18 29 Svetlana Bubnenkova (Rus) Fenixs 0.18 30 Vicki Whitelaw (Aus) Vision 1 Racing 0.19 31 Chantal Blaak (Ned) Pays Bas 0.20 32 Julie Beveridge (Can) Canada 0.21 33 Elisabeth Armitstead (GBr) Lotto-Belisol Ladiesteam 0.22 34 Emilia Fahlin (Swe) Team Columbia Highroad Women 0.22 35 Kaytee Boyd (NZl) Selle Italia Guezzi 0.22 36 Pascale Jeuland (Fra) Vienne Futuroscope 0.23 37 Eva Lutz (Ger) Equipe Nurnberger Versicherung 0.23 38 Oxana Kozonchuk (Rus) Selle Italia Guezzi 0.24 39 Silvia Valsecchi (Ita) Selle Italia Guezzi 0.24 40 Sanne Van Paassen (Ned) Pays Bas 0.24 41 Heather Logan (Can) Canada 0.25 42 Natalia Boyarskaya (Rus) Fenixs 0.25 43 Lina-Kristin Schink (Ger) Allemagne 0.26 44 Katie Colclough (GBr) Grande Bretagne 0.26 45 Monica Holler (Swe) Bigla Cycling Team 0.26 46 Angela Hennig (Ger) DSB Bank 0.26 47 Paulina Brzezna (Pol) Red Sun Cycling Team 0.27 48 Jennifer Fischer (Fra) Vienne Futuroscope 0.28 49 Tania Belvederesi (Ita) Gauss Rdz Ormu-Colnago 0.28 50 Patricia Schwager (Ned) Cervelo Test Team 0.28 51 Audrey Lemieux (Can) Esgl93-Gsd Gestion 0.29 52 Alexandra Greenfield (GBr) Grande Bretagne 0.29 53 Saskia Elemans (Ned) Team Flexpoint 0.29 54 Lucy Martin (GBr) Grande Bretagne 0.29 55 Christel Ferrier-Bruneau (Fra) Vision 1 Racing 0.29 56 Tina Liebig (Ger) DSB Bank 0.30 57 Luise Keller (Ger) Team Columbia Highroad Women 0.30 58 Joelle Numainville (Can) Esgl93-Gsd Gestion 0.30 59 Leda Cox (GBr) Esgl93-Gsd Gestion 0.31 60 Lucinda Brand (Ned) Pays Bas 0.31 61 Noortje Tabak (Ned) DSB Bank 0.32 62 Moriah Mac Gregor (Can) Canada 0.33 63 Bettina Kuhn (Swi) Bigla Cycling Team 0.33 64 Helen Wyman (GBr) Vision 1 Racing 0.34 65 Audrey Cordon (Fra) Vienne Futuroscope 0.34 66 Martine Bras (Ned) Selle Italia Guezzi 0.34 67 Veronica Andreasson (Swe) Bigla Cycling Team 0.35 68 Mascha Pijnenborg (Ned) Red Sun Cycling Team 0.35 69 Laure Werner (Bel) Red Sun Cycling Team 0.36 70 Janine Bubner (Ger) Allemagne 0.36 71 Grace Verbeke (Bel) Lotto-Belisol Ladiesteam 0.36 72 Marlijn Binnendijk (Ned) Pays Bas 0.36 73 Catherine Hare Willianson (GBr) Fenixs 0.36 74 Virginia Hennig (Ger) Allemagne 0.36 75 Fiona Dutriaux (Fra) Vienne Futuroscope 0.36 76 Jenny Trew (Can) Canada 0.37 77 Marieke Van Wanroij (Ned) DSB Bank 0.37 78 Valentina Bastianelli (Ita) Gauss Rdz Ormu-Colnago 0.38 79 Sarah Stewart (Can) Canada 0.38 80 Jana Schemmer (Ger) Allemagne 0.40 81 Jennifer Hohl (Swi) Bigla Cycling Team 0.40 82 Ludivine Henrion (Bel) Red Sun Cycling Team 0.41 83 Lieselot Decroix (Bel) Cervelo Test Team 0.41 84 Thomas Béatrice (Fra) Esgl93-Gsd Gestion 0.42 85 Karin Aune (Swe) Fenixs 0.43 86 Catherine Delfosse (Bel) Lotto-Belisol Ladiesteam 0.43 87 Nadezda Vlasova (Rus) Fenixs 0.44 88 Emmanuelle Merlot (Fra) Vienne Futuroscope 0.44 89 Marina Romoli (Ita) Selle Italia Guezzi 0.44 90 Martina Corazza (Ita) Gauss Rdz Ormu-Colnago 0.44 91 Suzanne Van Veen (Ned) Pays Bas 0.44 92 Lesueur Mélodie (Fra) Esgl93-Gsd Gestion 0.45 93 Gabriella Day (GBr) Vision 1 Racing 0.46 94 Elise Depoorter (Bel) Lotto-Belisol Ladiesteam 0.47 95 Petra Dijkman (Ned) Red Sun Cycling Team 0.48 96 Veronica Alessio (Ita) Gauss Rdz Ormu-Colnago 0.48 97 Debby Van Den Berg (Ned) Vision 1 Racing 0.49 98 Irene Van Den Broek (Ned) Pays Bas 0.49 99 Bianca Puratch-Knoepfle (Ger) Equipe Nurnberger Versicherung 0.50 100 Carrie Cartmill (Can) Canada 0.51 101 Nathalie Jeuland (Fra) Vienne Futuroscope 0.52 102 Jennifer Letue (Fra) Esgl93-Gsd Gestion 0.55 103 Kim Schoonbaert (Bel) Lotto-Belisol Ladiesteam 0.57 104 Sigrid Corneo (Slo) Selle Italia Guezzi 0.59 105 Emma Silversides (GBr) Lotto-Belisol Ladiesteam 1.10 106 Elena Eggl (Ger) Allemagne 1.11 General Classification after Prologue 1 Linda Villumsen (Ger) Team Columbia Highroad Women 4.52 2 Regina Bruins (Ned) Cervelo Test Team 3 Noëmie Cantele (Ita) Bigla Cycling Team 0.01 4 Kristin Armstrong (USA) Cervelo Test Team 0.03 5 Ina Teutenberg (Ger) Team Columbia Highroad Women 6 Amber Neben (USA) Equipe Nurnberger Versicherung 7 Marianne Vos (Ned) DSB Bank 0.04 8 Mirjam Melchers Van Poppel (Ned) Team Flexpoint 0.07 9 Emma Johansson (Swe) Red Sun Cycling Team 10 Trine Schmidt (Den) Team Flexpoint 0.08 11 Loes Gunnewijk (Ned) Team Flexpoint 0.09 12 Trixi Worrack (Ger) Equipe Nurnberger Versicherung 0.11 13 Katherine Bates (Aus) Team Columbia Highroad Women 14 Tatiana Antoshina (Rus) Gauss Rdz Ormu-Colnago 0.12 15 Charlotte Becker (Ger) Equipe Nurnberger Versicherung 16 Claudia Hausler (Ger) Cervelo Test Team 0.13 17 Modesta Vzesniauskaite (Ltu) Bigla Cycling Team 18 Susanne Ljungskog (Swe) Team Flexpoint 19 Emma Pooley (GBr) Cervelo Test Team 20 Madeleine Sandig (Ger) Equipe Nurnberger Versicherung 0.14 21 Liesbeth De Vocht (Bel) DSB Bank 22 Anne Blyth (GBr) Grande Bretagne 0.15 23 Chantal Beltman (Ned) Team Columbia Highroad Women 24 Iris Slappendel (Ned) Team Flexpoint 25 Nicole Cooke (GBr) Vision 1 Racing 0.16 26 Nikki Harris (GBr) Grande Bretagne 0.17 27 Julia Martisova (Rus) Gauss Rdz Ormu-Colnago 28 Denise Zuckermandel (Ger) Allemagne 0.18 29 Svetlana Bubnenkova (Rus) Fenixs 30 Vicki Whitelaw (Aus) Vision 1 Racing 0.19 31 Chantal Blaak (Ned) Pays Bas 0.20 32 Julie Beveridge (Can) Canada 0.21 33 Elisabeth Armitstead (GBr) Lotto-Belisol Ladiesteam 34 Emilia Fahlin (Swe) Team Columbia Highroad Women 0.22 35 Kaytee Boyd (NZl) Selle Italia Guezzi 36 Pascale Jeuland (Fra) Vienne Futuroscope 0.23 37 Eva Lutz (Ger) Equipe Nurnberger Versicherung 38 Oxana Kozonchuk (Rus) Selle Italia Guezzi 39 Silvia Valsecchi (Ita) Selle Italia Guezzi 0.24 40 Sanne Van Paassen (Ned) Pays Bas 41 Heather Logan (Can) Canada 0.25 42 Natalia Boyarskaya (Rus) Fenixs 43 Lina-Kristin Schink (Ger) Allemagne 0.26 44 Katie Colclough (GBr) Grande Bretagne 45 Monica Holler (Swe) Bigla Cycling Team 46 Angela Hennig (Ger) DSB Bank 47 Paulina Brzezna (Pol) Red Sun Cycling Team 0.27 48 Jennifer Fischer (Fra) Vienne Futuroscope 0.28 49 Tania Belvederesi (Ita) Gauss Rdz Ormu-Colnago 50 Patricia Schwager (Ned) Cervelo Test Team 51 Audrey Lemieux (Can) Esgl93-Gsd Gestion 52 Alexandra Greenfield (GBr) Grande Bretagne 53 Saskia Elemans (Ned) Team Flexpoint 54 Lucy Martin (GBr) Grande Bretagne 0.29 55 Christel Ferrier-Bruneau (Fra) Vision 1 Racing 56 Tina Liebig (Ger) DSB Bank 57 Luise Keller (Ger) Team Columbia Highroad Women 0.30 58 Joelle Numainville (Can) Esgl93-Gsd Gestion 59 Leda Cox (GBr) Esgl93-Gsd Gestion 0.31 60 Lucinda Brand (Ned) Pays Bas 61 Noortje Tabak (Ned) DSB Bank 0.32 62 Moriah Mac Gregor (Can) Canada 63 Bettina Kuhn (Swi) Bigla Cycling Team 0.33 64 Helen Wyman (GBr) Vision 1 Racing 65 Audrey Cordon (Fra) Vienne Futuroscope 0.34 66 Martine Bras (Ned) Selle Italia Guezzi 67 Veronica Andreasson (Swe) Bigla Cycling Team 68 Mascha Pijnenborg (Ned) Red Sun Cycling Team 0.35 69 Laure Werner (Bel) Red Sun Cycling Team 70 Janine Bubner (Ger) Allemagne 71 Grace Verbeke (Bel) Lotto-Belisol Ladiesteam 72 Marlijn Binnendijk (Ned) Pays Bas 0.36 73 Catherine Hare Willianson (GBr) Fenixs 74 Virginia Hennig (Ger) Allemagne 75 Fiona Dutriaux (Fra) Vienne Futuroscope 76 Jenny Trew (Can) Canada 77 Marieke Van Wanroij (Ned) DSB Bank 0.37 78 Valentina Bastianelli (Ita) Gauss Rdz Ormu-Colnago 0.38 79 Sarah Stewart (Can) Canada 80 Jana Schemmer (Ger) Allemagne 0.40 81 Jennifer Hohl (Swi) Bigla Cycling Team 82 Ludivine Henrion (Bel) Red Sun Cycling Team 0.41 83 Lieselot Decroix (Bel) Cervelo Test Team 84 Thomas Béatrice (Fra) Esgl93-Gsd Gestion 85 Karin Aune (Swe) Fenixs 0.42 86 Catherine Delfosse (Bel) Lotto-Belisol Ladiesteam 0.43 87 Nadezda Vlasova (Rus) Fenixs 0.44 88 Emmanuelle Merlot (Fra) Vienne Futuroscope 89 Marina Romoli (Ita) Selle Italia Guezzi 90 Martina Corazza (Ita) Gauss Rdz Ormu-Colnago 91 Suzanne Van Veen (Ned) Pays Bas 92 Lesueur Mélodie (Fra) Esgl93-Gsd Gestion 0.45 93 Gabriella Day (GBr) Vision 1 Racing 94 Elise Depoorter (Bel) Lotto-Belisol Ladiesteam 0.46 95 Petra Dijkman (Ned) Red Sun Cycling Team 0.47 96 Veronica Alessio (Ita) Gauss Rdz Ormu-Colnago 0.48 97 Debby Van Den Berg (Ned) Vision 1 Racing 0.49 98 Irene Van Den Broek (Ned) Pays Bas 99 Bianca Puratch-Knoepfle (Ger) Equipe Nurnberger Versicherung 0.50 100 Carrie Cartmill (Can) Canada 101 Nathalie Jeuland (Fra) Vienne Futuroscope 0.52 102 Jennifer Letue (Fra) Esgl93-Gsd Gestion 0.55 103 Kim Schoonbaert (Bel) Lotto-Belisol Ladiesteam 0.57 104 Sigrid Corneo (Slo) Selle Italia Guezzi 0.58 105 Emma Silversides (GBr) Lotto-Belisol Ladiesteam 1.10 106 Elena Eggl (Ger) Allemagne Points classification 1 Linda Villumsen (Ger) Team Columbia Highroad Women 30 pts 2 Regina Bruins (Ned) Cervelo Test Team 24 3 Noëmie Cantele (Ita) Bigla Cycling Team 20 4 Kristin Armstrong (USA) Cervelo Test Team 17 5 Ina Teutenberg (Ger) Team Columbia Highroad Women 14 6 Amber Neben (USA) Equipe Nurnberger Versicherung 11 7 Marianne Vos (Ned) DSB Bank 9 8 Mirjam Melchers Van Poppel (Ned) Team Flexpoint 8 9 Emma Johansson (Swe) Red Sun Cycling Team 7 10 Trine Schmidt (Den) Team Flexpoint 6 11 Loes Gunnewijk (Ned) Team Flexpoint 5 12 Trixi Worrack (Ger) Equipe Nurnberger Versicherung 4 13 Katherine Bates (Aus) Team Columbia Highroad Women 3 14 Tatiana Antoshina (Rus) Gauss Rdz Ormu-Colnago 2 15 Charlotte Becker (Ger) Equipe Nurnberger Versicherung 1 Young rider classification 1 Marianne Vos (Ned) DSB Bank 4.56 2 Trine Schmidt (Den) Team Flexpoint 0.04 3 Anne Blyth (GBr) Grande Bretagne 0.11 4 Denise Zuckermandel (Ger) Allemagne 0.14 5 Chantal Blaak (Ned) Pays Bas 0.16 6 Julie Beveridge (Can) Canada 0.17 7 Elisabeth Armitstead (GBr) Lotto-Belisol Ladiesteam 8 Emilia Fahlin (Swe) Team Columbia Highroad Women 0.18 9 Pascale Jeuland (Fra) Vienne Futuroscope 0.19 10 Oxana Kozonchuk (Rus) Selle Italia Guezzi 11 Sanne Van Paassen (Ned) Pays Bas 0.20 12 Katie Colclough (GBr) Grande Bretagne 0.22 13 Jennifer Fischer (Fra) Vienne Futuroscope 0.24 14 Alexandra Greenfield (GBr) Grande Bretagne 15 Lucy Martin (GBr) Grande Bretagne 0.25 16 Joelle Numainville (Can) Esgl93-Gsd Gestion 0.26 17 Lucinda Brand (Ned) Pays Bas 0.27 18 Noortje Tabak (Ned) DSB Bank 0.28 19 Audrey Cordon (Fra) Vienne Futuroscope 0.30 20 Janine Bubner (Ger) Allemagne 0.31 21 Virginia Hennig (Ger) Allemagne 0.32 22 Fiona Dutriaux (Fra) Vienne Futuroscope 23 Valentina Bastianelli (Ita) Gauss Rdz Ormu-Colnago 0.34 24 Jana Schemmer (Ger) Allemagne 0.36 25 Lieselot Decroix (Bel) Cervelo Test Team 0.37 26 Marina Romoli (Ita) Selle Italia Guezzi 0.40 27 Suzanne Van Veen (Ned) Pays Bas 28 Lesueur Mélodie (Fra) Esgl93-Gsd Gestion 0.41 29 Elise Depoorter (Bel) Lotto-Belisol Ladiesteam 0.42 30 Veronica Alessio (Ita) Gauss Rdz Ormu-Colnago 0.44 31 Jennifer Letue (Fra) Esgl93-Gsd Gestion 0.51 32 Elena Eggl (Ger) Allemagne 1.06 Teams classification 1 Team Columbia Highroad Women 14.50 2 Cervelo Test Team 0.02 3 Team Flexpoint 0.10 4 Equipe Nurnberger Versicherung 0.12 5 Bigla Cycling Team 0.26 6 DSB Bank 0.30 7 Gauss Rdz Ormu-Colnago 0.43 8 Grande Bretagne 0.44 9 Vision 1 Racing 0.50 10 Selle Italia Guezzi 0.55 11 Red Sun Cycling Team 12 Pays Bas 1.01 13 Canada 1.04 14 Allemagne 1.05 15 Fenixs 16 Vienne Futuroscope 1.11 17 Esgl93-Gsd Gestion 1.15 18 Lotto-Belisol Ladiesteam 1.25
