Abbott takes the stage atop Monte Serra

A tough mountain stage in the Giro d"Italia Femminile has seen Mara Abbott claim victory for Columbia-HTC. Abbott outsprinted British rider Emma Pooley at the end of the 106-kilometre stage three of the Giro d'Italia Femminile, which started in Calcinaia and finished with a double ascent of the gruelling Monte Serra climb.

The 23-year-old American was delighted about the victory. "It's really exciting. There are so many good riders on this team that even though I felt strong, it was difficult to imagine that I could actually be strong enough to go for the win," Abbott said afterwards.

Abbott initially broke away with Pooley on the first ascent of the 10-kilometre Monte Serra, but came off her bike on the downhill section of the climb. "The descent was very tricky because it had rained and I crashed, although fortunately I wasn't injured. Linda [Villumsen, Columbia-HTC teammate] guided me back up to the front group before we reached the Montesierra again.

"Almost as soon as we did, I got away again with Pooley. Then when [Pooley's teammate Claudia] Hausler got across, I attacked and managed to drop her, which left me and Pooley as stage leaders. Pooley did most of the work, but I couldn't collaborate because I wanted to defend [teammate] Judith Arndt's position on GC. Finally at the summit, I attacked about 800 metres from the top and went for the win."

Now second overall, Abbott was cautiously optimistic about Columbia-HTC's chances of winning, either with her or another rider. "There are some very tough stages coming up, but Judith [Arndt] is still high up on the overall so we've got a lot of options, not just me. But in any case, I'm very pleased about things have worked out today. It was cool!"

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Results
1Mara Abbott (USA) Team Columbia HTC Women2:55:32
2Emma Pooley (GBr) Cervelo TestTeamRow 1 - Cell 2
3Claudia Hausler (Ger) Cervelo TestTeam0:00:36
4Judith Arndt (Ger) Team Columbia HTC Women0:01:24
5Svetlana Bubnenkova (Rus) Fenixs EdilsavinoRow 4 - Cell 2
6Carla Ryan (Aus) Cervelo TestTeam0:01:32
7Edita Pucinskaite (Ltu) Gauss RDZ Ormu - Colnago0:02:00
8Amber Neben (USA) Equipe Nürnberger Versicherung0:02:05
9Nicole Brandli (Swi) Bigla Cycling Team0:02:47
10Fabiana Luperini (Ita) Selle Italia GhezziRow 9 - Cell 2
11Tatiana Guderzo (Ita) S.C. Michela Fanini Record Rox0:03:40
12Linda Melanie Villumsen (Den) Team Columbia HTC Women0:04:43
13Ana Belen Garcia Antequera (Spa) Bizkaia - Durango - Champion System0:05:33
14Susanne Ljungskog (Swe) Team Flexpoint0:05:38
15Tatiana Antoshina (Rus) Gauss RDZ Ormu - Colnago0:05:44
16Elizabeth Armitstead (GBr) Lotto-Belisol Ladiesteam0:05:56
17Elena Berlato (Ita) Safi - Pasta Zara TitanediRow 16 - Cell 2
18Tiffany Cromwell (Aus) Australia0:06:06
19Flavia Oliveira (Bra) S.C. Michela Fanini Record Rox0:06:45
20Olena Oliynik (Ukr) USC Chirio Forno d'Asolo0:07:01
21Luise Keller (Ger) Team Columbia HTC WomenRow 20 - Cell 2
22Diana Ziliute (Ltu) Safi - Pasta Zara Titanedi0:07:37
23Marta Vilajosana Andreu (Spa) Team Cmax Dila'Row 22 - Cell 2
24Valentina Carretta (Ita) Top Girls Fassa Bortolo Raxy Line0:07:44
25Shara Gillon (Aus) Australia0:07:58
26Sigrid Corneo (Slo) Selle Italia Ghezzi0:08:12
27Kristin Armstrong (USA) Cervelo TestTeamRow 26 - Cell 2
28Giuseppina Grassi (Mex) Selle Italia GhezziRow 27 - Cell 2
29Saneila Biagi (Ita) Team Cmax Dila'0:08:53
30Iris Slappendel (Ned) Team FlexpointRow 29 - Cell 2
31Alona Andruk (Ukr) Safi - Pasta Zara TitanediRow 30 - Cell 2
32Rosane Kirch (Bra) S.C. Michela Fanini Record Rox0:08:56
33Noemi Cantele (Ita) Bigla Cycling Team0:09:05
34Carlee Taylor (Aus) Australia0:10:26
35Edita Unguryte (Ltu) USC Chirio Forno d'AsoloRow 34 - Cell 2
36Clemilda Fernandes Silva (Bra) USC Chirio Forno d'AsoloRow 35 - Cell 2
37Monia Baccaille (Ita) S.C. Michela Fanini Record RoxRow 36 - Cell 2
38Luisa Tamanini (Ita) Selle Italia Ghezzi0:11:07
39Kimberly Anderson (USA) Team Columbia HTC Women0:11:09
40Loes Gunnewijk (Ned) Team Flexpoint0:11:11
41Karin Aune (Swe) Fenixs Edilsavino0:11:54
42Amber Halliday (Aus) Australia0:12:50
43Laura Lorenza Morfin Macouzet (Mex) Fenixs EdilsavinoRow 42 - Cell 2
44Ariadna Tudel Cuberes (And) Bizkaia - Durango - Champion System0:12:54
45Anna Van Der Breggen (Ned) Team Flexpoint0:12:58
46Patricia Schwager (Swi) Cervelo TestTeam0:13:40
47Alessandra D' Ettorre (Ita) Top Girls Fassa Bortolo Raxy Line0:13:56
48Samantha Galassi (Ita) S.C. Michela Fanini Record Rox0:14:18
49Trixi Worrack (Ger) Equipe Nürnberger Versicherung0:15:00
50Suzanne De Goede (Ned) Equipe Nürnberger VersicherungRow 49 - Cell 2
51Erika Vilunaite (Ltu) Fenixs Edilsavino0:15:31
52Uenia Fernades Da Souza (Bra) USC Chirio Forno d'AsoloRow 51 - Cell 2
53Jennifer Fiori (Ita) Top Girls Fassa Bortolo Raxy LineRow 52 - Cell 2
54Charlotte Becker (Ger) Equipe Nürnberger Versicherung0:16:57
55Jennifer Hohl (Swi) Bigla Cycling Team0:18:30
56Siobhan Dervan (Irl) Fenixs EdilsavinoRow 55 - Cell 2
57Catherine Hare Willianson (GBr) Fenixs EdilsavinoRow 56 - Cell 2
58Vera Koedooder (Ned) Lotto-Belisol LadiesteamRow 57 - Cell 2
59Cristina Alcalde Huertanos (Spa) Bizkaia - Durango - Champion SystemRow 58 - Cell 2
60Katheryn Curi Mattis (USA) US National TeamRow 59 - Cell 2
61Emma Mackie (Aus) Lotto-Belisol LadiesteamRow 60 - Cell 2
62Kaytee Boyd (NZl) Selle Italia GhezziRow 61 - Cell 2
63Laura Bozzolo (Ita) Selle Italia GhezziRow 62 - Cell 2
64Silvia Valsecchi (Ita) Selle Italia GhezziRow 63 - Cell 2
65Julia Martisova (Rus) Gauss RDZ Ormu - ColnagoRow 64 - Cell 2
66Giulia Lazzerini (Ita) S.C. Michela Fanini Record Rox0:18:50
67Tetyana Riabchenko (Ukr) USC Chirio Forno d'Asolo0:19:22
68Viktoria Vologdina (Ukr) USC Chirio Forno d'Asolo0:19:32
69Valentina Bastianelli (Ita) Top Girls Fassa Bortolo Raxy Line0:20:09
70Liz Hatch (USA) Team System Data0:20:24
71Tetyana Mykhaylova (Ukr) USC Chirio Forno d'Asolo0:21:07
72Francesca Faustini (Ita) Team Cmax Dila'Row 71 - Cell 2
73Lisa Racchetto (USA) Team System DataRow 72 - Cell 2
74Chiara Vanni (Ita) Team Cmax Dila'Row 73 - Cell 2
75Andrea Graus (Aut) Bigla Cycling TeamRow 74 - Cell 2
76Aleaksandra Lohvinova (Blr) Team System DataRow 75 - Cell 2
77Myfanwy Galloway (Aus) AustraliaRow 76 - Cell 2
78Lauren Kitchen (Aus) AustraliaRow 77 - Cell 2
79Trine Schmidt (Den) Team Flexpoint0:24:42
80Lieselot Decroix (Bel) Cervelo TestTeamRow 79 - Cell 2
81Saskia Elemans (Ned) Team FlexpointRow 80 - Cell 2
82Simona Frapporti (Ita) USC Chirio Forno d'AsoloRow 81 - Cell 2
83Megan Guarnier (USA) US National TeamRow 82 - Cell 2
84Ina Yoko Teutenberg (Ger) Team Columbia HTC WomenRow 83 - Cell 2
85Meredith Miller (USA) US National TeamRow 84 - Cell 2
86Dorleta Zorrilla Braceras (Spa) Bizkaia - Durango - Champion SystemRow 85 - Cell 2
87Rochelle Gilmore (Aus) Lotto-Belisol LadiesteamRow 86 - Cell 2
88Eleonora Patuzzo (Ita) Safi - Pasta Zara TitanediRow 87 - Cell 2
89Lauren Tamayo (USA) US National TeamRow 88 - Cell 2
90Linn Torp (Nor) Lotto-Belisol LadiesteamRow 89 - Cell 2
91Monica Holler (Swe) Bigla Cycling TeamRow 90 - Cell 2
92Modesta Vzesniauskaite (Ltu) Bigla Cycling TeamRow 91 - Cell 2
93Giorgia Bronzini (Ita) Safi - Pasta Zara TitanediRow 92 - Cell 2
94Eneritz Iturriagaetxebarria Mazaga (Spa) Safi - Pasta Zara TitanediRow 93 - Cell 2
95Alessandra Borchi (Ita) Safi - Pasta Zara TitanediRow 94 - Cell 2
96Regina Schleicher (Ger) Equipe Nürnberger VersicherungRow 95 - Cell 2
97Inga Cilvinaite (Ltu) Safi - Pasta Zara TitanediRow 96 - Cell 2
98Alessia Quarta (Ita) Team Cmax Dila'Row 97 - Cell 2
99Carly Hibberd (Aus) S.C. Michela Fanini Record RoxRow 98 - Cell 2
100Sarah Duster (Ger) Cervelo TestTeamRow 99 - Cell 2
101Kirsten Wild (Ned) Cervelo TestTeamRow 100 - Cell 2
102Laura Pisaneschi (Ita) Top Girls Fassa Bortolo Raxy LineRow 101 - Cell 2
103Marlen Johrend (Ger) Equipe Nürnberger VersicherungRow 102 - Cell 2
104Alice Donadoni (Ita) Gauss RDZ Ormu - ColnagoRow 103 - Cell 2
105Martina Corazza (Ita) Gauss RDZ Ormu - ColnagoRow 104 - Cell 2
106Veronica Andreasson (Swe) Bigla Cycling TeamRow 105 - Cell 2
107Chiara Rozzini (Ita) Top Girls Fassa Bortolo Raxy LineRow 106 - Cell 2
108Marta Tagliaferro (Ita) Top Girls Fassa Bortolo Raxy LineRow 107 - Cell 2
109Emanuela Azzini (Ita) Gauss RDZ Ormu - ColnagoRow 108 - Cell 2
110Gloria Presti (Ita) Selle Italia GhezziRow 109 - Cell 2
111Odette Bertolin (Ita) Team System DataRow 110 - Cell 2
112Belinda Goss (Aus) AustraliaRow 111 - Cell 2
113Sara Grifi (Ita) S.C. Michela Fanini Record RoxRow 112 - Cell 2
114Chloe Hoskings (Aus) AustraliaRow 113 - Cell 2
115Katharine Carroll (USA) US National TeamRow 114 - Cell 2
116Silvia Tirado Marquez (Spa) Team Cmax Dila'Row 115 - Cell 2
117Brooke Miller (USA) US National TeamRow 116 - Cell 2
118Shelley Olds (USA) US National TeamRow 117 - Cell 2
119Urte Juodvalkyte (Ltu) Fenixs EdilsavinoRow 118 - Cell 2
120Chantal Beltman (Ned) Team Columbia HTC WomenRow 119 - Cell 2
121Bettina Kuhn (Swi) Bigla Cycling Team0:25:07
122Alena Dylko (Blr) Team System Data0:25:23
123Diana Zamorano (Spa) Bizkaia - Durango - Champion SystemRow 122 - Cell 2
124Marina Vinnikava (Blr) Team System DataRow 123 - Cell 2
125Zaira De Luca (Ita) Team System DataRow 124 - Cell 2
126Silvia Trovellesi (Ita) Team System DataRow 125 - Cell 2
127Gema Pascual Torrecilla (Spa) Bizkaia - Durango - Champion SystemRow 126 - Cell 2
128Chiara Bortolus (Ita) Gauss RDZ Ormu - ColnagoRow 127 - Cell 2
129Katherine Bates (Aus) Team Columbia HTC Women0:26:16
130Tania Belvederesi (Ita) Gauss RDZ Ormu - Colnago0:24:42
131Mireia Epelde Bikendi (Spa) Bizkaia - Durango - Champion SystemRow 130 - Cell 2
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General classification after stage 3
1Emma Pooley (GBr) Cervelo Test Team6:06:15
2Mara Abbott (USA) Team Columbia Highroad0:01:07
3Claudia Häusler (Ger) Cervelo Test Team0:01:18
4Judith Arndt (Ger) Equipe Nürnberger0:01:40
5Amber Neben (Usa) Team Columbia Highroad0:01:34
6Svetlana Bubnenkova (Rus) Fenixs Edilsavino0:01:45
7Edita Pucinskaite (Ltu) Gauss Rdz Ormu Colnago0:02:22
8Carla Ryan (Aus) Cervelo Test Team0:03:04
9Nicole Brändli (Sui) Team Bigla0:03:34
10Fabiana Luperini (Ita) Selle Italia Ghezzi0:04:12

 

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