Cervélo TestTeam too quick in TTT

Cervélo TestTeam celebrated a dominant victory in the stage two team time trial at the Tour de l'Aude on Sunday, but their strong ride came at the expense of Elisabeth Armitstead's race lead after she punctured one kilometre into the race.

HTC-Columbia's Adrie Visser assumed the leader's jersey after her team finished 35 seconds down on the Cervélo squad. Dutch team Nederland Bloeit finished third, 54 seconds behind the winners.

"I'm very happy about the team time trial today. It was a hard stage but with the victory was well worth the pain," said Cervélo's Emma Pooley afterwards. "To win with such a big margin was really great for us. So far we have had a very good race. I'm looking forward to the other stages. There's seven days are left and still plenty of challenges ahead."

However, things didn't go all Cervélo's way. Stage one winner and race leader Elisabeth Armitstead punctured one kilometre into the 34.5km stage, but insisted her teammates ride on. She finished almost four minutes behind her teammates and slipped 40th overall.

"It was definitively a challenging course through narrow village roads, sharp corners and other technical highlights but the team was incredibly strong," said Cervélo TestTeam Sport Director Egon van Kessel. "The only thing that was not so nice today was Elisabeth Armitstead's flat tire after only one kilometer. Her wish was that the team continue racing and not wait for her."

Armitstead's unfortunate loss was HTC-Columbia's gain, as Adrie Visser moved into the leader's jersey. The Dutchwoman finished ninth in the race prologue and third on stage one. She now holds a 23 second lead over Loes Gunnewijk (Nederland Bloeit), who leapfrogged from fourth by virtue of her team's time trial performance.

"It's the first time [Visser's] ever led in a stage race so we're all really pleased for her," said HTC-Columbia team manager Ronny Lauke. "Adrie's done a lot of great workfor the team during the spring. She trained hard over the winter, too and it's nice she gets her time in the limelight."

Lauke said the stage had played out as expected, with Cervélo making good on their pre-race favouritism. HTC-Columbia will defend the leader's jersey on Monday's 110km stage three, but indicated that stage wins remain a high priority

"The ideal scenario would be to take the stage and for Adrie to keep the yellow," said Lauke. "We've come close twice, so I think we've shown we're definitely in contention for a win." 

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Full Results
1Cervelo TestTeam0:48:05
2HTC-Columbia Women0:00:35
3Nederland Bloeit0:00:54
4US National Team0:02:01
5TIBCO0:02:43
6Redsun Cycling Team0:02:51
7Leontien0:03:40
8Safi-Pasta Zara0:03:41
9Noris Cycling0:03:43
10Fenixs-PetrogadetsRow 9 - Cell 2
11Gauss Rdz Ormu0:04:02
12German National Team0:04:36
13S.C. Michela Fanini Record Rox0:05:02
14Vienne Futuroscope0:05:05
15Team Valdarmo0:06:11
16ESGL93-Gestion0:06:29
17MTN0:07:15
18Lotto Ladies Team0:07:30
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General Classifcation after stage 2
1Adrie Visser (Ned) HTC Columbia Women4:07:22
2Loes Gunnewijk (Ned) Nederland Bloeit0:00:23
3Katheryn Mattis (USA) US National Team0:00:40
4Regina Bruins (Ned) Cervelo Test Team0:00:56
5Chantal Blaak (Ned) Leontien.nl0:01:02
6Emma Pooley (GBr) Cervelo Test Team0:01:03
7Claudia Häusler (Ger) Cervelo Test Team0:01:09
8Sharon Laws (GBr) Cervelo Test Team0:01:11
9Petra Dijkman (Ned) Redsun Cycling Team0:01:15
10Linda Melanie Villumsen (NZl) HTC Columbia Women0:01:20
11Carla Ryan (Aus) Cervelo Test Team0:01:21
12Evelyn Stevens (USA) HTC Columbia Women0:01:25
13Marianne Vos (Ned) Nederland Bloeit0:01:31
14Annemiek Van Vleuten (Ned) Nederland Bloeit0:01:34
15Liesbet De Vocht (Bel) Nederland Bloeit0:01:41
16Martine Bras (Ned) Gauss RDZ Ormu0:01:44
17Carmen Small (USA) US National Team0:02:04
18Ruth Corset (Aus) TIBCO0:02:06
19Emma Johansson (Swe) Redsun Cycling Team0:02:07
20Katharine Carrol (USA) US National TeamRow 19 - Cell 2
21Mara Abbot (USA) US National Team0:02:15
22Joanne Kiesanowski (NZl) TIBCORow 21 - Cell 2
23Rebecca Much (USA) TIBCORow 22 - Cell 2
24Marie Lindberg (Swe) Redsun Cycling TeamRow 23 - Cell 2
25Inga Cilvinaite (Ltu) Safi - Pasta Zara0:02:33
26Eneritz Iturriagae (Spa) Safi - Pasta Zara0:02:35
27Marijn De Vries (Ned) Leontien.nl0:02:39
28Andrea Bosman (Ned) Leontien.nl0:02:41
29Oxana Kozonchuk (Rus) Safi - Pasta Zara0:02:43
30Alexandra Burchenkova (Rus) Fenixs - Petrogradets0:02:44
31Trixi Worrack (Ger) Noris CyclingRow 30 - Cell 2
32Madeleine Sandig (Ger) Noris CyclingRow 31 - Cell 2
33Béatrice Thomas (Fra) Esgl 93 - Gsd Gestion0:02:48
34Hanka Kupfernagel (Ger) German National Team0:02:52
35Yulia Iliynikh (Rus) Fenixs - Petrogradets0:02:53
36Julia Martisova (Rus) Gauss RDZ Ormu0:02:54
37Stephanie Pohl (Ger) Noris Cycling0:02:56
38Edwige Pitel (Fra) S.C. Michela Fanini Record Rox0:03:17
39Martina Zwick (Ger) German National Team0:03:18
40Elizabeth Armitstead (GBr) Cervelo Test TeamRow 39 - Cell 2
41Christel Ferrier-Bruneau (Fra) Vienne FuturoscopeRow 40 - Cell 2
42Erika Vilunaite (Ltu) Fenixs - Petrogradets0:03:19
43Julie Beveridge (Can) Vienne Futuroscope0:03:23
44Elena Kuchinskaya (Rus) Gauss RDZ OrmuRow 43 - Cell 2
45Martina Ruzickova (Cze) S.C. Michela Fanini Record Rox0:03:27
46Tatiana Guderzo (Ita) Team Valdarno0:03:31
47Tatiana Antoshina (Rus) Team Valdarno0:03:32
48Karol-Ann Canuel (Can) Vienne Futuroscope0:03:34
49Laura Dittmann (Ger) German National TeamRow 48 - Cell 2
50Carly Hibberd (Aus) S.C. Michela Fanini Record Rox0:03:52
51Mélanie Bravard (Fra) Esgl 93 - Gsd Gestion0:03:55
52Vicki Whitelaw (Aus) Lotto Ladies Team0:03:56
53Carla Swart (RSA) MTN0:03:57
54Veronica Andreasson (Swe) Lotto Ladies Team0:04:08
55Luise Keller (Ger) HTC Columbia Women0:04:13
56Andrea Dvorak (USA) US National Team0:04:19
57Noortje Tabak (Ned) Nederland Bloeit0:04:20
58Brooke Miller (USA) TIBCO0:04:24
59Anriette Schoeman (RSA) Lotto Ladies TeamRow 58 - Cell 2
60Paulina Brzezna (Pol) Redsun Cycling Team0:04:40
61Robyn De Groot (RSA) MTN0:04:47
62Eugenie Mermillod (Fra) Esgl 93 - Gsd Gestion0:04:54
63Irene Van Den Broek (Ned) Leontien.nl0:06:12
64Rasa Leleivyte (Ltu) Safi - Pasta Zara0:06:17
65Sylwia Kapusta (Pol) Safi - Pasta Zara0:06:24
66Josien Van Wingerden (Ned) Leontien.nl0:06:57
67Irina Molicheva (Rus) Fenixs - Petrogradets0:06:58
68Svetlana Bubnenkova (Rus) Fenixs - Petrogradets0:07:06
69Karin Aune (Swe) Fenixs - Petrogradets0:07:09
70Emma Mackie (Aus) TIBCO0:07:21
71Amanda Miller (USA) TIBCO0:07:25
72Ina Teutenberg (Ger) HTC Columbia Women0:07:37
73Marlen Jöhrend (Ger) Noris Cycling0:08:20
74Marta Vila Josana Andreu (Spa) Team Valdarno0:08:21
75Angela Hennig (Ger) Noris Cycling0:08:22
76Denise Zuckermandel (Ger) German National Team0:08:36
77Siobhan Horgan (Irl) Esgl 93 - Gsd Gestion0:08:39
78Nadia Triquet-Claude (Fra) Vienne Futuroscope0:08:45
79Audrey Lemieux (Can) Esgl 93 - Gsd Gestion0:09:07
80Nina Ovcharenko (Ukr) S.C. Michela Fanini Record Rox0:09:17
81Chloe Hosking (Aus) HTC Columbia Women0:09:38
82Franziska Merten (Ger) German National Team0:11:06
83Giada Borgato (Ita) Gauss RDZ Ormu0:11:10
84Ludivine Henrion (Bel) Redsun Cycling Team0:11:20
85Romy Kasper (Ger) Noris Cycling0:12:23
86Cashandra Slingerland (RSA) MTN0:12:31
87Elizabeth Hatch (USA) Lotto Ladies Team0:12:34
88Marissa Van Der Merwe (RSA) MTN0:12:37
89Alessandra Borchi (Ita) Gauss RDZ Ormu0:12:47
90Laura Bozzolo (Ita) Team Valdarno0:13:00
91Kristin Mac Grath (USA) US National Team0:13:46
92Monique Van De Ree (Ned) Leontien.nl0:13:53
93Jenifer Letue (Fra) Vienne Futuroscope0:15:14
94Lina-Kristin Schink (Ger) German National Team0:15:48
95Laure Werner (Bel) Redsun Cycling Team0:15:52
96Florence Girardet (Fra) Vienne Futuroscope0:16:54
97Lylanie Lauwrens (RSA) MTN0:17:20
98Tania Belvederesi (Ita) Team Valdarno0:17:27
99Lorena Foresi (Ita) Safi - Pasta Zara0:17:41
100Eleonora Suelotto (Ita) Gauss RDZ Ormu0:17:42
101Loes Markerink (Ned) Nederland Bloeit0:19:31
102Serena Mensa (Ita) S.C. Michela Fanini Record Rox0:21:24
103Saneila Biagi (Ita) Team Valdarno0:21:45
104Sara Grifi (Ita) S.C. Michela Fanini Record Rox0:21:47
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Young Riders Classification
1Chantal Blaak (Ned) Leontien.nl4:08:14
2Marianne Vos (Ned) Nederland Bloeit0:00:39
3Marie Lindberg (Swe) Redsun Cycling Team0:01:23
4Oxana Kozonchuk (Rus) Safi - Pasta Zara0:01:41
5Alexandra Burchenkova (Rus) Fenixs - Petrogradets0:01:42
6Irina Molicheva (Rus) Fenixs - Petrogradets0:01:54
7Stephanie Pohl (Ger) Noris CyclingRow 6 - Cell 2
8Julie Beveridge (Can) Vienne Futuroscope0:02:06
9Martina Zwick (Ger) German National Team0:02:11
10Karol-Ann Canuel (Can) Vienne Futuroscope0:02:17
11Carla Swart (RSA) MTN0:02:25
12Elizabeth Armitstead (GBr) Cervelo Test Team0:02:26
13Laura Dittmann (Ger) German National Team0:02:27
14Mélanie Bravard (Fra) Esgl 93 - Gsd Gestion0:02:33
15Noortje Tabak (Ned) Nederland Bloeit0:03:28
16Rasa Leleivyte (Ltu) Safi - Pasta Zara0:05:25
17Josien Van Wingerden (Ned) Leontien.nl0:06:05
18Denise Zuckermandel (Ger) German National Team0:07:44
19Chloe Hosking (Aus) HTC Columbia Women0:08:46
20Franziska Merten (Ger) German National Team0:10:14
21Giada Borgato (Ita) Gauss RDZ Ormu0:10:18
22Romy Kasper (Ger) Noris Cycling0:11:31
23Monique Van De Ree (Ned) Leontien.nl0:13:01
24Jenifer Letue (Fra) Vienne Futuroscope0:14:22
25Lorena Foresi (Ita) Safi - Pasta Zara0:16:49
26Eleonora Suelotto (Ita) Gauss RDZ Ormu0:16:50
27Serena Mensa (Ita) S.C. Michela Fanini Record Rox0:20:32
28Saneila Biagi (Ita) Team Valdarno0:20:53
29Sara Grifi (Ita) S.C. Michela Fanini Record Rox0:20:55
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Teams Classification
1Cervelo TestTeam12:23:54
2HTC Columbia Women0:01:51
3Nederland Bloeit0:02:52
4US National Team0:06:50
5TIBCO0:07:55
6Redsun Cycling Team0:09:19
7Leontien0:11:52
8Noris Cycling0:12:14
9Safi-Pasta Zara0:13:06
10Fenixs-Petrogadets0:13:18
11Gauss Rdz Ormu0:13:22
12German National Team0:16:00
13Vienne Futuroscope0:17:20
14S.C. Michela Fanini Record Rox0:17:43
15Team Valdarmo0:20:45
16ESGL93-Gestion0:21:24
17Lotto Ladies Team0:25:03
18MTN0:33:23

 

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