Van Vleuten victorious in Route de France
By Cycling News published
Armitstead takes final sprint in Vittel
Britain’s Lizzie Armitstead (Cervelo TestTeam) won the final stage of the Route de France, as Annemiek Van Vleuten (Nederland Bloeit) sealed overall victory in the seven-day race.
Van Vleuten finished just six seconds ahead of Judith Arndt (HTC-Columbia) and 20 seconds ahead of Olga Zabelinskaia (Safi Pasta). Van Vleuten took the race leader’s orange jersey on stage one and her teammates helped her defend her narrow advantage.
During the final 118km stage, HTC-Columbia sent several riders on the attack before Arndt managed to join the key 14-rider attack. They opened a 1:30 lead as Van Vleuten’s Nederland Bloeit teammates chased but then Arndt suffered a puncture and dropped back to the peloton. The break then lost momentum and was caught 20km from the finish, setting up the sprint.
Cervelo TestTeam took charge in the technical and twisting final kilometre, with Sarah Düster leading Armitstead through the corners to give the British rider her first ever bunch sprint victory. She also captured the best young rider jersey after five top five placings during the race.
Italy’s Giorgia Bronzini (Gauss RDZ Ormu) took second in the sprint behind Armitstead and Lisa Brennauer (Hitec Products Uck) placed third.
“Winning today is really good for my confidence. I’ve been coming closer each day and I needed a hard day like today, the team was really perfect,” Armitstead said.
“I just held my position and Sarah [Düster], who is well known for how crazy she is in the corners, did a really good technical finish with three corners in the 750 metres. She went into the last corner full gas. I lost her wheel a little bit but it was also a little early so it was good and then there was nobody so I thought I’ll take this corner and take on the sprint a little bit early and see what happens and it worked.”
1 | Elizabeth Armitstead (GBr) Cervelo Test Team | 2:51:30 |
2 | Giorgia Bronzini (Ita) Gauss RDZ Ormu | |
3 | Lisa Brennauer (Ger) Hitec Products Uck | |
4 | Joelle Numainville (Can) Canada | |
5 | Adrie Visser (Ned) HTC Columbia Women | |
6 | Annemiek Van Vleuten (Ned) Nederland Bloeit | |
7 | Marianne Vos (Ned) Nederland Bloeit | |
8 | Rasa Leleivyte (Ltu) Safi - Pasta Zara | |
9 | Judith Arndt (Ger) HTC Columbia Women | 0:00:03 |
10 | Amanda Spratt (Aus) Australia | |
11 | Charlotte Becker (Ger) Cervelo Test Team | 0:00:04 |
12 | Cherise Taylor (RSA) Team MTN | |
13 | Christel Ferrier Bruneau (Fra) Vienne Futuroscope | |
14 | Eugenie Mermillod (Fra) Esgl 93 - Gsd Gestion | |
15 | Olga Zabelinskaia (Rus) Safi - Pasta Zara | |
16 | Edita Pucinskaite (Ltu) Gauss RDZ Ormu | |
17 | Karol-Ann Canuel (Can) Vienne Futuroscope | |
18 | Anne Samplonius (Can) Canada | |
19 | Sara Mustonen (Swe) Hitec Products Uck | |
20 | Svetlana Bubnenkova (Rus) Fenixs - Petrogradets | |
21 | Loes Gunnewijk (Ned) Nederland Bloeit | |
22 | Shara Gillow (Aus) Australia | |
23 | Natalia Boyarskaya (Rus) Fenixs - Petrogradets | |
24 | Erinne Willock (Can) Canada | 0:00:06 |
25 | Eleonora Patuzzo (Ita) Safi - Pasta Zara | |
26 | Luise Keller (Ger) HTC Columbia Women | 0:00:14 |
27 | Emilia Fahlin (Swe) HTC Columbia Women | |
28 | Noortje Tabak (Ned) Nederland Bloeit | |
29 | Marta Bastianelli (Ita) Fenixs - Petrogradets | |
30 | Sarah Düster (Ger) Cervelo Test Team | |
31 | Kimberly Anderson (USA) HTC Columbia Women | 0:00:20 |
32 | Martine Bras (Ned) Gauss RDZ Ormu | |
33 | Eivgenia Vysotska (Ukr) Team Valdarno | |
34 | Fröydis Waersted (Nor) Hitec Products Uck | 0:00:46 |
35 | Patricia Schwager (Swi) Cervelo Test Team | |
36 | Christine Majerus (Lux) Esgl 93 - Gsd Gestion | 0:02:30 |
37 | Denise Ramsden (Can) Canada | 0:03:03 |
38 | Alexandra Burchenkova (Rus) Fenixs - Petrogradets | 0:08:08 |
39 | Emilie Blanquefort (Fra) France | 0:12:00 |
DNF | Ina Yoko Teutenberg (Ger) HTC Columbia Women | |
DNF | Heather Logan-Sprenger (Can) Canada | |
DNF | Leah Guloien (Can) Canada | |
DNF | Marion Azam (Fra) France | |
DNF | Marie Laure Cloarec (Fra) France | |
DNF | Ludivine Loze (Fra) France | |
DNF | Tatiana Antoshina (Rus) Team Valdarno | |
DNF | Monia Baccaille (Ita) Team Valdarno | |
DNF | Chiara Bortolus (Ita) Team Valdarno | |
DNF | Laura Bozzolo (Ita) Team Valdarno | |
DNF | Tatiana Guderzo (Ita) Team Valdarno | |
DNF | Eleonora Suelotto (Ita) Gauss RDZ Ormu | |
DNF | Elena Kuchinskaya (Rus) Gauss RDZ Ormu | |
DNF | Alessandra Borchi (Ita) Gauss RDZ Ormu | |
DNF | Inga Cilvinaite (Ltu) Safi - Pasta Zara | |
DNF | Lorena Foresi (Ita) Safi - Pasta Zara | |
DNF | Oxana Kozonchuk (Rus) Safi - Pasta Zara | |
DNF | Suzie Godart (Lux) Fenixs - Petrogradets | |
DNF | Mélodie Lesueur (Fra) Esgl 93 - Gsd Gestion | |
DNF | Beatrice Thomas (Fra) Esgl 93 - Gsd Gestion | |
DNF | Siobhan Horgan (Irl) Esgl 93 - Gsd Gestion | |
DNF | Roxane Fournier (Fra) Esgl 93 - Gsd Gestion | |
DNF | Min Gao (Chn) Giant Pro Cycling | |
DNF | Xiao Ling Luo (Chn) Giant Pro Cycling | |
DNF | Lina Shi (Chn) Giant Pro Cycling | |
DNF | Fan Li Shen (Chn) Giant Pro Cycling | |
DNF | Wan Yiu Jamie Wong (HKg) Giant Pro Cycling | |
DNF | Kirsty Broun (Aus) Australia | |
DNF | Rachel Neylan (Aus) Australia | |
DNF | Julie Beveridge (Can) Vienne Futuroscope | |
DNF | Gabriela Slamova (Cze) Vienne Futuroscope | |
DNF | Pascale Jeuland (Fra) Vienne Futuroscope | |
DNF | Emmanuelle Merlot (Fra) Vienne Futuroscope | |
DNF | Isabelle Söderberg (Swe) Hitec Products Uck | |
DNF | Trine Schmidt (Den) Hitec Products Uck | |
DNF | Carla Swart (RSA) Team MTN | |
DNF | Marissa Van Der Merwe (RSA) Team MTN | |
DNF | Robyn De Groot (RSA) Team MTN | |
DNF | Lylanie Lauwrens (RSA) Team MTN | |
DNF | Janneke Kanis (Ned) Nederland Bloeit |
1 | Annemiek Van Vleuten (Ned) Nederland Bloeit | 15:48:29 |
2 | Judith Arndt (Ger) HTC Columbia Women | 0:00:06 |
3 | Olga Zabelinskaia (Rus) Safi - Pasta Zara | 0:00:20 |
4 | Elizabeth Armitstead (GBr) Cervelo Test Team | 0:00:48 |
5 | Loes Gunnewijk (Ned) Nederland Bloeit | 0:00:54 |
6 | Charlotte Becker (Ger) Cervelo Test Team | 0:01:38 |
7 | Marianne Vos (Ned) Nederland Bloeit | 0:03:05 |
8 | Anne Samplonius (Can) Canada | 0:03:57 |
9 | Sara Mustonen (Swe) Hitec Products Uck | 0:03:59 |
10 | Sarah Düster (Ger) Cervelo Test Team | 0:04:34 |
11 | Amanda Spratt (Aus) Australia | 0:04:57 |
12 | Shara Gillow (Aus) Australia | 0:05:11 |
13 | Natalia Boyarskaya (Rus) Fenixs - Petrogradets | 0:05:52 |
14 | Rasa Leleivyte (Ltu) Safi - Pasta Zara | 0:06:10 |
15 | Martine Bras (Ned) Gauss RDZ Ormu | 0:06:21 |
16 | Edita Pucinskaite (Ltu) Gauss RDZ Ormu | 0:06:31 |
17 | Lisa Brennauer (Ger) Hitec Products Uck | 0:06:37 |
18 | Svetlana Bubnenkova (Rus) Fenixs - Petrogradets | 0:07:10 |
19 | Emilia Fahlin (Swe) HTC Columbia Women | 0:07:22 |
20 | Joelle Numainville (Can) Canada | 0:07:28 |
21 | Erinne Willock (Can) Canada | 0:07:36 |
22 | Christel Ferrier Bruneau (Fra) Vienne Futuroscope | 0:07:51 |
23 | Karol-Ann Canuel (Can) Vienne Futuroscope | 0:08:07 |
24 | Adrie Visser (Ned) HTC Columbia Women | 0:08:24 |
25 | Fröydis Waersted (Nor) Hitec Products Uck | 0:08:54 |
26 | Luise Keller (Ger) HTC Columbia Women | 0:09:00 |
27 | Giorgia Bronzini (Ita) Gauss RDZ Ormu | 0:09:07 |
28 | Kimberly Anderson (USA) HTC Columbia Women | 0:09:27 |
29 | Eleonora Patuzzo (Ita) Safi - Pasta Zara | 0:10:26 |
30 | Patricia Schwager (Swi) Cervelo Test Team | 0:10:28 |
31 | Denise Ramsden (Can) Canada | 0:14:06 |
32 | Christine Majerus (Lux) Esgl 93 - Gsd Gestion | 0:14:32 |
33 | Alexandra Burchenkova (Rus) Fenixs - Petrogradets | 0:16:10 |
34 | Noortje Tabak (Ned) Nederland Bloeit | 0:18:13 |
35 | Cherise Taylor (RSA) Team MTN | 0:26:23 |
36 | Marta Bastianelli (Ita) Fenixs - Petrogradets | 0:26:36 |
37 | Eugenie Mermillod (Fra) Esgl 93 - Gsd Gestion | 0:27:20 |
38 | Eivgenia Vysotska (Ukr) Team Valdarno | 0:28:18 |
39 | Emilie Blanquefort (Fra) France | 0:39:47 |
1 | Elizabeth Armitstead (GBr) Cervelo Test Team | 15:49:17 |
2 | Rasa Leleivyte (Ltu) Safi - Pasta Zara | 0:05:22 |
3 | Lisa Brennauer (Ger) Hitec Products Uck | 0:05:49 |
4 | Emilia Fahlin (Swe) HTC Columbia Women | 0:06:34 |
5 | Karol-Ann Canuel (Can) Vienne Futuroscope | 0:07:19 |
6 | Eleonora Patuzzo (Ita) Safi - Pasta Zara | 0:09:38 |
7 | Denise Ramsden (Can) Canada | 0:13:18 |
8 | Alexandra Burchenkova (Rus) Fenixs - Petrogradets | 0:15:22 |
9 | Noortje Tabak (Ned) Nederland Bloeit | 0:17:25 |
10 | Cherise Taylor (RSA) Team MTN | 0:25:35 |
11 | Emilie Blanquefort (Fra) France | 0:38:59 |
1 | Nederland Bloeit | 45:43:25 |
2 | Cervelo TestTeam | 0:00:29 |
3 | HTC Columbia Women | 0:05:27 |
4 | Safi - Pasta Zara | 0:05:57 |
5 | Canada | 0:07:50 |
6 | Gauss RDZ Ormu | 0:08:36 |
7 | Hitec Products Uck | 0:08:45 |
8 | Fenixs - Petrogradets | 0:09:41 |

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