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Bayern Rundfahrt
Photo ©: Schaaf

23rd Tour de l'Aude - 2.1

France, May 18-27, 2007

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Stage 7 - May 25: Arques - Rennes Les Bains, 104 km

T-Mobile terrific, Vos victorious

By Greg Johnson

Marianne Vos (DSB Bank)
Photo ©: CJ Farquharson
(Click for larger image)

In a day which saw the yellow jersey holding T-Mobile squad working at the front of the peloton to ensure it maintained Judith Arndt's top spot, the German squad simply had no answers for reigning world champion Marianne Vos (Team DSB Bank) at the finish line. Vos ignited on the home stretch, flying by former world champion Arndt to take her fourth stage victory of the race.

Despite losing out to 20 year-old Vos in the final sprint, Arndt was nonetheless happy with her second placing, as the time bonus it comes with sees the German's general classification lead extend ever so slightly. "That was a great day for us," noted T-Mobile sports director Anna Wilson. "It's always fantastic to see how fast Judith can sprint."

Similar to yesterday, a small break of riders not considered GC threats was allowed to go down the road early on. It wasn't long before the peloton had brought back the escapees, with Ina Yoko Teutenberg (T-Mobile) again working hard at the front in an effort to protect the magenta squad's lead.

"Ina pulled hard at the front for as long as she could," revealed Wilson of the squad's tactic. "That was our plan."

But while T-Mobile tried to control the peloton's movements, Stage 7's mountainous landscape offered one final chance to pull off a race upsetting break: no GC contender was just going to let that pass. Attacks by Amber Neben (Team Flexpoint), Fabiana Luperini (Menikini - Gysko) and Maryline Salvetat (France) saw the pace rise within the peloton and soon after a 30strong front group formed as the remaining riders fell behind.

Judith Arndt (T-Mobile)
Photo ©: CJ Farquharson
(Click for larger image)

As the lead bunch reached the 104 kilometre stage's third and final climb, the Col du Paradis, ideas of a 14 kilometre break began to develop in some key riders heads. T-Mobile's Linda Villumsen and Kim Anderson covered most of the initial attacks, but a potent attack by Trixi Worrack (Equipe Nürnberger Versicherung), who holds third on GC, called for Arndt to counter. As the strong German pair headed down the road, Swedish rider Susanne Ljungskog (Team Flexpoint) and Italian Fabiana Luperini (Menikini - Gysko) followed suit.

The four riders pushed on and stayed away over the descent before an 11 strong Vos-led chase group swallowed them on the run in to Rennes les Bains. The lead group contained the top riders on GC, meaning the only noteworthy change was the extension of Arndt's lead.

"As well as Judith's fine performance, the teamwork today was again superb," said Wilson. "Everybody did their job perfectly and tactics worked great. The mood in the team is super."

The event now heads into a series of three sixty-something kilometre stages over the next two days, with the final stage featuring a flat 30 kilometres to setup a sprint finish in to Limoux.

Photography

For a thumbnail gallery of these images, click here

Images by CJ Farquharson/WomensCycling.net

Results

1 Marianne Vos (Ned) Team DSB Bank                         2.47.06 (37.343 km/h)
2 Judith Arndt (Ger) T-Mobile Team - Women                        
3 Priska Doppmann (Swi) Raleigh Lifeforce Pro Cycling Team        
4 Trixi Worrack (Ger) Equipe Nürnberger Versicherung              
5 Nicole Brändli (Swi) Bigla Cycling Team                         
6 Maryline Salvetat (Fra) France                                  
7 Susanne Ljungskog (Swe) Team Flexpoint                          
8 Julia Martisova (Rus) FRW - Gauss                               
9 Andrea Bosman (Ned) Team DSB Bank                               
10 Sigrid Corneo (Ita) Menikini - Gysko                           
11 Svetlana Bubnenkova (Rus) Fenixs - HPB                         
12 Joanne Kiesanowski (NZl) Raleigh Lifeforce Pro Cycling Team    
13 Edita Pucinskaite (Ltu) Equipe Nürnberger Versicherung         
14 Marina Jaunatre (Fra) France                                   
15 Amber Neben (USA) Team Flexpoint                               
16 Fabiana Luperini (Ita) Menikini - Gysko                    0.07
17 Fabienne Sandig (Ger) Germany                              0.09
18 Tanja Slater (GBr) Raleigh Lifeforce Pro Cycling Team      0.12
19 Claudia Häusler (Ger) Equipe Nürnberger Versicherung       0.15
20 Ana Garcia Antequera (Spa) Comunidad Valenciana            0.33
21 Kimberly Anderson (USA) T-Mobile Team - Women              0.45
22 Dorte Lohse Rasmussen (Den) Menikini - Gysko               2.35
23 Toni Bradshaw (NZl) New Zealand                            2.38
24 Serena Sheridan (NZl) New Zealand                          4.24
25 Lang Meng (Chn) Giant Pro Cycling Team                         
26 Loes Gunnewijk (Ned) Team Flexpoint                            
27 Elena Kuchinskaya (Rus) FRW - Gauss                            
28 Tatsiana Sharakova (Blr) FRW - Gauss                           
29 Jennifer Hohl (Swi) Bigla Cycling Team                         
30 Georgina Waibl (NZl) New Zealand                               
31 Linda Villumsen Serup (Den) T-Mobile Team - Women          4.26
32 Eva Lutz (Ger) Equipe Nürnberger Versicherung              4.30
33 Olivia Gollan (Aus) Menikini - Gysko                       6.24
34 Andrea Graus (Aut) Equipe Nürnberger Versicherung          7.02
35 Charlotte Becker (Ger) Equipe Nürnberger Versicherung          
36 Marlyn Brinnendijk (Ned) Vrienden Van Het Platteland       8.26
37 Suzanne De Goede (Ned) T-Mobile Team - Women                   
38 Noemi Cantele (Ita) Bigla Cycling Team                    10.14
39 Luise Keller (Ger) Team Flexpoint                              
40 Béatrice Thomas (Fra) France                                   
41 Marieke Van Wanroij (Ned) Team DSB Bank                   10.57
42 Oxana Kozonchuk (Rus) Fenixs - HPB                             
43 Christelle Ferrier-Bruneau (Fra) Les Pruneaux D'Agen           
44 Natalia Boyarskaya (Rus) Fenixs - HPB                          
45 Tatiana Antoshina (Rus) Fenixs - HPB                           
46 Karine Gautard (Fra) France                                    
47 Nathalie Jeuland (Fra) France                                  
48 Fei Wang (Chn) Giant Pro Cycling Team                          
49 Miho Oki (Jpn) Menikini - Gysko                                
50 Debby Van De Berg (Ned) Global Racing Team                     
51 Sarah Düster (Ger) Raleigh Lifeforce Pro Cycling Team          
52 Helen Wyman (GBr) Global Racing Team                           
53 Sufen Ma (Chn) Giant Pro Cycling Team                          
54 Urte Juodvalkyte (Ltu) Lithuania                               
55 Maribel Moreno Allue (Spa) Comunidad Valenciana           11.03
56 Janne Brok (Ned) Vrienden Van Het Platteland                   
57 Eleonora Van Dijk (Ned) Vrienden Van Het Platteland            
58 Marlen Johrend (Ger) Germany                                   
59 Patricia Schwager (Swi) Raleigh Lifeforce Pro Cycling Team     
60 Sharon Van Essen (Ned) Team DSB Bank                           
61 Linda Ringlever (Ned) Global Racing Team                       
62 Kettj Manfrin (Ita) FRW - Gauss                                
63 Daphny Van Den Brand (Ned) Vrienden Van Het Platteland         
64 Iris Slappendel (Ned) Team Flexpoint                           
65 Maria Rosario Rodriguez (Spa) Comunidad Valenciana             
66 Silvia Valsecchi (Ita) Menikini - Gysko                        
67 Tania Belvederesi (Ita) FRW - Gauss                            
68 Angela Brodtka (Ger) Germany                                   
69 Andrea Thürig (Swi) Bigla Cycling Team                         
70 Erinne Willock (Can) Team Expresscopy.com                      
71 Ina Teutenberg (Ger) T-Mobile Team - Women                     
72 Liane Bahler (Ger) Fenixs - HPB                                
73 Anne Samplonius (Can) Team Expresscopy.com                     
74 Alexandra Sontheimer (Ger) Germany                             
75 Hanka Kupfernagel (Ger) Germany                                
76 Lina Skujaute (Ltu) Lithuania                             12.17
77 Fanny Riberot (Fra) France                                12.20
78 Li Ping (Chn) Giant Pro Cycling Team                           
79 Carina Ketonen (Fra) Les Pruneaux D'Agen                       
80 Jaccolien Wallaard (Ned) Vrienden Van Het Platteland           
81 Joelle Numainville (Can) Team Expresscopy.com                  
82 Melissa Holt (NZl) Team Expresscopy.com                   13.38
83 Xiong Ying Ruan (Chn) Giant Pro Cycling Team              13.53
84 Sanne Van Paassen (Ned) Team DSB Bank                          
85 Xiaoning Gao (Chn) Giant Pro Cycling Team                      
86 Marina Duvnjak (NZl) New Zealand                          13.59
87 Agne Sukutyte (Ltu) Lithuania                             18.59
88 Anke Wichmann (Ger) T-Mobile Team - Women                      
89 Edita Janeliunaite (Ltu) Lithuania                        25.49
90 Silvia Tirado Marquez (Spa) Comunidad Valenciana          26.30
91 Agne Miliskeviciute (Ltu) Lithuania                            
92 Céline Nivet (Fra) Les Pruneaux D'Agen                    26.34
93 Amanda Shaw (Can) Team Expresscopy.com                    26.36
DNF Olga Slyusareva (Rus) Fenixs - HPB                            
DNF Carissa Wilkes (NZl) New Zealand                              
DNS Zoulfia Zabirova (Kaz) Bigla Cycling Team                     
 
General classification after stage 7
 
1 Judith Arndt (Ger) T-Mobile Team - Women                        
2 Susanne Ljungskog (Swe) Team Flexpoint                          
3 Trixi Worrack (Ger) Equipe Nürnberger Versicherung              

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