Former World time trial champion takes early lead in last major pre-Olympic stage race
Local favourite Hanka Kupfernagel (RusVelo) won the opening 3.3km prologue of the 25th Thüringen-Rundfahrt around the streets of Zwickau, in Eastern Germany. The 2007 World time trial champion flew around the course in a time of 4’51”, to finish two seconds faster than Canadian time trial champion Clara Hughes (Specialized-lululemon) and take the first yellow jersey of the race.
Reigning World time trial champion Judith Arndt (Orica-GreenEdge) finished in third place, three seconds behind compatriot Kupfernagel, with British Olympic road race hope Lizzie Armitstead fourth, five seconds back.
Kupfernagel was the fastest rider to the top of the Äußere Dresdner Straße climb, which came after two kilometres, which earned the 38-year-old the mountains jersey to go with her yellow leader’s jersey. The victory was Kupfernagel’s 13th in Thüringen prologues, and doubtless struck a blow for the veteran against those selected to go to the Olympic Games in London at the end of the month, all of whom were at the race and finished behind her.
Result prologue
1. Hanka Kupfernagel (Ger) RusVelo, 3.3km in 4’51”
2. Clara Hughes (Can) Specialized-lululemon @ 2s
3. Judith Arndt (Ger) Orica-GreenEdge @ 3s
4. Elizabeth Armitstead (GBr) AA Drink-leontien.nl @ 5s
5. Trixi Worrack (Ger) Specialized-lululemon @ 8s
6. Emma Johansson (Swe) Hitec Products-Mistral Home
7. Thalita de Jong (Ned) Stichting Rabobank
8. Esther Fennel (Ger) Koga Ladies-Central Rhede @ 11s
9. Olga Zabelinskaya (Rus) RusVelo
10. Amy Pieters (Ned) Skil-Argos @ 16s