HTC-Columbia über-sprinter Ina Teutenberg once again defied those who would pigeonhole her, by winning stage 3 of the Tour de l’Aude from a three-strong breakaway group. The German champion outsprinted Andrea Bosman (Leontien.nl) and Carmen Small (United States) at the end of 110km in Lezignan Corbières, taking her 19th career stage win in the French race, extending her own record.
After benefiting from the Cervélo TestTeam’s misfortune yesterday, when Adrie Visser took the leader’s yellow jersey from Lizzie Armitstead after the British youngster punctured in the team time trial, HTC-Columbia seized the initiative itself in the windy third stage.
"I was actually pretty annoyed before the stage started because I'd ridden a poor team time trial the day before," said Teutenberg, “and so I worked hard to forge an early break with three other riders. The only problem was it was really windy today.
“It was blowing at maybe 50 or 60kmh,” she continued, “and we were riding mostly into a headwind. It was crazy. Normally you get one windy day in the Tour de l'Aude, but this time it just hasn't stopped and this was the worst of the race so far."
Teutenberg’s first attempt to escape came after just 14km; she and Bosman could only get 17 seconds ahead before they were pulled back. After 26km the peloton split in two in the wind, and 4km later as Brooke Miller took the intermediate sprint in defence of her red jersey, the break got away.
Teutenberg, with Miller, Small and Bosman again cooperated well together, until Miller, her jersey secure, dropped back to the peloton. The trio continued though, building a maximum lead of 6’25” at the stage’s halfway point, before the Cervélo TestTeam decided to try to bring them back.
The three riders continued to work together well though and they managed to stay away for Teutenberg to take yet another Aude stage. “The final sprint was really close at first,” said the German, “but I was able to put some distance between me and the rest of the break at the end. It really made up for what had happened the day before.”
Dutch champion Marianne Vos (Nederland Bloeit) led the peloton home 25 seconds later, beating big rival Emma Johansson (RedSun Cycling) in the sprint. With Visser finishing in the first group the overall standings remain largely unchanged at the top. The exception being Katheryn Mattis (United States), who came home in a group 1’35” behind Teutenberg, to lose her third place.
The race now heads south to the Pyrénées and the queen stage at Osseja, where the race should really start.
Result stage 3
1. Ina Teutenberg (Ger) HTC-Columbia
2. Andrea Bosman (Ned) Leontien.nl
3. Carmen Small (USA) United States National Team @ 2s
4. Marianne Vos (Ned) Nederland Bloeit @ 25s
5. Emma Johansson (Swe) Redsun Cycling Team
6. Emma Pooley (GBr) Cervélo TestTeam
7. Christel Ferrier-Bruneau (Fra) Vienne-Futuroscope
8. Liesbet De Vocht (Ned) Nederland Bloeit
9. Regina Bruins (Ned) Cervélo TestTeam
10. Trixi Worrack (Ger) Noris Cycling Team
Standings after stage 3
1. Adrie Visser (Ned) HTC-Columbia
2. Loes Gunnewijk (Ned) Nederland Bloeit @ 23s
3. Chantal Blaak (Ned) Leontien.nl @ 52s
4. Regina Bruins (Ned) Cervélo TestTeam @ 56s
5. Emma Pooley (GBr) Cervélo TestTeam @ 1’03”