Marianne Vos (Nederland Bloeit) took her first stage victory in this year’s Tour de l’Aude between Aunat and Limoux. The Dutch champion outsprinted German champion Ina Teutenberg (HTC-Columbia), already a double stage winner this year. New Zealander Joanne Kiesanowski (Tibco) was third after a breakaway group was caught in the final 2km of the 112km stage.
After 13km a group broke away from the peloton as it descended from the start into the town of Axat. The group, consisted of: Liesbet De Vocht, Loes Gunnewijk and Annemiek Van Vleuten (all Nederland Bloeit), Emma Johansson, Marie Lindberg and Ludovine Henrion (all Redsun), former yellow jersey Adrie Visser (HTC-Columbia), Kiesanowski and Brooke Miller (both Tibco), Martine Bras and Julia Martisova (Gauss-RDZ-Ormu) Oxana Kozonchuk (Safi-Pasta Zara), Carla Swart (MTN Energade), Hanka Kupfernagel (Germany) and Christel Ferrier-Bruneau (Vienne-Futuroscope).
The group split on the climb of the Col du Font de Razouls, the last major ascent of this year’s race, and by the time it reached the summit only Johansson, De Vocht, Van Vleuten and Gunnewijk remained in the lead. After the 3rd category Côte de Villardebelle with 39km to go, the remainder of the course was downhill and predominantly flat and the group worked together to stay away. After the overnight withdrawal of Evelyn Stevens (HTC-Columbia) with the after effects of yesterday’s crash, Johansson was now in third place overall and so the peloton began to reel the four riders in.
They were eventually caught with 2km to go, as they entered the finish town of Limoux, making a bunch was inevitable. Despite Teutenberg having won in Limoux five times before, Vos was able to come around the German to win by a bike length.
Race leader Emma Pooley (Cervélo TestTeam) came in safely with the peloton, which was given a time 4 seconds behind the front six finishers. The British rider retains her 4’42” lead over Mara Abbott (United States) and, barring accident, looks sure to become the first ever British winner of the Tour de l’Aude.
Tomorrow’s final stage is a predominantly flat 90.5km around the departmental capital of Carcassonne, famous for its mediaeval city that featured in the Kevin Costner film “Robin Hood, Prince of Thieves”. The five 5.4km laps of a finishing circuit should, on paper, see the race finish in a sprint, which could see Vos and Teutenberg do battle again.
Result stage 8
1. Marianne Vos (Ned) Nederland Bloeit
2. Ina Teutenberg (Ger) HTC-Columbia
3. Joanne Kiesanowski (NZl) Team Tibco
4. Vicki Whitelaw (Aus) Lotto Ladies Team
5. Julia Martisova (Rus) Gauss-RDZ-Ormu
6. Inga Cilvinaite (Ltu) Safi-Pasta Zara
7. Andrea Bosman (Ned) Leontien.nl @ 4s
8. Annemiek Van Vleuten (Ned) Nederland Bloeit
9. Carla Swart (RSA) MTN
10. Christel Ferrier-Bruneau (Fra) Vienne-Futuroscope
Standings after stage 8
1. Emma Pooley (GBr) Cervélo TestTeam
2. Mara Abbott (USA) United States National Team @ 4’42”
3. Emma Johansson (Swe) RedSun Cycling Team @ 5’39”
4. Claudia Häusler (Ger) Cervélo TestTeam @ 6’51”
5. Annemiek Van Vleuten (Ned) Nederland Bloeit @ 7’04”