Amanda Miller (HTC-Highroad) won the third stage of the Thüringen-Rundfahrt, the Rund um Schleiz, as a breakaway made it to the finish for the second straight day. The American outsprinted British champion Lizzie Armitstead (Garmin-Cervélo) into second, with former Italian champion Monia Baccaille (MCipollini-Giambenini) at the end of the 144km stage.
After a fast start to the stage, it was not until the 42km point that a breakaway was successful. Adrie Visser (HTC-Highroad), Sarah Düster (Nederland Bloeit), Sharon Laws (Garmin-Cervélo), Trixi Worrack (AA Drink-Leontien.nl), Claire Thomas (Horizon Fitness), Romy Kasper (German National Team) and Jessie Maclean (Australian National Team) escaped and began to pull away from the peloton.
Baccaille, Denise Ramsden (Juvederm-Specialized), and Veronique Labonte (Juvederm-Specialized) quickly chased across to make a group of ten.
Shortly afterwards Irina Molitcheva (Russian National Team), Sara Mustonen (Hitec Products-UCK) and Sylwia Kapusta (Gauss) also escaped, were joined by Miller, Armitstead and Ruth Corset (Australian National Team), and the six of them set off in pursuit.
The two groups joined together shortly after the feedzone and, by 64km, they led by 1’10”, with the gap still growing.
"The break of sixteen was not riding too hard but everyone was working, while Hitec [Products-UCK] controlled the front of the peloton," explained HTC-Highroad director Jens Zemke.
With Mustonen in the break, and nobody in it that was a threat to Emma Johansson’s race lead, the Swedish champion’s team allowed the lead to rise. After 74km it was up to 1’45”, at 105km it was 1’57”, while at 120km it was 2’10”.
Into the final 10km the lead group began to attack one another when first Düster, then Worrack, Laws, and then Düster again tried to break the elastic. With 5km to go Labonte managed to get clear, but she was gradually pulled back and they were all together again with 2km to go.
"With about five hundred meters to go, Amanda attacked out of a hard corner and got a break of about five or ten meters," said Zemke, "Then she turned it on full gas to the finish, and won ahead of some really strong sprinters”
Miller’s victory was HTC-Highroad’s third of the race, after the prologue team time trial, and Ina Teutenberg’s stage one sprint. The result had no effect on the top of the overall classification though, with Johansson holding onto the yellow jersey.
Result stage 3
1. Amanda Miller (USA) HTC-Highroad
2. Elizabeth Armitstead (GBr) Garmin-Cervélo @ 2s
3. Monia Baccaille (Ita) MCipollini-Giambenini
4. Adrie Visser (Ned) HTC-Highroad
5. Sara Mustonen (Swe) Hitec Products-UCK
6. Denise Ramsden (Can) Juvederm-Specialized
7. Trixi Worrack (Ger) AA Drink-Leontien.nl
8. Sylwia Kapusta (Pol) Gauss
9. Romy Kasper (Ger) German National Team @ 5s
10. Sharon Laws (GBr) Garmin-Cervélo @ 7s
Standings after stage 3
1. Emma Johansson (Swe) Hitec Products-UCK
2. Amber Neben (USA) HTC-Highroad @ 7s
3. Amy Pieters (Ned) Skil-Koga @ 13s
4. Noemi Cantele (Ita) Garmin-Cervélo @ 14s
5. Claudia Häusler (Ger) German National Team @ 15s