Swedish champion takes back the race on final day, as British champion is the fastest in the break
Emma Johansson (Hitec Products-UCK) secured the overall classification of the Thüringen-Rundfahrt on the final stage, the Rund um Altenburg. The stage was won by British champion Lizzie Armitstead (Garmin-Cervélo), who outsprinted Judith Arndt (HTC-Highroad) in a photo-finish, just ahead of Natalia Boyarskaya (Russian National Team).
HTC-Highroad did its best to protect Amber Neben’s slim three-second lead over Emma Johansson (Hitec Products-UCK) throughout the hilly 99.6km stage. The team’s sprinter, German champion Ina Teutenberg was first over the line on both of the intermediate sprints, but could not prevent Johansson taking the two second places; giving the Swedish champion a total of four bonus seconds and a one-second lead over Neben.
Shortly after the second sprint Loes Gunnewijk (Nederland Bloeit), Sharon Laws (Garmin-Cervélo), Claudia Häusler (German National Team), Lise Nøstvold (Hitec Products-UCK), Linda Villumsen (AA Drink-Leontien.nl), Helen Wyman (Horizon Fitness), Regina Bruins (Skil-Koga) and Ruth Corset (Australian National Team) escaped.
Nøstvold dropped back to the peloton after just a few kilometres but, after 60km of racing, the other seven led by 45 seconds.
As Häusler led the break over the finish line to start the final lap, the gap was still 38 seconds. HTC Highroad was on the front of the peloton though and steadily pulling them back.
With 20km to go Armitstead, Arndt, Boyarskaya and Trixi Worrack (AA Drink-Leontien.nl) attacked the peloton, then caught and passed the original break as it was reabsorbed by the peloton.
The new group of four began to pull away and, inside the final ten kilometres, they were 35 seconds clear. There were a number of unsuccessful individual attempts to bridge up to them, from riders including Häusler, and Sarah Düster and Marieke Van Wanroij (both Nederland Bloeit), but nobody could manage it.
On the approach to the final kilometre Boyarskaya attacked to try to get rid of the better sprinters in the break, but Arndt and Armitstead managed to chase across.
Armitstead beat Arndt in a photo-finish on the line, and Boyarskaya followed them over five seconds behind.
Johansson managed to take a further five seconds from Neben at the finish as the front of the peloton split in the uphill finishing straight, to give her a clear overall victory by six seconds.
Result stage 6
1. Elizabeth Armitstead (GBr) Garmin-Cervélo
2. Judith Arndt (Ger) HTC-Highroad
3. Natalia Boyarskaya (Rus) Russian National Team @ 5s
4. Hanka Kupfernagel (Ger) Horizon Fitness @ 7s
5. Elke Gebhardt (Ger) German National Team @ 8s
6. Trixi Worrack (Ger) AA Drink-Leontien.nl
7. Fabiana Luperini (Ita) MCipollini-Giambenini @ 11s
8. Kirsten Wild (Ned) AA Drink-Leontien.nl @ 16s
9. Emma Johansson (Swe) Hitec Products-UCK
10. Daphny van den Brand (Ned) AA Drink-Leontien.nl
Final overall standings
1. Emma Johansson (Swe) Hitec Products-UCK
2. Amber Neben (USA) HTC-Highroad @ 6s
3. Shara Gillow (Aus) Australian National Team @ 32s
4. Linda Villumsen (NZl) AA Drink-Leontien.nl @ 53s
5. Noemi Cantele (Ita) Garmin-Cervélo @ 1’09”
6. Amy Pieters (Ned) Skil-Koga @ 1’12”
7. Claudia Häusler (Ger) German National Team @ 1’32”
8. Vicki Whitelaw (Aus) Australian National Team @ 1’33”
9. Natalia Boyarskaya (Rus) Russian National Team @ 2’33”
10. Fabiana Luperini (Ita) MCipollini-Giambenini @ 2’37”