Tour of Flanders winner Ina-Yoko Teutenberg took the opening road stage at the Tour de l?Aude to make it two wins out of two for Columbia-Highroad.
Following Linda Villumsen?s victory in Friday?s prologue, the women?s team seem determined not to be outshone by their male counterpart?s exploits in the Giro. The prolific Teutenberg has now won a record-breaking 16 stages in this ten-day race and wears the leader?s jersey thanks to a ten second time bonus at the finish in Rieux-Minervois.
The German sprinter overhauled a 90-strong bunch at the end of 116km racing featuring a lengthy solo escape by Vision 1?s Australian Vicki Whitelaw.
?Whitelaw was away for most of the day,? said Team GB manager Simon Cope, ?but Cervelo and Columbia pulled it back together for their sprinters and we tried to capitalise on that.?
Best placed Briton was Catherine Hare Williamson (Fenixs) in ninth, while Team GB?s Lucy Martin finished just ahead of Nicole Cooke (Vision 1) in 11th and 14th respectively.
Team GB?s young sprinter Anna Blyth ended the day in hospital after crashing, sustaining road rash and an injured wrist, and has abandoned the race.
Cope is realistic about his young team?s prospects over the coming week. ?The objective for us is to get through this, which is going to be tough over the next few days,? he said.
Sunday?s stage is a 27km team time trial in Port la Nouvelle.
RESULTS Stage one: Rieux-Minervois - Rieux-Minervois, 116km
1. Ina-Yoko Teutenberg (Ger) Columbia-Highroad in 3-06-34
2. Martine Bras (Ned) Selle Italia Guezzi all same time
3. Marianne Vos (Ned) DSB Bank
4. Svetlana Bubnenkova (Rus) Fenixs
5. Julia Martisova (Rus) Gauss RDZ Ormu-Colnago
6. Oxana Kozonchuk (Rus) Selle Italia Guezzi
7. Ludivine Henrion (Bel) Red Sun
8. Trixi Worrack (Ger) Nurnberger Versicherrung
9. Catherine Hare Williamson (Gbr) Fenixs
10. Regina Bruins (Ned) Cervelo
Others
11. Lucy Martin (Gbr) GB
14. Nicole Cooke (Gbr) Vision 1
29. Leda Cox (Gbr) ESGL93-GSD Gestion
30. Lizzie Armitstead (Gbr) Lotto Belisol
69. Emma Silversides (Gbr) Lotto Belisol
73. Katie Colclough (Gbr) GB
79. Emma Pooley (Gbr) Cervelo
82. Helen Wyman (Gbr) Vision 1
85. Nikki Harris (Gbr) GB
95 Alex Greenfield (Gbr) GB at 10secs
105 Gabby Day (Gbr) GB at 13min 44secs
Abandon
Anna Blyth (Gbr) GB
Overall
1. Ina Teutenberg (Ger) Columbia-Highroad
2. Marianne Vos (Ned) DSB Bank
3. Linda Villumsen (Den) Columbia-Highroad
RELATED LINKS
Tour de l?Aude Preview
Tour de l?Aude prologue
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