Claudia Hausler of Cervelo took the yellow jersey from team-mate Regina Bruins in the fifth stage of the Tour de l?Aude in Osseja.
Trixi Worrack (Nurnberger) crossed the line first but the dominant Cervelo team controlled the race yet again.
Worrack and former yellow jersey Amber Neben (both Nurnberger) joined three Cervelo women ? Emma Pooley, Kristin Armstrong and Claudia Hausler ? to forge a healthy gap in the short but mountainous stage.
Cervelo?s race leader Regina Bruins covered numerous attacks from the head of the bunch while the leading quintet pressed on. The pace proved too hot for Olympic silver medallist Pooley and American Neben, leaving Worrack to outsprint Armstrong and new leader Hausler.
The bunch crossed the line some six minutes later. The top two British riders overall, Lizzie Armitstead (Lotto Belisol) and Nicole Cooke (Vision 1), finished fifth and seventh respectively to stay in the hunt for the general classification.
Stefan Wyman, manager of British squad Vision 1, was content with the day?s work. With Cooke riding high and Australian Vicki Whitelaw leading the intermediate sprints competition, the team has performed well in the mountains.
?Vicki Whitelaw has now taken six days in the red jersey. She is riding really well. She has a bit of work to do to defend it tomorrow, but it is all good,? he said.
Hausler now leads the mountains classification with Pooley dropping to third.
RESULTS
1. Trixi Worrack (Ger) Nurnberger in 2-37-01
2. Kristin Armstrong (USA) Cervelo same time
3. Claudia Hausler (Ger) Cervelo same time
4. Marianne Vos (Ned) DSB Bank at 6-14
5. Lizzie Armitstead (Gbr) Lotto Belisol at 6-15
6. Loes Gunnewijk (Ned) Flexpoint all same time
7. Nicole Cooke (Gbr) Vision 1
8. Emma Johannson (Swe) Red Sun
9. Svetlana Bubnenkova (Rus) Fenixs
10. Amber Neben (USA) Cervelo
Others
18. Emma Pooley (Gbr) Cervelo at 10-28
27. Helen Wyman (Gbr) Vision 1 at 14-43
40. Nikki Harris (Gbr) GB at 14-47
57. Lucy Martin (Gbr) GB at 27-33
60. Catherine Hare Williamson (Gbr) all same time
73. Leda Cox (Gbr) ESGL93-GSD Gestion
81. Alex Greenfield (Gbr) GB
87. Katie Colclough (Gbr) GB
Overall
1. Claudia Hausler (Ger) Cervelo
2. Kristin Armstrong (USA) Cervelo at 1-11
3. Trixi Worrack (Ger) Nurnberger at 1-51
4. Regina Bruins (Ned) Cervelo at 6-16
5. Marianne Vos (Ned) DSB at 6-35
6. Nicole Cooke (Gbr) Vision 1 at 7-35
7. Amber Neben (USA) Nurnberger at 7-41
8. Susanne Ljungskog (USA) Flexpoint
9. Emma Johansson (Swe) Red Sun
10. Tina Liebig (Ger) Columbia-Highroad
Others
16. Lizzie Armitstead (Gbr) Lotto Belisol at 15-09
24. Nikki Harris (Gbr) GB at 23-50
39. Emma Pooley (Gbr) Cervelo at 29-13
50. Helen Wyman (Gbr) Vision 1 at 36-54
61. Catherine Hare Williamson (Gbr) Fenixs at 42-42
67. Katie Colclough (Gbr) GB at 49-47
69. Lucy Martin (Gbr) GB at 49-50
71. Leda Cox (Gbr) ESGL93-GSD Gestion at 50-07
90. Alex Greenfield (Gbr) GB at 1-12-20
HARRIS GOING STRONG IN GB JERSEY
A last minute call-up for the GB squad worked out well for Nikki Harris as the 22 year old from Derbyshire continues to improve during the toughest stages of the Tour de l?Aude.
Under-23 academy manager Simon Cope drafted in Harris for the longest race of her career at short notice. ?Simon just gave me a call the week before. It is only my third race of the year and my second ever stage race. All the best teams are here, so it is good for me,? she said.
Harris finished an excellent 14th place at this year?s cyclo-cross World championships and the winter discipline remains the primary focus. Her bike handling skills were put to good use during Tuesday?s stage in the Pyrenees.
?I got to the top of the climb with a group of about 15 and got away on my own on the descent. I nearly got the to lead group by the time we were at the bottom, so I made a bit of time up there,? said Harris.
Being able to guest for the GB squad is ideal for the Belgium-based rider. ?It is perfect for me if I am called up for a few races,? said Harris. ?The more races like this I do, the better, and it is good to be back with the girls. My main aim is the cyclo-cross season and this is all good training for that.?
RELATED LINKS
Tour de l?Aude Preview
Tour de l?Aude prologue
Tour de l?Aude: stage one
Tour de l?Aude: stage two
Tour de l?Aude: stage three
Tour de l?Aude: stage four
Chinese X-Lab vies for global domination as it equips XDS Astana with bikes for the WorldTour
Tech of the week: Van Rysel releases an aero bike (quelle surprise!) plus a superlight carbon crankset from FSA, a long top tube bag from Tailfin and tyre liners from Zefal
