July 7/09 22:19 pm - Giro Donne: Stage 4

Posted by Editoress on 07/7/09
 

Ina-Yoko Teutenberg has snapped up Columbia-HTC's second stage in two days in the Giro d'Italia Femminile on Tuesday - a win which takes her 2009 tally of first places to an impressive total of 20 victories.

Just one day after Columbia-HTC teammate Mara Abbott won on the Monteserra climb, the German champion took a strong bunch sprint win in the 109.2-kilometre stage in Porto San Elpidio, ahead of Holland's Kirsten Wilde and Italy's Monica Baccaille.

"I got 24 wins last year, which was the most I ever took in one year, so it's good to get to 20 at this point in the season. We'll see what happens now," Teutenberg said.
"Today was a pretty crazy, dangerous sprint, there were a lot of obstacles in the finale but I got through ok. It was hot, too, and there was a bit of a climb on the final circuit, but Judith [Arndt] gave me a good lead-out and I was in the right position. The team worked brilliantly for me, as always, and that makes it much easier."

Teutenberg said the last few kilometres not been easy, but that "normally riders try to get on my wheel and they give me a bit more space than maybe they would to other sprinters. That makes it a bit less tricky for me to hold my position when I'm going for the sprint, too."

Teutenberg took four Tour of Italy stages last year, but she's not overly optimistic about her chances of doing the same in 2009. "This year's route is totally different from 2008, much hillier overall and with five hard days in a row coming up now. Maybe I'll get in a break and try to win that way but it's difficult to say which day is best for that - perhaps the last!"

Team Columbia-HTC press release