May 25/02 10:43 am - Tour de l'Aude: Stage 9

Posted by Editoress on 05/25/02
 

Tour de l'Aude: Stage 9 France
Report courtesy Team Saturn

Arenda Grimberg Claims Stage Nine - Saturn's Arndt Still in Yellow

After yesterday's very difficult mountain stage and with only two days remaining in the ten day Tour de L'Aude, the peloton was happy to see a group of seven women clear the field at the 15 kilometre mark. In the break were all riders unthreatening to the General Classification with the highest placed rider in the overall 25 minutes down on race leader Judith Arndt.

The group of seven included Sandra Rombouts (Nuremberg), Elena Tchalykh (Itera team), Modesta Vzesniauskaite (Lithuania), Liz Tadich (AUS), Sonia Huguet, (FRA) Olga Khortova (Petrogradets), and eventual stage winner Arenda Grimberg ( Farmfrites). The break continued to open a gap as the bunch, unthreatened by what was happening up the road, took to a cruising speed and enjoyed the picturesque landscape of the area.

With ten kilometers to go, the group hit the second category climb, the "côte de Saint Hilaire" and the Saturn Team, protecting Arndt's Yellow Jersey could be seen on the front to ensure that no one would escape. By the last kilometers, the break of seven had eight minutes on the bunch. As the meters ticked away it was Grimberg winning the stage over Australia's Liz Tadich and bringing home the first victory of the Tour for Farm Frites. Both Arndt and Teutenberg finished in the main group, thus retaining both the lead of the Tour and the lead of the point's competition.

The final day of the Tour starts in Saint Hilaire, bringing the riders 25 kilometers before hitting a five kilometer loop around Limoux that the riders complete fourteen times for a total of 107 kilometers. With only day remaining, and with the strength of her team supporting her, it is looking very optimistic for Saturn's Arndt to finish as her teammate Teutenberg started -- in Yellow.

Stage 9: Quillan to Limoux, 114 km

1 Arenda Grimberg (Ned) Team Farm-FritesHartol 3:08:59
2 Elisabeth Tadich (Aus) Australian NationalTeam
3 Modesta Vzesniauskaite (Ltu) LithuanianNational Team
4 Sandra Rombouts (Ned) NurnbergerVersicherung
5 Sonia Huguet (Fra) French National Team 0:04
6 Olga Khortova (Rus) Petrogradets 0:05
7 Elena Tchalykh (Rus) Itera Team 0:58
8 Cindy Pieters (Bel) Vlaanderen T Interim 5:41
9 Sarah Symington (GBr) British NationalTeam 7:54
10 Tanja Hennes (Ger) Nurnberger Versicherung

15 Judith Arndt (Ger) Saturn Cycling Team
16 Magali Le Floc'h (Fra) French NationalTeam
17 Jolanta Polikeviciute (Ltu) LithuanianNational Team
20 Rasa Polikeviciute (Ltu) Lithuanian NationalTeam
25 Ina Yoko Teutenberg (Ger) Saturn CyclingTeam
30 Mirjam Melchers (Ned) Team Farm-FritesHartol
31 Susanne Ljungskog (Swe) Vlaanderen TInterim
32 Edita Pucinskaite (Ltu) Figurella DreamTeam
35 Rhonda Quick (USA) Figurella Dream Team
49 Sue Smith (Can) Canadian National Team 8:01
51 Pia Sundstedt (Fin) Figurella Dream Team 8:04
60 Catherine Marsal (Fra) Saturn Cycling Team
63 Leah Goldstein (Can) Canadian NationalTeam
65 Nicole Demars (Can) Canadian National Team
68 Petra Rossner (Ger) Saturn Cycling Team 8:49
74 Gina Grain (Can) Canadian National Team 13:52
78 Kristy Scrymgeour (Aus) Saturn Cycling Team

GC

1 Judith Arndt (Ger) Saturn Cycling Team 22:29:12
2 Valentina Polkhanova (Rus) Itera Team at 1:08
3 Edita Pucinskaite (Ltu) Figurella DreamTeam 1:16
4 Ina Yoko Teutenberg (Ger) Saturn CyclingTeam 3:50
5 Susanne Ljungskog (Swe) Vlaanderen TInterim 4:44
6 Mirjam Melchers (Ned) Team Farm-FritesHartol 5:53
7 Sandrine Marcuz (Fra) French National Team 7:42
8 Jenny Algelid Bengtsson (Swe) NurnbergerVersicherung 7:45
9 Rasa Polikeviciute (Ltu) Lithuanian NationalTeam 7:51
10 Aline Camboulives (Fra) French NationalTeam 8:44

12 Jolanta Polikeviciute (Ltu) LithuanianNational Team 9:29
13 Leah Goldstein (Can) Canadian NationalTeam 10:48
15 Magali Le Floc'h (Fra) French NationalTeam 14:41
31 Petra Rossner (Ger) Saturn Cycling Team 25:55
40 Catherine Marsal (Fra) Saturn Cycling Team 37:56
44 Nicole Demars (Can) Canadian National Team 40:36
52 Rhonda Quick (USA) Figurella Dream Team 50:04
72 Sue Smith (Can) Canadian National Team 1:44:30
76 Gina Grain (Can) Canadian National Team 2:09:40
77 Kristy Scrymgeour (Aus) Saturn Cycling Team 2:30:29
78 Alberta Baiocchi (Ita) Figurella DreamTeam 2:30:33