There were two stages today at the Tour de l’Ardéche. Stage two in the morning was an Individual Time Trial, followed by stage three, a 90km road stage from Vals les Bains to Le Tell.
Stage 2
The morning time trial was short, just 3 kilometres, but described as dangerous by some. Ruth Corset (Australia) took the win by 8 seconds from Christel Ferrier Bruneau (France). Lizzie Armitstead (Cervélo TestTeam) took third and significantly, Vicki Whitelaw (Lotto Ladies Team) finished in fourth, putting her one second ahead of the winner of stage one, Sharon Laws (Cervélo TestTeam) in the GC.
Ruth’s ride moved her up to third on CG, while Lizzie increased her lead in the young rider’s competition.
Stage 3
The road stage finished with the bunch coming back together and Lizzie Armitstead (Cervélo TestTeam) was able to open up a gap of four seconds on the rest by the time she hit the finish line.
Lizzie Armitstead - photograph courtesy of Cervelo Test Team
Grace Verbeke (Lotto Ladies Team) won the sprint for second, just ahead of Fröydis Waersted (Norway).
“It was a good victory today with great teamwork again from Lieselot Decroix (BEL) and Patricia Schwager (SUI),” said Lizzie Armitstead. “They worked hard in the first part of the race, enabling us to have four riders in the front. I remembered the course from last year. With 600 meters to go I took a fast corner and had a small gap and I just gave it full gas to the finish and nobody could pass me.”
“Today’s stage,” according to van Kessel, “was marked by a seventeen rider break lasting until the final 30 km when they came together before the finish in the long climb. The climb was not that heavy, so we really couldn’t make a difference to the others. We had four riders in the break Armitstead, Laws, Carla Ryan (AUS) and Claudia Häusler (GER). A rider did try to break out of the group but was taken back. We decided to go for the sprint with Lizzie and she was able to win it. Whitelaw was also part of the group and retains the leader’s jersey. There are some heavy stages ahead and the team is still in a good position. We now have several options for the GC with Sharon for sure, but also with Lizzie and Claudia.”
There is no change on GC with Vicki Whitelaw (Lotto Ladies Team) retaining the leader’s jersey from Sharon Laws (Cervelo TestTeam) who is just one second back and then Ruth Corset (Australia) stays in third, 1:29 down.
Lizzie Armistead retains the jersey for best young rider.
Tomorrow is the Queen’s stage from Saint Sauveur de Montagut to Cruas. The 117 kilometer stage contains one category 1 climb, two category 2 climbs and the final climb a category 3, before the finish in Cruas.
STAGE 2 RESULTS
| 1 | Ruth Corset (Aus) Australia | 0:05:32 | |
| 2 | Christel Ferrier Bruneau (Fra) France | 0:00:08 | |
| 3 | Lizzie Armitstead (GBr) Cervelo Test Team | ||
| 4 | Vicki Whitelaw (Aus) Lotto Ladies Team | 0:00:12 | |
| 5 | Sharon Laws (GBr) Cervelo Test Team | 0:00:13 | |
| 6 | Ashleigh Moolman (RSA) Lotto Ladies Team | ||
| 7 | Grace Verbeke (Bel) Lotto Ladies Team | 0:00:14 | |
| 8 | Latoya Brulee (Bel) De Sprinters Malderen | ||
| 9 | Vilija Sereikaite (Ltu) Lithuania | ||
| 10 | Sophie Creux (Fra) Esgl 93 - Gsd Gestion | ||
| 11 | Tiffany Cromwell (Aus) Lotto Ladies Team | 0:00:17 | |
| 12 | Christine Majerus (Lux) Esgl 93 - Gsd Gestion | 0:00:18 | |
| 13 | Claudia Häusler (Ger) Cervelo Test Team | ||
| 14 | Andréa Graus (Aut) Acs Chirio - Forno D'Asolo | 0:00:19 | |
| 15 | Daphny Van Den Brand (Ned) Netherlands | ||
| 16 | Lise Noestvold (Nor) Norway | ||
| 17 | Karine Aune (Swe) De Sprinters Malderen | 0:00:22 | |
| 18 | Eugenie Mermillod (Fra) Esgl 93 - Gsd Gestion | 0:00:23 | |
| 19 | Anna Fischer (Ger) Rapha Condor | 0:00:24 | |
| 20 | Ludivine Henrion (Bel) Belgium | 0:00:25 |
STAGE 3 RESULTS
| 1 | Lizzie Armitstead (GBr) Cervelo Test Team | 2:16:18 | |
| 2 | Grace Verbeke (Bel) Lotto Ladies Team | 0:00:04 | |
| 3 | Fröydis Waersted (Nor) Norway | ||
| 4 | Ashleigh Moolman (RSA) Lotto Ladies Team | ||
| 5 | Vicki Whitelaw (Aus) Lotto Ladies Team | ||
| 6 | Ruth Corset (Aus) Australia | ||
| 7 | Ludivine Henrion (Bel) Belgium | ||
| 8 | Lise Noestvold (Nor) Norway | ||
| 9 | Sharon Laws (GBr) Cervelo Test Team | ||
| 10 | Anna Fischer (Ger) Rapha Condor | ||
| 11 | Rosane Kirch (Bra) Acs Chirio - Forno D'Asolo | ||
| 12 | Andréa Graus (Aut) Acs Chirio - Forno D'Asolo | ||
| 13 | Tiffany Cromwell (Aus) Lotto Ladies Team | 0:00:09 | |
| 14 | Claudia Häusler (Ger) Cervelo Test Team | ||
| 15 | Carla Ryan (Aus) Cervelo Test Team | ||
| 16 | Tatiana Riabchenko (Ukr) Acs Chirio - Forno D'Asolo | ||
| 17 | Shara Gillow (Aus) Australia | 0:00:48 | |
| 18 | Sjoukje Dufoer (Bel) Belgium | 0:03:02 | |
| 19 | Vilija Sereikaite (Ltu) Lithuania | ||
| 20 | Elodie Hegoburu (Fra) Esgl 93 - Gsd Gestion | ||
| 21 | Sophie Creux (Fra) Esgl 93 - Gsd Gestion | ||
| 22 | Kaat Hannes (Bel) Belgium | ||
| 23 | Emilie Moberg (Nor) Norway | ||
| 24 | Sanne Cant (Bel) Belgium | ||
| 25 | Christine Majerus (Lux) Esgl 93 - Gsd Gestion | ||
| 26 | Daphny Van Den Brand (Ned) Netherlands | ||
| 27 | Jessica Schneeberger (Swi) Switzerland | ||
| 28 | Alli Holland (GBr) Rapha Condor | ||
| 29 | Karine Aune (Swe) De Sprinters Malderen | ||
| 30 | Jennifer Hohl (Swi) Switzerland | ||
| 31 | Ausrine Trebaite (Ltu) Lithuania | ||
| 32 | Marion Rousse (Fra) Esgl 93 - Gsd Gestion | ||
| 33 | Eugenie Mermillod (Fra) Esgl 93 - Gsd Gestion | ||
| 34 | Elena Eggl (Ger) Bike-Aid | ||
| 35 | Christel Ferrier Bruneau (Fra) France | ||
| 36 | Ine Beyen (Bel) Belgium | ||
| 37 | Sophie De Boer (Ned) Netherlands | ||
| 38 | Mireille Robin (Fra) Bourgogne Cyclisme Féminin | ||
| 39 | Laure Werner (Bel) Belgium | ||
| 40 | Emilie Blanquefort (Fra) France | ||
| 41 | Egle Zablockyte (Ltu) Lithuania | ||
| 42 | Doris Schweizer (Swi) Switzerland | ||
| 43 | Latoya Brulee (Bel) De Sprinters Malderen | ||
| 44 | Patricia Schwager (Swi) Cervelo Test Team | ||
| 45 | Christina Kollmann (Aut) Acs Chirio - Forno D'Asolo | ||
| 46 | Natalie Creswick (GBr) Rapha Condor | ||
| 47 | Line Foss (Nor) Norway | ||
| 48 | Carlee Taylor (Aus) Australia | ||
| 49 | Liselot Decroix (Bel) Cervelo Test Team | ||
| 50 | Emma Silversides (GBr) De Sprinters Malderen | ||
| 51 | Kathrin Hammes (Ger) Bike-Aid | ||
| 52 | Béatrice Thomas (Fra) Esgl 93 - Gsd Gestion | ||
| 53 | Svetlana Pauliukaite (Ltu) Lithuania | 0:05:49 | |
| 54 | Arenda Grimberg (Ned) Netherlands | ||
| 55 | Steffi Meizer (Ger) Bike-Aid | ||
| 56 | Cecilie Johansen (Nor) Norway | ||
| 57 | Lizanne Naude (RSA) Lotto Ladies Team | ||
| 58 | Emma Grant (GBr) Rapha Condor | ||
| 59 | Annelies Visser (Ned) Netherlands | ||
| 60 | Fabienne Schauss (Lux) De Sprinters Malderen | ||
| 61 | Sylvie Gaillon (Fra) Bourgogne Cyclisme Féminin | ||
| 62 | Andrea Dvorak (USA) Acs Chirio - Forno D'Asolo | 0:05:55 | |
| 63 | Natasha Perry (Aus) Rapha Condor | 0:07:02 | |
| 64 | Audrey Cordon (Fra) France | ||
| 65 | Manon Parisot (Fra) Bourgogne Cyclisme Féminin | 0:09:27 | |
| 66 | Rebecca Curley (GBr) Rapha Condor | ||
| 67 | Daniela Gass (Ger) Bike-Aid | 0:12:10 | |
| 68 | Désirée Schuler (Ger) Bike-Aid | ||
| 69 | Laura Van Der Kamp (Ned) Netherlands | ||
| 70 | Alna Burato (Fra) France | ||
| 71 | Agne Silinyte (Ltu) Lithuania | ||
| 72 | Sylvie Quittot (Fra) Bourgogne Cyclisme Féminin | ||
| 73 | Linda Van Rijen (Ned) Netherlands | ||
| 74 | Amy De Ridder (Bel) De Sprinters Malderen | 0:14:19 | |
| 75 | Fabienne Sommer (Swi) Switzerland | ||
| 76 | Katarina Hranaiova (Cze) Czech-Slovak Mixed Team | 0:14:27 | |
| 77 | Urte Joudvalkite (Ltu) Acs Chirio - Forno D'Asolo | 0:14:28 | |
| 78 | Amelie Rivat (Fra) France | ||
| 79 | Elke Bolangier (Bel) De Sprinters Malderen | ||
| 80 | Lucie Macikova (Cze) Czech-Slovak Mixed Team | ||
| 81 | Margriet Kloppenburg (Den) Czech-Slovak Mixed Team | ||
| 82 | Aurore Verhoeven (Fra) France | 0:15:45 | |
| 83 | Andrea Chlumska (Cze) Czech-Slovak Mixed Team | 0:17:05 | |
| 84 | Roberta Barzdaite (Ltu) Lithuania | 0:20:15 | |
| 85 | Myfanwy Galloway (Aus) Australia | 0:24:10 | |
| 86 | Zuzana Vojtasova (Svk) Czech-Slovak Mixed Team | 0:24:44 | |
| DNF | Marie Voreland (Nor) Norway | ||
| DNF | Amanda Spratt (Aus) Australia | ||
| DNF | Mirjam Schwager (Swi) Switzerland | ||
| DNF | Tina Heinzmann (Ger) Bike-Aid |
