Former World champion takes MCipollini-Giordana’s second straight breakaway victory
Tatiana Guderzo (MCipollini-Giordana) took her first road race victory of the 2013 season, as she escaped the peloton to win the seventh and final stage of the Thüringen-Rundfahrt, in Zeulenroda-Triebes. The 2009 World champion broke clear on the fourth and final ascent of the “Hanka-Berg” climb, then managed to hold off a 13-rider chase group all the way to the finish.
The sprint for second place was won by Lisa Brennauer (Specialized-lululemon), ahead of Anna van der Breggen (Sengers Ladies).
Race leader Emma Johansson (Orica-AIS) was safely in the chase group, along with teammate and second overall Shara Gillow, and was confirmed as the winner of the week-long German race for the second time. The six-second time bonus on the line for Brennauer - as well as another two taken at an intermediate sprint - was enough to secure third overall for Brennauer, ahead of van der Breggen who took the young riders’ classification.
Reactions to follow
The stage was made up of our laps of a 23.9km circuit, featuring the fearsome climb named after local rider, former cyclocross and time trial World champion Hanka Kupfernagel.
The early break came from Roxane Knetemann (Rabobank-Liv/Giant) and Valentina Scandolara (MCipollini-Giordana), who escaped on the first time over the climb. Doris Schweizer (Be Pink) then managed to bridge across to the duo and, between them, the three riders managed to build a maximum lead of a minute and a half before being steadily pulled back and caught on the third lap.
There then followed several attacks, with Liesbet De Vocht (Rabobank-Liv/Giant) able to get clear. The Belgian champion was only able to get 17 seconds clear, however, and was pulled back in the early kilometres of the final lap.
Van der Breggen hit the front on the final ascent of the Hanka-Berg, but it was Guderzo that managed to escape, and the 2009 World champion was clear over the top as the chase group formed behind her.
With Brennauer and van der Breggen were Johansson and Gillow, Knetemann and Netherlands champion Lucinda Brand (Rabobank-Liv/Giant), Jessie Daams and British champion Lizzie Armitstead (Boels-Bolmans), Linda Villumsen (Wiggle Honda), Amy Cure and Grace Sulzberger (Australia), Georgia Williams (Be Pink) and Austrian champion Andrea Graus (Bigla).
With Guderzo having slipped down the general classification on stage five, Johansson made little effort to chase the Italian time trial champion and she managed to hold on to take MCipollini-Giordana’s second stage in as many days.
Result stage 7
1. Tatiana Guderzo (Ita) MCipollini-Giordana
2. Lisa Brennauer (Ger) Specialized-lululemon @ 18s
3. Anna van der Breggen (Ned) Sengers Ladies
4. Amy Cure (Aus) Australian National Team
5. Elizabeth Armitstead (GBr) Boels-Dolmans
6. Lucinda Brand (Ned) Rabobank-Liv/Giant
7. Linda Villumsen (NZl) Wiggle Honda Pro Cycling
8. Shara Gillow (Aus) Orica-AIS
9. Georgia Williams (NZl)
10. Emma Johansson (Swe) Orica-AIS
Final overall standings
1. Emma Johansson (Swe) Orica-AIS
2. Shara Gillow (Aus) Orica-AIS @ 32s
3. Lisa Brennauer (Ger) Specialized-lululemon @ 1’23”
4. Anna van der Breggen (Ned) Sengers Ladies @ 1’31”
5. Linda Villumsen (NZl) Wiggle Honda Pro Cycling @ 1’36”
6. Amanda Spratt (Aus) Orica-AIS @ 2’23”
7. Lucinda Brand (Ned) Rabobank-Liv/Giant @ 2’43”
8. Georgia Williams (NZl) Be Pink @ 2’48”
9. Hanka Kupfernagel (Ger) German National Team @ 2’58”
10. Roxane Knetemann (Ned) Rabobank-Liv/Giant @ 3’36”