Young Briton outsprints reduced peloton after puncture denies Judith Arndt a chance of overall victory
Lizzie Armitstead (Cervélo TestTeam) won the sixth and final stage of the Route de France between Saint-Die-des-Vosges and Vittel. The 21-year-old Briton outsprinted a much-reduced peloton at the end of the 118km stage, beating Giorgia Bronzini (Gauss-RDZ-Ormu) and Lisa Brennauer (Hitec Products UCK) into second and third places.
“I just held my position and Sarah [Düster], who is well known for how crazy she is in the corners, did a really good technical finish with three corners in the [last] 750 meters,” said Armitstead after the stage. “She went into the last corner full gas. I lost her wheel a little bit but it was also a little early so it was good and then there was nobody so I thought I’ll take this corner and take on the sprint a little bit early and see what happens and it worked.
“Winning today is really good for my confidence,” she added. “I’ve been coming closer each day and I needed a hard day like today, the team was really perfect.”
With race leader Annemiek Van Vleuten (Nederland Bloeit) starting the day with a lead of just 3 seconds over Judith Arndt (HTC-Columbia) and 16 seconds over Olga Zabelinskaya (Safi-Pasta Zara), attacks were expected from the start. Sure enough, as the race started the climb to the Col du Haut Saint Jacque, Arndt’s HTC-Columbia teammate Luise Keller broke away. As Keller was caught it was the turn of Adrie Visser, another HTC-Columbia rider, to try her luck but she too was chased down by Van Vleuten’s Nederland Bloeit team.
On the descent of the climb though, an attack from Zabelinskaya was joined by Arndt and a group of 14 riders formed. Also present in the group were Arndt’s two teammates Keller and Emilia Fahlin, Cervélo TestTeam duo Charlotte Becker and Sarah Düster, as well as Edita Pucinskaite (Gauss-RDZ-Ormu).
Van Vleuten had not made the group and so the Nederland Bloeit team was put to work to bring back the leading group. With 50km to go the gap was up to 1’30” but it reduced to 50 seconds, where it stayed for around 15km.
With Arndt the virtual leader on the road disaster struck as the German punctured with under 40km to go; she was unable to rejoin the front of the race and was forced to rejoin the peloton. With Zabelinskaya still in the lead group, the Russian became the virtual race leader, but with Keller and Fahlin no longer working to stay away the group was caught with 20km to go.
As the peloton, by now less than 40 riders strong, hit the four 3.6km finishing circuits Keller and Düster tried to escape once more. The German pair was caught as they started the final lap though, and the sprinters organised themselves.
Armitstead took a simple victory by more than a bike length; Van Vleuten managed to finish ahead of both Arndt and Zabelinskaya and splits in the field meant that her overall lead actually went up by 3 seconds.
Van Vleuten won the race by a slim 6-second margin, by far the closest result in the race’s 5-year history.
Result stage 6
1. Elizabeth Armitstead (GBr) Cervélo TestTeam
2. Giorgia Bronzini (Ita) Gauss-RDZ-Ormu
3. Lisa Brennauer (Ger) Hitec Products UCK
4. Joelle Numainville (Can) Canadian National Team
5. Adrie Visser (Ned) HTC-Columbia
6. Annemiek Van Vleuten (Ned) Nederland Bloeit
7. Marianne Vos (Ned) Nederland Bloeit
8. Rasa Leleivyte (Ltu) Safi-Pasta Zara
9. Judith Arndt (Ger) HTC-Columbia @ 3s
10. Amanda Spratt (Aus) Australian National Team
Final overall standings
1. Annemiek Van Vleuten (Ned) Nederland Bloeit
2. Judith Arndt (Ger) HTC-Columbia @ 6s
3. Olga Zabelinskaya (Rus) Safi-Pasta Zara @ 20s
4. Elizabeth Armitstead (GBr) Cervélo TestTeam @ 48s
5. Loes Gunnewijk (Ned) Nederland Bloeit @ 54s
6. Charlotte Becker (Ger) Cervélo TestTeam @ 1’38”
7. Marianne Vos (Ned) Nederland Bloeit @ 3’05”
8. Anne Samplonius (Can) Canadian National Team @ 3’57”
9. Sara Mustonen (Swe) Hitec Products UCK @ 3’59”
10. Sarah Düster (Ger) Cervélo TestTeam @ 4’34”
Young riders jersey: Elizabeth Armitstead (GBr) Cervélo TestTeam
Team classification: Nederland Bloeit (Ned)
Most aggressive rider: Annemiek Van Vleuten (Ned) Nederland Bloeit