Women's Ronde van Vlaanderen - World Cup  #3 Just in
High Roads Arndt wins Flanders in sprint duel with Cervelo/Lifeforce's Kristin Arm strong.

The Women's Ronde van Vlaanderen is the third Women's World Cup race of the season. Katheryn Mattis was the best in Geelong while Emma Pooley was the best in the Trofeo Binda, about two weeks ago. The weather showed no more mercy for the women as it did for the men's race today.

Judith Arndt crosses the line with two bike lengths on Kristin Armstrong.
Photo © Yoni Peeters

The race was won by Team High Road captain Judith Arndt. In a sprint of two she was faster than Kristin Armstrong (Cervélo-Lifeforce). Arndt and Armstrong attacked in the final 6km out of a leading group of about 15 riders. The sprint in the lead chase group for third place was won by Kirsten Wild, who won the Omloop het Volk a month ago. Oenone Wood and Marianne Vos completed the top 5. Suzanne de Goede who finished as sixth is the new leader in the World Cup.

Women's Ronde van Vlaanderen
188 women took the start of the fifth Women's Ronde van Vlaanderen in Oudenaarde. The expected bad weather didn't arrive luckily, as the girls rode the race in dry conditions.

Just before the Molenberg, the first climb of the day, seven riders attacked namely Chantal Beltman (High Road), Luise Keller (High Road), Marianne Vos (DSB Bank), Noemi Cantele (Team Bigla), Sarah Düster (Cervelo Lifeforce), Emma Johansson (AA Drink) and Giorgia Bronzini (Italian National Team).
The seven worked well together and they got a lead of 20 seconds on the bunch. Later on in the race, after the Muur of Geraardsbergen and the Bosberg, the seven were joined by about eight other riders and the maximum gap of the 14 in front rose to over the 1.00.

In this group we had: Judith Arndt, Kristin Armstrong, Kirsten Wild, Oenone Wood, Marianne Vos, Suzanne de Goede, Julia Martissova, Marta Bastianelli, Emma Johansson, Christiane Soeder, Noemi Cantele, Nicole Brändli, Regina Bruins, Sarah Düster, Chantal Beltman and defending champion Nicole Cooke.

In the final kilometers of the race between the Bosberg and the finish Kristin Armstrong attacked and Judith Arndt was the only one who was able to follow the American of Cervelo-Lifeforce. Arndt and Armstrong worked well together until the finish.

Arndt started the sprint and Armstrong was not able to beat her. For Judith Arndt it's her first ever Tour of Flanders win and her first 2008 win.

Kristin Armstrong is in really good shape as well, as she won the Trust House Tour in New Zealand, the GP Costa Etrusca: Giro Comuni Montescudaio - Ribardella among other races this season. On top of that she is also the best rider thus far of the 2008 season; if we look to the Cycling Quotient Ranking after the Ronde van Vlaanderen. Oenone Wood and Judith Anrdt are second and third to Armstrong.

The CQ Ranking after the Ronde van Vlaanderen:
1. (18) ARMSTRONG Kristin RLT 11/08/1973 194
2. (8) WOOD Oenone TMP 24/09/1980 179
3. (3) ARNDT Judith TMP 23/07/1976 138
4. (36) DE GOEDE Suzanne NUR 16/04/1984 137
5. (132) CURI MATTIS Katheryn WEB 29/05/1974 116
6. (23) POOLEY Emma TSW 03/10/1982 110
7. (4) CANTELE Noemi BCT 17/07/1981 97
8. (11) TEUTENBERG Ina TMP 28/10/1974 95
9. (25) WILD Kirsten AAD 15/10/1982 80
10. (19) BRÄNDLI Nicole BCT 18/06/1979 75
CQ Rankings Site.

Team High Road
Arndt Fights Weather and Rivals for Flander's Victory
Daunting weather conditions in the Tour of Flanders could not prevent High Road's Judith Arndt from out sprinting Kristin Armstrong to seize High Road’s first World Cup win of the season. The former World Champion broke away with Armstrong with six kilometres to go before out sprinting her rival at the finish. Arndt's victory is High Road women’s team’s twentieth win of 2008.

Arndt Celebrates!!!                      Photo © Yoni Peeters

Widely recognized as the toughest one-day Classic on the women’s calendar, Flanders succession of steep cobbled climbs were rendered even more difficult by freezing temperatures, as well as incessant rain and hail showers before the race.

Tactically High Road played an aggressive game in the 114 kilometre event, with Arndt tearing across to a lead group containing three team-mates after attacking with Briton Nicole Cooke on the dreaded Mur de Grammont climb.

She then went clear with Armstrong (Cervelo-Lifeforce) before outsprinting the American for an emphatic victory, a good two bike lengths in the final sprint. Kirsten Wild of the AA-Drink Cycling team finished third in a 14-rider group of chasers with Arndt’s teammate Oenone Wood finishing in fourth.

Arndt salutes the fans from the podium. Photo © Yoni Peeters

“It all came down to great team-work.” Arndt, whose previous World Cup win was in Montreal in 2006, said afterwards. “At first I didn’t go for it, because we had riders ahead. Then when we bridged across, High Road had a numerical advantage, which was what we wanted.”

“The wet weather made the cobblestones dangerous, but at least it didn’t rain.” “As a team, we wanted to be aggressive, but we didn’t feel under pressure. It really was a perfect race by the whole High Road squad."

Team Director Ronny Lauke explained that from the beginning “everything went to plan. Starting with the work Kate Bates did in the early part of the race to help into the technical sections of the race and having Chantal Beltman in the break all day, we were really happy. Linda was great and Luise had an amazing ride bridging across a thirty second gap on the cobbles later.”

“We are very excited about this win and particularly the way the girls raced so well together as a team. I think we’ll have a nice celebration tonight.”
www.highroadsports.com
Kristy Scrymgeour

Cervelo-Lifeforce report:
Second place for Armstrong from Cervélo-Lifeforce Team
Kristin Armstrong (USA) from Cervélo-Lifeforce Pro Cycling Team finished second in today’s third Women’s World Cup race of the season – the Tour de Flanders. She was only beating by the German Judith Arndt in the finish sprint. Both racers came together to the last few meters but Armstrong couldn’t match the German. The sprint for third was taken by Kristen Wild (NED) from a group of fourteen riders.

Top three riders arrive on the podium for the ceremony. Photo © Yoni Peeters

The fifth edition of  the Tour of Flanders - “Ronde van Vlaanderen“ started in Oudenaarde and ran over 114 tough kilometres and all the famous climbs and as well, cobblestone passages like “Valkenberg“, “Muur“ and “Bosberg“ to Meerbeke.

The Women’s World Cup series continues next weekend on 12th of April with the “Ronde van Drenthe” in the Netherlands.

Tour of Flanders World Cup podium: Kristin Armstrong, Judith Arndt and Kristin Wild. Photo © Yoni Peeters

Women's Tour of Flanders Results
1. ARNDT Judith TMP
2. ARMSTRONG Kristin RLT
3. WILD Kirsten AAD
4. WOOD Oenone TMP
5. VOS Marianne DSB
6. DE GOEDE Suzanne NUR

UCI Podium after Flanders: Andre Greipel ProTour Leader with Suzanne De Goede Women's World Cup leader. Photo © Yoni Peeters

7. MARTISSOVA Julia GAU
8. BASTIANELLI Marta SAF
9. JOHANSSON Emma AAD
10. SOEDER Christiane RLT
11. CANTELE Noemi BCT
12. BRÄNDLI Nicole BCT
13. BRUINS Regina TVB
14. DÜSTER Sarah RLT
15. BELTMAN Chantal TMP
16. COOKE Nicole HBH

17. HOLLER Monica BCT
18. BRODTKA Angela DSB
19. TREIER Grete GAU
20. BRAS Martine VVP
21. VALEN-DE VRIES Anita FLX
22. GRAHAM Lorian VVP
23. VAN DEN BROEK Irene AAD
24. BACCAILLE Monia FEN
25. ZILIUTE Diana SAF
26. DE VOCHT Liesbet VVP
27. ANDRUK Olena USC
28. TOUFFET Elodie GAU
29. HOHL Jennifer BCT
30. VERBEKE Grace LBL
31. RICKARDS Emma RLT
32. DOPPMANN Priska RLT
33. DECROIX Lieselot LBL
34. TUSLAITE Daiva MIC
35. WHITELAW (EUSTACE) Vicki
36. SELS Loes VLL
37. WILKES Carissa TPF
38. LJUNGSKOG Susanne MSI
39. GOOR Sofie LBL
40. SCHACHL Monika UNG
41. KELLEY-SEEHAFER Kori MSI
42. POOLEY Emma TSW
43. GRAUS Andrea BCT
44. LUPERINI Fabiana MSI
45. ZABIROVA Zoulfia BCT
46. NEBEN Amber FLX
47. KELLER Luise TMP
48. LELEIVYTE Rasa MIC
49. DRUYTS Kelly VLL
50. MUSTONEN Sara DGC
51. CREUX Sophie ESG
52. HARE Catherine HBH
53. FERRIER-BRUNEAU Christelle TLG
54. CARRIGAN Sara LBL
55. DELFOSSE Catherine LBL
56. POLIKEVICIUTE Jolanta USC
57. PUCINSKAITE Edita NUR
58. KASPER Romy NUR
59. ELEMANS Saskia FLX
60. FRANGES Lauren TIB
61. POWERS Alison COL
62. ALLEN Jessica HBH
63. DUFOER Sjoukje VLL
64. LAMBORELLE Nathalie UNG
65. VISSER Adrie DSB
66. MCNELLIS (SMALL) Carmen ACT
67. LOANE Jocelyn -
68. POLIKEVICIUTE Rasa USC
69. BOSMAN Andrea DSB
70. MELCHERS-VAN POPPEL Mirjam FLX
71. LEAL BALDERAS Veronica GAU
72. WERNER Laure AAD
73. RASMUSSEN Dorte Lohse DGC
74. KOZONCHUK Oxana MSI
75. STEURS Karen VLL
76. VERHAEGHE Hannah SCF
77. VILLUMSEN SERUP Linda TMP
78. BRONZINI Giorgia TFA
79. TOGNALI Francesca TOG
80. GRIMBERG Arenda TVB
81. GUNNEWIJK Loes FLX
82. VAN RIE An VVP
83. PINTARELLI Daniela UNG
84. STERCKX Kathleen MER
85. HIERCKENS Corine FUT
86. LIEBIG Tina DSB
87. WYMAN Helen GRT
88. KIRCH Rosane MIC
89. VAN VLEUTEN Annemiek VVP
90. KOEDOODER Vera LBL
91. VAN PAASSEN Sanne RSL
92. THÜRIG Karin RLT
93. VILAJOSANA ANDREU Marta DGC
94. VAN ESSEN Sharon DSB
95. MURILLO ELKANO Iosune BPD
96. D'ETTORRE Alessandra TOG
97. SPRATT Amanda -
98. SALVETAT Maryline -
99. HENRION Ludivine AAD
100. VLASOVA Nadejda FEN
101. MERLOT Emmanuelle FUT
102. BRADSHAW Toni GRT
103. RUZICKOVA Martina EHN
104. GILMORE Rochelle MSI
105. HENNES Tanja TSW

Team ranking
1 Team High Road
2 Cervélo Lifeforce Pro Cycling Team
3 AA Drink Cycling Team

UCI World Cup ranking after the third World Cup:
1 Suzanne De Goede (NED) 95 Punkte
2 Judith Arndt (GER) High Road 75 Punkte
3 Emma Pooley (GBR) Team Specialized 75 Punkte

6 Kristin Armstrong (USA) Cervélo-Lifeforce Pro  50 Punkte
7 Emma Rickards (AUS) Cervélo-Lifeforce Pro  50 Punkte
21 Sarah Düster (GER) Cervélo-Lifeforce Pro 18 Punkte
26 Christiane Söder (AUT) Cervélo-Lifeforce Pro  11 Punkte
28 Priska Doppmann (SUI) Cervélo-Lifeforce Pro 10 Punkte

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