Women's Emakumeen Bira - Stage 2 - 4
Marianne Vos dominates the race with 3 stage wins with a firm grip on the overall with one more stage to race.

Introduction: The Emakumen Bira is one of the toughest women's stage races on the international calendar. The Spanish tour compares with other multi stage races such as the Tour de L’Aude and the Thüringen Rundfahrt one of the toughest races for women in the world. Last year the race was won by Susanne Ljungskog. Ljungskog won ahead of Marianne Vos and Nicole Brändli. Ljungskog isn't here this year defend her title; we will have another champion by the end of the race. Some of the big guns aren’t at the start as the Grande Boucle Feminin will start next Monday (June 16) in Gent (Belgium). The Emakumen Bira will take will finish on Sunday the 15th.

Stage 2: Arrigorriaga - Arrigorriaga, 84km
The second stage from Arrigorriaga to Arrigorriaga was won by Marianne Vos (Team DSB Bank) taking the win a second day in a row. Vos won out of a break of four in a sprint finish. Tatiana Guderzo was 2nd, Claudia Häusler 3rd and Fabiana Luperini 4th. Angela Brodtka was the first of the chasing group at 34 seconds. Vos extended her lead in the overall ranking on her rivals with the gap.

Stage 2 Results
1. 101 VOS, Marianne NED TEAM DSB BANK 2:15:19
2. 113 GUDERZO, Tatiana ITA GAUSS RDZ ORMU mt.
3. 86 HÄUSLER, Claudia GER NÜRNBERG. Versicheru mt.
4. 1 LUPERINI, Fabiana ITA MENIKINI-SELLE ITALI mt.

5. 106 BRODTKA, Angela GER TEAM DSB BANK a 34
6. 155 BRONCINI, Giorgia ITA SQUADRA N. ITALIA a 34
7. 115 TREIER, Grete EST GAUSS RDZ ORMU a 34
8. 151 BACCAILLE, Monia ITA SQUADRA N. ITALIA a 34
9. 11 JOHANSSON, Emma SWE AA-DRINK CYCLING TEA a 34
10. 26 ZILIUTE, Diana LTU SAFI-PASTA ZARA MANH a 34
11. 111 TOFFET, Elodie FRA GAUSS RDZ ORMU a 34
12. 174 MUSTONEN, Sara SWE TEAM CMAX DILA a 34
13. 2 OKI, Miho JPN MENIKINI-SELLE ITALI a 34
14. 45 VILLUMSEN, Linda DEN T. HIGH ROAD WOMEN a 34
15. 141 FERRIER, Christelle FRA T.LOT-ET-GARONNE a 34

Stage 3: Orduña - Orduña (ITT) 13.6km
Vos with a Hat Trick of Wins!
The individual time-trial in Orduña was won by the flying Dutchwoman Marianne Vos. For Vos it’s her third stage win in a row. In the ITT she was 7 seconds faster than time-trial world champion Hanka Kupfernagel and her compatriot Miram Melchers-van Poppel. Trixi Worrack and Amber Neben rounded off the top 5.

No doubt about it Marianne is on a roll this week and will be a contender in Peking at the Olympic Track and Road events. In the overall ranking Vos bumped her lead to 1.38 over Luise Keller and 2.00 on Tatiana Guderzo.

Stage 3 Results
1. 101 VOS, Marianne NED TEAM DSB BANK 0:19:20
2. 121 KUPFERNAGEL, Hanka GER GERMAN NATIONAL a 07
3. 62 MELCHERS, Mirjam NED TEAM FLEXPOINT a 08
4. 84 WORRACK, ºtrixi GER NÜRNBERG. Versicheru a 17
5. 61 NEBEN, Amber USA TEAM FLEXPOINT a 20
6. 176 VILAJOSANA, Marta ESP TEAM CMAX DILA a 20
7. 45 VILLUMSEN, Linda DEN T. HIGH ROAD WOMEN a 26
8. 26 ZILIUTE, Diana LTU SAFI-PASTA ZARA MANH a 28
9. 42 KELLER, Luise GER T. HIGH ROAD WOMEN a 45
10. 16 WILD, Kirsten NED AA-DRINK CYCLING TEA a 45
11. 113 GUDERZO, Tatiana ITA GAUSS RDZ ORMU a 57
12. 43 RHODES, Alexis AUS T. HIGH ROAD WOMEN a 57
13. 116 MARTISOVA, Julia RUS GAUSS RDZ ORMU a 58
14. 141 FERRIER, Christelle FRA T.LOT-ET-GARONNE a 59
15. 162 CANTELE, Noemi ITA BIGLA CYCLING TEAM a 01:04

Stage 4: Orduña - Iurreta, 82km
The fourth stage from Orduna to Iurreta over 82 km was a relative easy stage. The stage ended in a mass sprint and it was German Regina Schleicher who won ahead of Giorgia Bronzini and Kirsten Wild. Vos who finished in the bunch at fourth remains in control of the G.C. and is an odds on best bet to win the stage race. Best placed North American is Amber Neben (Flexpoint) in 5th place 2:16 down.

Tomorrow on Sunday is the final stage from Eibar to Eibar over 110km.

Stage Result 4
1. 85 SCHLEICHER, Regina GER NÜRNBERG. Versicheru 2:19:23
2. 155 BRONZINI, Giorgia ITA SQUADRA N. ITALIA mt.
3. 16 WILD, Kirsten NED AA-DRINK CYCLING TEA mt.
4. 101 VOS, Marianne NED TEAM DSB BANK mt.
5. 115 TREIER, Grete EST GAUSS RDZ ORMU mt.
6. 26 ZILIUTE, Diana LTU SAFI-PASTA ZARA MANH mt.
7. 114 BELVEDERESTI, Tania ITA GAUSS RDZ ORMU mt.
8. 112 CORAZZA, Martina ITA GAUSS RDZ ORMU mt.
9. 116 MARTISOVA, Julia RUS GAUSS RDZ ORMU mt.
10. 151 BACCAILLE, Monia ITA SQUADRA N. ITALIA mt.
11. 174 MUSTONEN, Sara SWE TEAM CMAX DILA mt.
12. 11 JOHANSSON, Emma SWE AA-DRINK CYCLING TEA mt.
13. 2 OKI, Miho JPN MENIKINI-SELLE ITALI mt.
14. 161 BRÄNDLI, Nicole SUI BIGLA CYCLING TEAM mt.
15. 64 KANIS, Jacobien NED TEAM FLEXPOINT mt.

Overall Ranking (top 30)
1. 101 VOS, Marianne NED TEAM DSB BANK 06:56:05
2. 42 KELLER, Luise GER T. HIGH ROAD WOMEN a 01:38
3. 113 GUDERZO, Tatiana ITA GAUSS RDZ ORMU a 02:00

4. 84 WORRACK, Trixi GER NÜRNBERG. Versicheru a 02:13
5. 61 NEBEN, Amber USA TEAM FLEXPOINT a 02:16
6. 1 LUPERINI, Fabiana ITA MENIKINI-SELLE ITALI a 02:25
7. 45 VILLUMSEN, Linda DEN T. HIGH ROAD WOMEN a 02:25
8. 116 MARTISOVA, Julia RUS GAUSS RDZ ORMU a 02:46
9. 86 HÄUSLER, Claudia GER NÜRNBERG. Versicheru a 02:50
10. 161 BRÄNDLI, Nicole SUI BIGLA CYCLING TEAM a 02:53
11. 21 BASTIANELLI, Marta ITA SAFI-PASTA ZARA MANH a 02:58
12. 121 KUPFERNAGEL, Hanka GER GERMAN NATIONAL a 03:00
13. 162 CANTELE, Noemi ITA BIGLA CYCLING TEAM a 03:00
14. 62 MELCHERS, Mirjam NED TEAM FLEXPOINT a 03:05
15. 81 PUCINSKAITE, Edita LTU NÜRNBERG. Versicheru a 03:06
16. 11 JOHANSSON, Emma SWE AA-DRINK CYCLING TEA a 03:16
17. 26 ZILIUTE, Diana LTU SAFI-PASTA ZARA MANH a 03:18
18. 141 FERRIER, Christelle FRA T.LOT-ET-GARONNE a 03:49
19. 111 TOUFFET, Elodie FRA GAUSS RDZ ORMU a 04:27
20. 115 TREIER, Grete EST GAUSS RDZ ORMU a 04:34
21. 14 BRZEZNA, Paulina POL AA-DRINK CYCLING TEA a 04:49
22. 2 OKI, Miho JPN MENIKINI-SELLE ITALI a 05:05
23. 131 SANCHIS, Ana ESP C.VALENCIANA-ORBEA a 05:11
24. 104 LIEBIG, Tina GER TEAM DSB BANK a 05:14
25. 164 THÜRIG, Andrea SUI BIGLA CYCLING TEAM a 05:34
26. 176 VILAJOSANA, Marta ESP TEAM CMAX DILA a 05:41
27. 155 BRONZINI, Giorgia ITA SQUADRA N. ITALIA a 05:58
28. 16 WILD, Kirsten NED AA-DRINK CYCLING TEA a 06:36
29. 151 BACCAILLE, Monia ITA SQUADRA N. ITALIA a 06:40
30. 22 BERLATO, Elena ITA SAFI-PASTA ZARA MANH a 06:41

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