Women’s National Championships 2008 - Part 1
Roundup of the Women's National Championships: Germany, Belgium, Denmark, France, Great Britain, Sweden and Switzerland.

This past weekend most of the women’s peloton gathered together in their home countries for their 2008 National Championships. A roundup: results from both time-trials and road races in Germany, Belgium, Denmark, France, Great Britain, Sweden and Switzerland.

Germany
Luise Keller (High Road) successfully defend her title at the German National Championships. Keller was part of an early break which battled for the win. Eva Lutz and Tina Liebig completed the podium. Hanka Kupfernagel is again National TT Champion in Germany. La Hanka was 3 seconds faster than Judith Arndt and 31 sec. faster than Charlotte Becker.

Individual Time Trial  (30 km)
1 Hanka Kupfernagel (Itera World Sports Star-Team) 40.49,37
2 Judith Arndt (Team High Road Women) 0.03,13
3 Charlotte Becker (Equipe Nürnberger Versicherung) 0.31,82
4 Trixi Worrack (Equipe Nürnberger Versicherung) 1.19,30
5 Elke Gebhardt (RV Concordia Reute e. V.) 1.42,77
6 Luise Keller (Team High Road Women) 1.48,55
7 Larissa Kleinmann (Equipe Nürnberger Versicherung) 2.14,77
8 Anke Wichmann (Team High Road Women) 2.30,26
9 Stephanie Pohl (Berliner Radfahrer Club Zugvogel) 2.32,96
10 Alexandra Sontheimer (ITERA World Sports Star-Team) 2.38,30

Road Race (114 km)
1 Luise Keller (Team High Road Women) 3.16.03
2 Eva Lutz (Equipe Nürnberger Versicherung) 0.42
3 Tina Liebig (Team DSB Bank)
4 Bianca Knöpfle (Flexpoint)
5 Hanka Kupfernagel (World Sports St) 1.16
6 Anke Wichmann (Team High Road Women)
7 Larissa Kleinmann (Equipe Nürnberger Versicherung) 2.16
8 Denise Zuckermandel (Team Stuttgart) 4.39
9 Tanja Hennes (Team Stuttgart) 4.49
10 Marlen Jöhrend (Equipe Nürnberger Versicherung)

Belgium
The Belgium Nationals race for women was held on June 1st in Knokke-Heist. The same location as the elite-men during last weekend on June 29. The win went a little surprisingly to Ilse Geldhof. In a sprint she was faster than Nana Steenssens and Anne Arnouts. The time trial will be held in August.

Road Race
1 Ilse Geldhof (KSV Deerlijk Gaverzicht VZW) 2.54.00
2 Nana Steenssens (V.Z.W. Royal Antwerp Bicycle Club)
3 Anne Arnouts (Squadra Ciclistica Femminile Liedeke)
4 Lensy Debboudt (Keukens Redant Cycling Team)
5 Liesbet De Vocht (Vrienden Van Het Platteland)
6 Ine Beyen (Swift Racing Team)
7 Kelly Druyts (Topsport Vlaanderen Thompson Ladies)
8 Lien Beyen (Swift Racing Team)
9 Ludivine Henrion (AA-Drink Cycling Team)
10 Kathleen Sterckx (WV Eemland Meridaladies)

The time-trial will be held in August.

Denmark
In Denmark both national titles (TT and Road Race) went to High Road’s Linda Villumsen. In the time-trial she was better than Trine Schmidt and Maja Adamsen.  In the Road Race, had a similar result with Adamsen again second, while Iben Bóhe was third.

Trine Schmidt competed in the team kit of Team Flexpoint again. Schmidt changed teams again in the mid-season transfer period as she is coming from Menikini-Selle Italia. In the end of 2007 she joined Menikini coming from Flexpoint.

Individual Time Trial
1 Linda Villumsen Serup (Team High Road Women) 33.23
2 Trine Schmidt (Team Flex Point) 2.07
3 Maja Watt Adamsen (Randers Cykleklub af 1910) 3.48
4 Dorthe Lohse Rasmussen (Team Swift Racíng) 3.48
5 Jette Fuglsang (Fredericia CC) 3.51
6 Annette Berg (Sorø Bicycle Club) 5.18
7 Lisbeth Bro Lund (Odense Triathlon Klub) 5.28
8 Camilla Juel Jensen (Hvidovre Cykelklub) 5.35
9 Henriette Christensen (Fredericia CC) 5.50
10 Mia Eskebjerg (ABC) 5.54

Road Race
1 Linda Villumsen (Team High Road Women) 3.15.09
2 Maja Watt Adamsen (Randers Cykleklub af 1910) 0.22
3 Iben Bohé (CC Hillerød) 3.23
4 Annette Berg (Sorø Bicycle Club)
5 Julie Leth (Team Kvickly Odder Junior)
6 Mette Nørtoft Jensen (Randers Cykleklub af 1910)
7 Henriette Christensen (Fredericia CC) 3.25
8 Trine Schmidt (Team Menikini - Selle Italia - Master Color) 3.56
9 Maria Grant Petersen (Fredericia CC) 4.05
10 Jette Fuglsang (Fredericia CC) 4.08

France
Good-old Jeannie Longo has won both the Time-Trial and the Road Race at the French National Championships. For the amazing and timeless 49 year old it’s her 23rd national title in her career. Longo will also go to the Olympics for France were she will be hunting for another medal. Longo won the gold medal in the road race in Atlanta (1996) and has silver and bronze medals from other Olympic contests.

Individual Time Trial (22,1km)
1 Jeannie Longo - Ciprelli (Team Pro Feminin Les Carroz) 31.16
2 Maryline Salvetat (Midi - Pyrenees) 1.08
3 Edwige Pitel (Team Pro Feminin Les Carroz) 1.57
4 Julie Krasniak (Lorraine) 2.29
5 Karine Gautard (Vienne Futuroscope) 2.50
6 Elodie Touffet (Gauss Rdz Ormu) 3.06
7 Jennifer Fischer (Alsace) 3.26
8 Emmanuelle Merlot (Vienne Futuroscope) 3.28
9 Christel Robin (Cote D`azur) 3.29
10 Julie Augizeau (Pays De La Loire) 3.31

Julie Krasniak is the new espoir national champion.

Road Race (110,4km)
1 Jeannie Longo Ciprelli (Team Pro Feminin Les Carroz) 3.03.51
2 Christel Ferrier Bruneau (Team Lot-et-garonne) 3.05
3 Edwige Pitel (Team Pro Feminin Les Carroz)
4 Elodie Touffet (Gauss Rdz Ormu)
5 Maryline Salvetat (Midi-pyrenees) 3.08
6 Julie Krasniak (Lorraine) 3.49
7 Karine Gautard (Vienne Futuroscope) 5.53
8 Magali Le Floch (Champagne-ardenne) 8.46
9 Sonia Huguet-raiwisque (Lorraine)
10 Emilie Blanquefort (Vienne Futuroscope) 8.54

Great Britain
Nicole Cooke has showed once again that she is the best British women’s cyclist at the moment. For Cooke it’s her 8th national title in a row and the ninth overall. Cooke defeated Emma Pooley in a sprint of two. Over three minutes down Joanna Rowsell took the third place (and the U23 title) by winning the sprint of the chasing group. Jessica Allen and Catherine Hare rounded off the top 5.

Road Race (106 km)
1 Nicole Cooke (Team Halfords Bikehut)
2 Emma Pooley (Team Specialized Designs For Women)
3 Joanna Rowsell (Team Halfords Bikehut)
4 Jessica Allen (Team Halfords Bikehut)
5 Catherine Hare (Team Halfords Bikehut)
6 Rachel Heal (Team Tibco)
7 Helen Wyman (Swift Racing)
8 Leanne Thompson (Lune RCC)
9 Rachel Osborn (Newport Shropshire CC)
10 Leda Cox (Americas Dairyland Team)

The time-trials will be held later on this year.

Sweden
The Swedish national road title went surprisingly to High Road youngster Emilia Fahlin. On a tough course she had a 40 seconds gap on two other world class riders namely Emma Johansson and Susanne Ljungskog.

The national title in the time-trial went to Emma Johansson. After 30 km she was almost 1.30 faster than Dorotea Isaksson and 1.46 on Camilla Larsson.

Susanne Ljungskog competed in the team kit of Team Flexpoint again. Ljungskog changed teams again in the mid-season transfer period as she is coming from Menikini-Selle Italia. In the end of 2007 she joined Menikini coming from Flexpoint.

Road Race (104 km)
1 Emilia Fahlin (Örebrocyklisterna/Team Columbia) 3.10.06
2 Emma Johansson (Härnösands CK/AA-Drink Cycling Team) 0.40
3 Susanne Ljungskog (Team Skoda CK/Team Flexpoint)
4 Monica Holler (CK Hymer/Bigla Cycling Team) 1.25
5 Camilla Larsson (Fredrikshofs IF CK)
6 Karin Aune (Örebrocyklisterna/Uniqa)
7 Catrine Josefsson (Alriksson Cycle Team CK/Bizkaia-Durango)
8 Marie Lindberg (Alriksson Cycle Team CK/Nürnberger)
9 Jennie Stenerhag (Alriksson Cycle Team CK)
10 Madelene Olsson (Svanesunds GIF) 6.24

Individual Time Trial (30 km)
1 Emma Johansson (Härnösands CK) 43.49.2
2 Dorotea Isaksson (Nässjö CK) 1.29.8
3 Camilla Larsson (Fredrikshofs IF CK) 1.46.1
4 Karin Aune (Örebrocyklisterna) 1.51.0
5 Eva Nyström (Fredrikshofs IF CK) 2.09.2
6 Avalo Lyngbaek (CK Hymer) 2.20.8
7 Kajsa Karlsson (CK Cykelcity.se) 2.49.6
8 Emilia Fahlin (Örebrocyklisterna) 3.02.1
9 Isabelle Söderberg (Upsala CK) 3.03.2
10 Jennie Stenerhag (Alriksson Cycle Team CK) 3.15.2

Switzerland
The Swiss National road title went surprisingly to Jennifer Hohl (Bigla). Hohl was part of an early break of eight riders who attacked in the second lap (the girls had to do six laps of a 15.5 km circuit). In the final Hohl got rid off her companions and finished with a lead of 5 seconds on Pascale Schnider who finished second and Emilie Aubry who finished in third.

The national time-trial didn’t surprise as former time trial world champion Karin Thürig once again won the race. She declassed the others as the second Sereina Trachsel finished 1.36 down and the third Priska Doppmann almost 2.00 down.

Result RR (93km)
1 Jennifer Hohl (Bigla Cycling Team) 2.42.44
2 Pascale Schnider (Cervélo-Lifeforce Pro Cycling Team) 0.05
3 Emilie Aubry (Team Campione Celeste - Orbea - Renault)
4 Andrea Thürig (Bigla Cycling Team)
5 Andrea Wolfer (Bigla Cycling Team)
6 Sarah Grab (Team Specialized)
7 Patricia Schwager (Cervélo-Lifeforce Pro Cycling Team)
8 Monika Furrer (Team Specialized)
9 Sereina Trachsel (Bigla Cycling Team) 1.53
10 Karin Thürig (Cervélo-Lifeforce Pro Cycling Team)

Individual Time Trial
1 Karin Thürig (Cervelo Lifeforce Pro Cycling Team) 30.49
2 Sereina Trachsel (Bigla Cycling Team) 1.36
3 Priska Doppmann (Cervelo Lifeforce Pro Cycling Team) 1.53
4 Andrea Thürig (Bigla Cycling Team) 2.02
5 Patricia Schwager (Cervelo Lifeforce Pro Cycling Team) 2.44
6 Andrea Wolfer (Bigla Cycling Team) 3.42

For the national championships of The Netherlands and Italy please see the separate reports:
The Netherlands
Italy 

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