Team Columbia - Highroad Women 2009

Team Columbia/Highroad women is the best women's team in the world. The team finished as number one team in the World last season gaining 68 wins of which 5 national titles. Next to that the team won also the overall World Cup with Judith Arndt. The most victories came from sprinter Ina Teutenberg. She gained over 20 season wins with the most important four stage wins in the Giro D'Italia and two in the Tour de L'Aude.

Top sprinter Ina-Yoko Teutenberg gained the most wins for Team Columbia Women in 2008
Photo © 2008 Bart Hazen

The team
The team for 2009 is basically the same as last year with German World Cup winner and current leader in the World Ranking Judith Arndt and sprinter Ina Teutenberg still as captains of the team. Ellen van Dijk and Canadian Redlands Classic winner Alex Wrubleski are the only new signings after the departure of Alexis Rhodes and Madeleine Sandig and the retirement of Anke Wichmann and Australian star Oenone Wood. With German Champion Luise Keller, Canadian Champion Alex Wrubleski, Climber Mara Abbott and Swedish Champion Emilia Fahlin the team has some hot prospects for the future.

The worlds number one rider Judith Arndt
Photo © 2008 Bart Hazen

The new signings
Ellen van Dijk and Alex Wrubleski are the only two new signings of Team Columbia-Highroad for the 2009 season. Ellen van Dijk is a 21 year old Dutch rider who rode the past seasons for Vrienden van het Platteland. Her speciality are the time-trials. Last year Van Dijk won the time trial in the Tour Feminin de Limousin, finished as third in the Ster Zeeuwsche Eilanden, fourth at the Dutch National Championships ITT and on top of that she became European Time Trial Champion. Canadian Alex Wrubleski is an all-rounder. The 24 year old is the current Canadian National Road Champion and the winner of the 2008 Redlands Classic. Wrubleski also finished as fourth in the Fleche Wallonne, sixth in the Ronde van Drenthe and nineth in the Road Race at the World Championships in Varese.

Emilia Fahlin is one of the hot prospects for the future. On the photo she wins a stage in the Redlands Classic
Photo © 2008 ActionImages

The goals
At the team presentation Team Columbia-Highroad owner Bob Stapleton and team manager Rolf Aldag said they were confident the squad would raise the bar even higher in 2009. Working as a team and winning fairly remain the cornerstone of the team's strategy for success.

Whether we win or lose, it is done as a team," Stapleton said. "I'm not just proud of our success, I'm proud of the way in which we achieve it. All of the victories were earned by a good collective effort - by the riders and the management."

The goals for the 2009 season remain the same as 2008 with amongst others the Classics, Tour de L'Aude, Giro D'Italia, Thüringen Rundfahrt, National Championships and the World Championships.

New signing Alex Wrubleski won the Redlands Classic in 2008
Photo © 2008 ActionImages

The 2009 roster:
Mara Abbott (USA)
Kim Anderson (USA)
Judith Arndt (Ger)
Kate Bates (Aus)
Chantal Beltman (Ned)
Emilia Fahlin (Swe)
Luise Keller (Ger)
Ina-Yoko Teutenberg (Ger)
Ellen Van Dijk (Ned)
Linda Melanie Villumsen (Den)
Alex Wrubleski (Can)

New: Ellen van Dijk (Vrienden van het Platteland), Alex Wrubleski (Webcor Builders)

Chantal Beltman won the Ronde van Drenthe and the Commerce Bank Liberty Classic
Photo © 2008 ActionImages

Out: Alexis Rhodes (Webcor Builders), Madeleine Sandig (Equipe Nürnberger), Anke Wichmann (Retires) and Oenone Wood (Retires)

Current CQ Ranking (10/01/2009)

New signing Ellen van Dijk
Photo © 2008 Bart Hazen

Most Important Victories 2008
Giro della Toscana Int. Femminile Final Ranking: Judith Arndt
Giro della Toscana Int. Femminile Stage 5: Judith Arndt
Giro della Toscana Int. Femminile Stage 4: Ina Teutenberg
Giro della Toscana Int. Femminile Stage 3: Mara Abbott
Giro della Toscana Int. Femminile Stage 2b: Ina Teutenberg
Giro della Toscana Int. Femminile Stage 1(TTT): Team Columbia
Rund um die Nürnberger Altstadt: Judith Arndt
Holland Ladies Tour - Stage 1,4 6: Ina Teutenberg
Holland Ladies Tour - Stage 3: Anke Wichmann
La Route de France Féminine - Final Ranking: Luise Keller

Mara Abbott is one of the best climbers in the women's peloton
Photo © 2008 ActionImages

La Route de France Féminine - Stage 6: Lusie Keller
La Route de France Féminine - Stage 6: Lusie Keller
La Route de France Féminine - Stage 5: Ina Teutenberg
La Route de France Féminine - Stage 3: Luise Keller
La Route de France Féminine - Stage 1: Ina Teutenberg
La Route de France Féminine - Prologue: Ina Teutenberg
Int. Thüringen Rundfahrt der Frauen - Final Ranking: Judith Arndt
Giro d'Italia Femminile - Stage 1,2,3,8: Ina Teutenberg

Luise Keller
Photo © 2008 Bart Hazen

Tour de Feminin - Krasna Lipa, Stage 1: Mara Abbott
National Championships Germany RR: Luise Keller
National Championships Denmark RR: Linda Villumsen
National Championships Sweden RR: Emilia Fahlin
National Championships Denmark ITT: Linda Villumsen
Commerce Bank Liberty Classic: Chantal Beltman
La Coupe du Monde Cycliste Féminine de Montréal : Judith Arndt
Tour de l'Aude Cycliste Féminin - Stage 9: Judith Arndt
Tour de l'Aude Cycliste Féminin - Stage 5,8: Ina Teutenberg
Univé Ronde van Drenthe: Chantal Beltman
Drentse 8 van Dwingeloo: Ina Teutenberg
Ronde van Vlaanderen: Judith Arndt
National Championships Australia RR: Oenone Wood

All victories and podium places, click here

The Columbia-Highroad women's team is the number one team in the World!
Photo © 2008 Bart Hazen

Links to riders websites
Linda Villumsen: http://www.linda-villumsen.com/
Ellen van Dijk: http://www.ellenvandijk.nl/
Chantal Beltman: http://www.chantalbeltman.nl/
Katherine Bates: http://www.kateybates.blogspot.com/
Judith Arndt: http://www.juditharndt.de/

Teams website: http://www.highroadsports.com/team

Related Articles
Team Columbia/Highroad 2009 Presentation
The Addict, official bike of Team Columbia-Highroad
2009 Tour of California - Team Columbia Announces Roster
Team Columbia participates in new ANTI-doping program
Interview - Mara Abbott
Interview: Ina-Yoko Teutenberg
Interview: Alex Wrubleski

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