22nd Iurreta-Emakumeen Bira - Women (2.1): Stage 1 & 2

From June 11 to 14 a part of the Women's peloton gathers together in Spain for the 22nd Emakumeen Bira. The Emakumeen Bira is one of the toughest stage races for women in the World. Last year's winner Marianne Vos is not in Spain to defend her title. After two stages World Champion Nicole Cooke leads the race with World Cup leader Emma Johansson in second and Russian Champion Julia Martisova in third. The stage wins went to Judith Arndt and Nicole Cooke. Previous to the Emakumeen Bira the girls lined-up for the Emakumeen Sira (Durango-Durango). This race was won by Noemi Cantele. Cantele was the fastest over Judith Arndt and Emma Johansson.

Stage 1: Iurreta-Irrueta, 78 Km
Judith Arndt (Columbia-Highroad) took her first win of the season in the opening stage of the Emakumeen Bira in Spain. Arndt who made her comeback in racing after an injury a week ago in the World Cup of Montreal was the best of a break of 18 over World Champion Nicole Cooke and World Cup leader Emma Johansson.

Team report
Columbia: Highroad: Arndt sprints to first triumph of the year
Following an injury-blighted first half of the season, Judith Arndt's successful return to racing has now seen the German star take her first victory of 2009 in stage one of the Bira in Spain. The Columbia-Highroad rider was the fastest in a 19-rider sprint that decided the 78-kilometre stage starting and finishing in Iurreta, and is now race leader of the prestigious Spanish event. Second was Great Britain's Nicole Cooke and third Emma Johannson of Sweden. Arndt had a very tough spring in which she first broke a collarbone and then was unlucky enough to fracture her wrist in a crash in her first race back in April. She returned to racing in the GP Montreal in Canada and since then has made fast progress towards top condition.

"It was a great day's riding by the team and payday for Judith after working so hard to come back ," commented sports director Ronny Lauke. "Mara [Abbott] went for it with an attack on the last climb of the day, and then when part of the race came back together, [Kim] Anderson gave Judith the perfect lead-out in the sprint finish. We could see that she was getting better and better after taking second in a one-day race in Spain earlier this week. Then today it all came together in a big way."

Arndt was equally delighted to have taken her first victory since the Tour of Tuscany last September. "It was a tough sprint because you never know what's going to happen with rivals as tough as Johannsen and Cooke. But I thought I would give it a try and it all worked out fine in the end."

Cervelo TestTeam
Today's race was the first of the five stage Emakumeen Bira that is taking place in the Basque country of northern Spain. The hilly 75.9 km course both began and finished in Lurreta. Judith Arndt (Columbia High Road) won the stage. Arndt was part of a 19 rider breakaway group that also included Cervélo TestTeam's Claudia Häusler and Carla Ryan. Carla Ryan had the best result for the team today with a 7th place finish. Second place went to Nicole Cooke (Vision 1 Racing) and third to Emma Johansson (Red Sun Cycling Team).

Result
1º 11 ARNDT, Judith GER T.COLUMBIA HIGHROAD 1:59:40
2º 1 COOKE, Nicole GBR VISION 1 RACING mt.
3º 41 JOHANSSON, Emma SWE RED SUN CYCLING TEAM mt.
4º 105 BOSMAN, Andrea NED NETHERLANS NATIONAL mt.
5º 116 MARTISOVA, Julia RUS GAUSS RDZ ORMU-C. mt.
6º 192 CANTELE, Noemi ITA BIGLA CYCLING TEAM mt.
7º 84 RYAN, Carla AUS CERVELO TEST TEAM mt.
8º 111 PUCINSKAITE, Edita LTU GAUSS RDZ ORMU-C. mt.
9º 21 BERLATO, Elena ITA SAFI-PASTA ZARA TITA mt.
10º 5 WHITELAW, Vicki AUS VISION 1 RACING mt.
11º 81 HÄUSLER, Claudia GER CERVELO TEST TEAM mt.
12º 63 LJUNGSKOG, Susanne SWE TEAM FLEXPOINT mt.
13º 3 FERRIER, Christelle FRA VISION 1 RACING mt.
14º 44 BRZEZNA, Paulina POL RED SUN CYCLING TEAM mt.
15º 121 LUPERINI, Fabiana ITA SELLE ITALIA GHEZZI mt.
16º 131 KIRCH, Rosane BRA MICHELA FANINI R. RO mt.
17º 13 ABBOTT, Mara USA T.COLUMBIA HIGHROAD mt.
18º 14 ANDERSON, Kimberly USA T.COLUMBIA HIGHROAD mt.
19º 104 BLAAK, Chantal NED NETHERLANS NATIONAL a 54
20º 135 BACCAILLE, Monia ITA MICHELA FANINI R. RO a 54
21º 175 VILAJOSANA, Marta ESP TEAM CMAX DILA a 54
22º 102 BRAND, Lucinda NED NETHERLANS NATIONAL a 54
23º 42 PIJNENBORG, Mascha NED RED SUN CYCLING TEAM a 54
24º 85 SCHWAGER, Patricia SUI CERVELO TEST TEAM a 54
25º 152 CARRETTA, Valentina ITA SQUADRA N. ITALIA a 54
26º 61 MELCHERS, Mirjam NED TEAM FLEXPOINT a 54
27º 23 ANDRUK, Alona UKR SAFI-PASTA ZARA TITA a 54
28º 26 ZILIUTE, Diana LTU SAFI-PASTA ZARA TITA a 01:09
29º 182 DE GOEDE, Suzanne NED NÜRNBERGER Verscheru a 01:09
30º 151 CALLOVI, Rossella ITA SQUADRA N. ITALIA a 01:09

Stage 2: Amurrio-Amurrio, 92 Km
World Champion Nicole Cooke (Vision 1 Racing) took the second stage and the overall lead in the Emakumeen Bira. In the 92 km from Amurrio to Amurrio she was the fastest in the bunch sprint over Diana Ziliute and Julia Martisova. Emma Johansson and Emilia Fahlin completed the top five.

In the overall ranking Cooke leads with Johansson in second and Martisova in third.

Result
1º 1 COOKE, Nicole GBR VISION 1 RACING 2:33:59
2º 26 ZILIUTE, Diana LTU SAFI-PASTA ZARA TITA mt.
3º 116 MARTISOVA, Julia RUS GAUSS RDZ ORMU-C. mt.
4º 41 JOHANSSON, Emma SWE RED SUN CYCLING TEAM mt.
5º 15 FAHLIN, Emilia SWE T.COLUMBIA HIGHROAD mt.
6º 23 ANDRUK, Alona UKR SAFI-PASTA ZARA TITA mt.
7º 192 CANTELE, Noemi ITA BIGLA CYCLING TEAM mt.
8º 24 LELEIVYTE, Rasa LTU SAFI-PASTA ZARA TITA mt.
9º 105 BOSMAN, Andrea NED NETHERLANS NATIONAL mt.
10º 11 ARNDT, Judith GER T.COLUMBIA HIGHROAD mt.
11º 125 KOZONCHUK, Oxana RUS SELLE ITALIA GHEZZI mt.
12º 81 HÄUSLER, Claudia GER CERVELO TEST TEAM mt.
13º 103 V. VLEUTEN, Annemiek NED NETHERLANS NATIONAL mt.
14º 111 PUCINSKAITE, Edita LTU GAUSS RDZ ORMU-C. mt.
15º 144 SELS, Loes BEL TOPSPORT Vlaanderen mt.
16º 184 KASPER, Romy GER NÜRNBERGER Verscheru mt.
17º 63 LJUNGSKOG, Susanne SWE TEAM FLEXPOINT mt.
18º 3 FERRIER, Christelle FRA VISION 1 RACING mt.
19º 175 VILAJOSANA, Marta ESP TEAM CMAX DILA mt.
20º 104 BLAAK, Chantal NED NETHERLANS NATIONAL mt.
21º 61 MELCHERS, Mirjam NED TEAM FLEXPOINT mt.
22º 5 WHITELAW, Vicki AUS VISION 1 RACING mt.
23º 182 DE GOEDE, Suzanne NED NÜRNBERGER Verscheru mt.
24º 183 JOHREND, Marlen GER NÜRNBERGER Verscheru mt.
25º 84 RYAN, Carla AUS CERVELO TEST TEAM mt.
26º 152 CARRETTA, Valentina ITA SQUADRA N. ITALIA mt.
27º 124 BOYD, Kaytee NZL SELLE ITALIA GHEZZI mt.
28º 135 BACCAILLE, Monia ITA MICHELA FANINI R. RO mt.
29º 42 PIJNENBORG, Mascha NED RED SUN CYCLING TEAM mt.
30º 102 BRAND, Lucinda NED NETHERLANS NATIONAL mt.

Ranking after stage 2
1º 1 COOKE, Nicole GBR VISION 1 RACING 04:33:39
2º 41 JOHANSSON, Emma SWE RED SUN CYCLING TEAM mt.
3º 116 MARTISOVA, Julia RUS GAUSS RDZ ORMU-C. mt.
4º 11 ARNDT, Judith GER T.COLUMBIA HIGHROAD mt.
5º 192 CANTELE, Noemi ITA BIGLA CYCLING TEAM mt.
6º 105 BOSMAN, Andrea NED NETHERLANS NATIONAL mt.
7º 111 PUCINSKAITE, Edita LTU GAUSS RDZ ORMU-C. mt.
8º 81 HÄUSLER, Claudia GER CERVELO TEST TEAM mt.
9º 63 LJUNGSKOG, Susanne SWE TEAM FLEXPOINT mt.
10º 3 FERRIER, Christelle FRA VISION 1 RACING mt.
11º 5 WHITELAW, Vicki AUS VISION 1 RACING mt.
12º 84 RYAN, Carla AUS CERVELO TEST TEAM mt.
13º 121 LUPERINI, Fabiana ITA SELLE ITALIA GHEZZI mt.
14º 131 KIRCH, Rosane BRA MICHELA FANINI R. RO mt.
15º 21 BERLATO, Elena ITA SAFI-PASTA ZARA TITA mt.
16º 14 ANDERSON, Kimberly USA T.COLUMBIA HIGHROAD mt.
17º 13 ABBOTT, Mara USA T.COLUMBIA HIGHROAD mt.
18º 44 BRZEZNA, Paulina POL RED SUN CYCLING TEAM mt.
19º 23 ANDRUK, Alona UKR SAFI-PASTA ZARA TITA a 54
20º 104 BLAAK, Chantal NED NETHERLANS NATIONAL a 54
21º 175 VILAJOSANA, Marta ESP TEAM CMAX DILA a 54
22º 61 MELCHERS, Mirjam NED TEAM FLEXPOINT a 54
23º 135 BACCAILLE, Monia ITA MICHELA FANINI R. RO a 54
24º 152 CARRETTA, Valentina ITA SQUADRA N. ITALIA a 54
25º 42 PIJNENBORG, Mascha NED RED SUN CYCLING TEAM a 54
26º 102 BRAND, Lucinda NED NETHERLANS NATIONAL a 54
27º 85 SCHWAGER, Patricia SUI CERVELO TEST TEAM a 54
28º 26 ZILIUTE, Diana LTU SAFI-PASTA ZARA TITA a 01:09
29º 24 LELEIVYTE, Rasa LTU SAFI-PASTA ZARA TITA a 01:09
30º 125 KOZONCHUK, Oxana RUS SELLE ITALIA GHEZZI a 01:09

Remaining stages
Stage 3A - Iurreta Criterium,
Stage 3B - Elgoibar-Elgoibar
Stage 4 - Orduña-Orduña

Full result

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