1st Exergy Tour (2.1) - Stage 4
American Stevens Captures Inaugural Exergy Tour Title. Specialized-Lululemon rider sees team-mates Neben and Hughes to complete final podiun. Claudia Häusler (GreenEdge) takes final stage.
German Claudia Häusler (GreenEdge-AIS) has won the final stage of the inaugural Exergy Tour in downtown Boise. The stage victory marks Häusler's first win of the season and the first victory of the Orica-GreenEDGE outfit on North American soil. Häusler was the best in the sprint from Evelyn Stevens (Specialized-Lululemon) in this tough mountain stage. The duo broke clear on the final climb to win with a 55 seconds lead on the chasing group led home by Jasim Glaesser. Due to her second place and the time bonuses Stevens took the overall win. Amber Neben and Clara Hughes (both Specialized) completed the final podium.
"Our plan had been well articulated even before we started the race five days ago," said GreenEdge Sports Director Martin Barras. "We knew we were down on strength without Linda [Villumsen] here. Having looked at the set up the race and the strength of the other teams present, we identified our objective of winning this stage. It's pleasing to be able to accomplish this goal."
A three rider break formed after the first QOM on lap one. Eveyln Stevens (Specialized-Lululemon), Megan Guarnier (Team TIBCO / To The Top) and Fabiana Luperini (Faren Honda) gained a maximum advantage of 30 seconds before the field reeled them in ahead of the first intermediate sprint. Clara Hughes (Specialized-Lululemon) and Taylor Wiles (Exergy Twenty12) countered the catch and went up the road ahead of the feed zone. Hughes and Wiles established an advantage that would hover around one minute for nearly two laps.
"Clara and Taylor were amazingly strong staying out front for so long," said Häusler. "The race behind was also very fast and tiring everyone. The group became smaller and smaller with each kilometer. As we were about to catch the small break, I knew it was a hot situation and time to be extra aware."
The whittled down field caught Hughes and Wiles slightly ahead of the field zone. A 16-rider group solidified with 18 kilometers left to race.
"I stayed at the back of the group," explained Häusler. "It's often the safest to be at the front, but this group was small enough that I could see everything from the back. Shara set tempo through the feed zone, and it was the perfect time to attack. Evelyn [Stevens] (Specialized-lululemon) jumped on the left hand side of the road, and I went straight to her wheel over the top of the climb."
"The time went up to one minute pretty quickly," Häusler noted. "We stayed with this gap after that. During the final three kilometers we felt pretty confident that we would make it to the finish, and that's when I started to concentrate on the sprint. I started to concentrate on how I would win the stage."
"I knew I needed to make my own sprint," explained Häusler. "I did not want to let Evie do her sprint and react to her. I had worked out that I wanted to come through the corner in second wheel and open my sprint from there. I jumped 175 meters ahead of the line. Evie was not able to come around me."
"I am so happy right now," said Häusler. "Thank you to the team for all their hard work. This was a hard race today, and I'm very excited to have been able to take a win for the team."
Overall winner Evelyn Stevens is the first winner of the Exergy Tour. "To win this? It's huge; quite an honor. The crowds lined everywhere we went (all week). We wanted to give everyone here (in Idaho) a show. This exceeded all my expectations," said Stevens, a native of Acton, Mass. who is a two-time U.S. National Time Trial champion (2010-11). With the second-place finish today in Stage 4, Stevens overtook teammate Amber Neben and vaulted from third to first on the G.C.
Result (Top 50)
1. HÄUSLER Claudia GreenEdge-AIS 2.04'08" 10"
2. STEVENS Evelyn Team Specialized-lululemon 2.04'08" 6"
3. GLAESSER Jasmin Canadian National Team 2.05'03" 55" 4"
4. SMALL Carmen Optum Pro Cycling 2.05'03" ...
5. GUARNIER Megan Team Tibco - To the Top 2.05'03" ...
6. POWERS Alison NOW and Novartis for MS 2.05'03" ...
7. OLIVEIRA Flavia Forno D'Asolo Colavita 2.05'03" ...
8. NEBEN Amber Team Specialized-lululemon 2.05'03" ...
9. NEYLAN Rachel ABUS Nutrixxion 2.05'03" ...
10. MCGRATH Kristin Exergy Twenty12 2.05'03" ...
11. HUGHES Clara Team Specialized-lululemon 2.05'03" ... 2"
12. GILLOW Shara GreenEdge-AIS 2.05'03" ...
13. LUPERINI Fabiana Faren Honda Team 2.05'03" ...
14. CANUEL Karol-Ann Canadian National Team 2.05'03" ...
15. CROWELL Jacquelyn Exergy Twenty12 2.07'52" 3'44"
16. DVORAK Andrea Exergy Twenty12 2.07'52" ...
17. WILES Tayler Exergy Twenty12 2.09'06" 4'58" 3"
18. TEUTENBERG Ina Yoko Team Specialized-lululemon 2.09'42" 5'34"
19. POLSPOEL Maaike Topsport Vlaanderen-Ridley 2012 2.09'42" ...
20. BEVERIDGE Julie Canadian National Team 2.09'42" ... 1"
21. WHITTEN Tara Team Tibco - To the Top 2.09'42" ...
22. CILVINAITE Inga Diadora-Pasta Zara 2.09'42" ...
23. WILCOXSON Jade Optum Pro Cycling
2.09'42" ...
24. MYERS Lindsay Team Tibco - To the Top 2.09'42" ...
25. NEWELL Elizabeth NOW and Novartis for MS 2.09'42" ...
26. CROMWELL Tiffany GreenEdge-AIS 2.09'42" ...
27. KIRCHMANN Leah Optum Pro Cycling
2.09'42" ...
28. KACHOREK Emily Primal/MapMyRide
2.09'42" ...
29. GULOIEN Leah EspnW Pro Cycling 2.09'42" ...
30. WORRACK Trixi Team Specialized-lululemon 2.09'42" ...
31. BRONZINI Giorgia Diadora-Pasta Zara 2.09'42" ...
32. CARLETON Gillian Canadian National Team 2.11'14" 7'06"
33. ALBRECHT Lex Optum Pro Cycling
2.13'48" 9'40"
34. MILLER Amanda Team Tibco - To the Top 2.13'48" ...
Ranking
1. STEVENS Evelyn Team Specialized-lululemon 8.15'37"
2. NEBEN Amber Team Specialized-lululemon 8.16'27" 50"
3. HUGHES Clara Team Specialized-lululemon 8.16'39" 1'02"
4. GILLOW Shara GreenEdge-AIS GEW AUS 8.16'53" 1'16"
5. POWERS Alison NOW and Novartis for MS 8.17'00" 1'23"
6. HÄUSLER Claudia GreenEdge-AIS 8.17'17" 1'40"
7. GLAESSER Jasmin Canadian National Team 8.17'27" 1'50"
8. MCGRATH Kristin Exergy Twenty12 8.17'38" 2'01"
9. SMALL Carmen Optum Pro Cycling 8.17'49" 2'12"
10. GUARNIER Megan Team Tibco - To the Top 8.18'09" 2'32"
11. NEYLAN Rachel ABUS Nutrixxion 8.18'30" 2'53"
12. CANUEL Karol-Ann Canadian National Team 8.20'00" 4'23"
13. CROWELL Jacquelyn Exergy Twenty12 8.20'29" 4'52"
14. TEUTENBERG Ina Yoko Team Specialized-lululemon 8.21'15" 5'38"
15. LUPERINI Fabiana Faren Honda Team 8.21'20" 5'43"
16. WHITTEN Tara Team Tibco - To the Top 8.21'44" 6'07"
17. OLIVEIRA Flavia Forno D'Asolo Colavita 8.21'45" 6'08"
18. WORRACK Trixi Team Specialized-lululemon 8.21'47" 6'10"
19. WILES Tayler Exergy Twenty12 8.21'57" 6'20"
20. DVORAK Andrea Exergy Twenty12 8.22'02" 6'25"
21. WILCOXSON Jade Optum Pro Cycling 8.22'15" 6'38"
22. CROMWELL Tiffany GreenEdge-AIS 8.22'23" 6'46"
23. KIRCHMANN Leah Optum Pro Cycling 8.22'41" 7'04"
24. BEVERIDGE Julie Canadian National Team 8.22'48" 7'11"
25. NEWELL Elizabeth NOW and Novartis for MS 8.23'53" 8'16"
26. CARLETON Gillian Canadian National Team 8.24'14" 8'37"
27. CILVINAITE Inga Diadora-Pasta Zara 8.25'02" 9'25"
28. KACHOREK Emily Primal/MapMyRide 8.25'13" 9'36"
29. POLSPOEL Maaike Topsport Vlaanderen-Ridley 2012 8.25'27" 9'50"
30. MYERS Lindsay Team Tibco - To the Top 8.26'06" 10'29"
31. MILLER Amanda Team Tibco - To the Top 8.27'14" 11'37"
32. ALBRECHT Lex Optum Pro Cycling 8.33'52" 18'15"
33. GULOIEN Leah EspnW Pro Cycling 8.33'53" 18'16"
34. BRONZINI Giorgia Diadora-Pasta Zara 8.38'35" 22'58"
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