Cervélo TestTeam sprinter wins short night stage but HTC-Columbia still dominates
Kirsten Wild (Cervélo TestTeam) won the fourth stage time trial of the Giro della Toscana in Campi Bisenzio. The Dutch sprinter completed the 2.2km course in 2’58”55, and was the only rider to finish under 3 minutes, as rain fell on the old Florentine city course. Dutch time trial champion Marianne Vos (Nederland Bloeit) finished in second place, fractions of a second outside 3 minutes, with German time trial champion Judith Arndt (HTC-Columbia) just slightly slower in third.
“Because it rained all day, today’s time trail was raced in very wet conditions,” said Wild after her victory. “My teammate Sarah Düster crashed in the warm-up so that made me a bit afraid. But the course itself was just up and down and I just gave it full gas and was able to win this short time trail.
“I am actually here to prepare myself for the upcoming world championships,” she added, “but I set my sights on this time trial and winning is always nice.”
Starting relatively early Wild flew around the course to eclipse the previous best time of 3’14”01, set by Cervélo teammate Emilie Aubry. With much of the course paved with flagstones many riders were not willing to take too many risks in the slippery conditions. The short course, which was out and back along a street of just over 1km, suited the powerful style of Wild though and her time looked untouchable for some time.
Swedish time trial champion Emilia Fahlin and Wild’s compatriot Adrie Visser (both HTC-Columbia) both looked as though they were going to get close to the sprinter’s time. Both riders came up slightly short though, 6 and 5 seconds slower respectively.
It was not until the top riders started that Wild’s time looked threatened again; it was another HTC-Columbia rider Linda Villumsen, the former Danish champion who now rides for New Zealand. The 25-year-old managed to go 3 seconds faster than Visser but was still 2 seconds off the lead.
Vos was the one to come closest, but her time of 3’00”18 was still more than a second and a half slower.
Of the top three riders, Judith Arndt (HTC-Columbia) came closest to the top with a time of 3’01”03, which was good enough for third place. The German champion moved ahead of teammate Evelyn Stevens in the overall classification, who posted a time of 3’08”67.
Race leader Noemi Cantele (HTC-Columbia) finished in 3’09”76; the Italian holds onto her pink jersey, but her lead over teammate Arndt has been cut to just 10 seconds.
Result stage 4
1. Kirsten Wild (Ned) Cervélo TestTeam 2’58”55
2. Marianne Vos (Ned) Nederland Bloeit @ 2s
3. Judith Arndt (Ger) HTC-Columbia @ 2s
4. Linda Villumsen (NZl) HTC-Columbia @ 2s
5. Adrie Visser (Ned) HTC-Columbia @ 5s
6. Emilia Fahlin (Swe) HTC-Columbia @ 6s
7. Regina Bruins (Ned) Cervélo TestTeam @ 7s
8. Annemiek Van Vleuten (Ned) Nederland Bloeit @ 7s
9. Irene Van Den Broek (Ned) Netherlands National Team @ 7s
10. Inga Cilvinaite (Ltu) Safi-Pasta Zara @ 8s
Standings after stage 4
1. Noemi Cantele (Ita) HTC-Columbia
2. Judith Arndt (Ger) HTC-Columbia @ 10s
3. Evelyn Stevens (USA) HTC-Columbia @ 13s
4. Tatiana Antoshina (Rus) Team Valdarno @ 30s
5. Tatiana Guderzo (Ita) Team Valdarno @ 59s