Australians and Britons continue to dominate useful pre-Worlds stage race
Ruth Corset (Australia) won the short Tour de l’Ardeche stage 2 morning time trial in Vals-les-Bains. The Australian road champion completed the 3.5km course in 5’32”, to finish 8 seconds ahead of Cristel Ferrier-Bruneau (France) and Lizzie Armitstead.
In the afternoon stage 3 road race between Vals-les-Bains and Le Tiel, Armitstead outsprinted the field to take the Cervélo TestTeam’s second stage of the race. The 21-year-old outsprinted Grace Verbeke (Lotto Ladies) and Fröydis Waersted (Nor) at the end of the 90.1km course.
A group of just 17 riders detached from the front of the peloton in the early part of the stage; a late solo attack from Tiffany Cromwell (Lotto Ladies) was chased down by the Cervélo TestTeam, which then launched Armitstead for the sprint.
“It was a nice good victory today with great teamwork again from Lieselot Decroix and Patricia Schwager who did great work in the first part of the race, enabling us to have four riders in the front,” said Armitstead. “ I remembered the course from last year. With 600 metres to go I took a fast corner and had a small gap and I just gave it full gas to the finish and nobody could pass me.”
Vicki Whitelaw (Lotto Ladies) finished 1 second faster than race leader, and stage 1 winner, Sharon Laws (Cervélo TestTeam) and takes over the race leader’s pink jersey.
Result stage 2
1. Ruth Corset (Aus) Australian National Team
2. Christel Ferrier-Bruneau (Fra) France @ 8s
3. Elizabeth Armitstead (GBr) Cervélo TestTeam
4. Vicki Whitelaw (Aus) Lotto Ladies Team @ 12s
5. Sharon Laws (GBr) Cervélo TestTeam @ 13s
6. Ashleigh Moolman (RSA) Lotto Ladies Team
7. Grace Verbeke (Bel) Lotto Ladies Team @ 14s
8. Latoya Brulee (Bel) Mixteam Malderen/RedSun
9. Vilija Sereikaite (Ltu) Lithuanian National Team
10. Sophie Creux (Fra) ESGL 93-GSD Gestion
Result stage 3
1. Elizabeth Armitstead (GBr) Cervélo TestTeam
2. Grace Verbeke (Bel) Lotto Ladies Team @ 4s
3. Fröydis Waersted (Nor) Norwegian National Team
4. Ashleigh Moolman (RSA) Lotto Ladies Team
5. Vicki Whitelaw (Aus) Lotto Ladies Team
6. Ruth Corset (Aus) Australian National Team
7. Ludovine Henrion (Bel) Belgian National Team
8. Lise Noestvold (Nor) Norwegian National Team
9. Sharon Laws (GBr) Cervélo TestTeam
10. Anna Fischer (Ger) Rapha-Condor
Standings after stage 3
1. Vicki Whitelaw (Aus) Lotto Ladies Team
2. Sharon Laws (GBr) Cervélo TestTeam @ 1s
3. Ruth Corset (Aus) Australian National Team @ 1’29”
4. Lizzie Armitstead (GBr) Cervélo TestTeam @ 1’33”
5. Ashleigh Moolman (RSA) Lotto Ladies Team @ 1’42”