Stage 6 report — On the final stage, Emilia Fahlin took her fourth win of the race, and the fifth win for the team all together while the overall win went to Emma Polley.
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Race Reports
Stage 6 Emilia Fahlin wins her fourth in l’Ardèche
Along with Ally Stacher and Amanda Miller, Fahlin took charge in a fifteen rider break with thirty kilometers to go, then led out Miller in the last kilometer before taking the win herself.
“Emilia attacked with five kilometers to go,” said sport director, Ronny Lauke, “Emma Pooley [Garmin-Cervelo] chased her down before counter attacking.”
“By one kilometer to go, Pooley and Emilia got caught before Emilia and MIller made their move. Amanda took second today, and the best young rider’s jersey.”
This finishes a spectacular race for the HTC-Highroad women at Ardeche, with Fahlin’s fifth win of the season and the one-hundred and seventh win for team HTC-Highroad this year.
Results
Coming …
Stage 5 – Third Stage win for Emilia Fahlin in l’Ardèche
Stage 5: Emilia Fahlin outsprinted Pia Sundstedt [Team Rothaus Vita Classica] for her third race win at the Tour Cycliste Féminin International de l’Ardèche on Friday. The one-hundred and twenty-three kilometer stage was lead by a break of five riders after forty-five kilometers. At forty kilometers to go, Fahlin and Sundstedt broke free and finished together, with Fahlin ahead.
“It’s been a pretty cool performance this week from the group as a whole.” said sport director Ronny Lauke, “The girl’s morale is at a high point, and we are looking forward to finishing strong for tomorrow’s stage.”
“Emilia is particularly confident, after taking three out of six stage so far and pulling her first road race victory at the UCI level.”
This marks the fourth victory for the team at Ardèche, Fahlin’s fourth victory of the season and the four-hundred and ninety-sixth win for team HTC-Highroad since 2008.
Results
1. Emilia Fahlin (Swe) HTC-Highroad    3:38:35
2. Pia Sundstedt (Fin) Team Rothaus Vita Classica    0:00:01
3. Christel Ferrier Bruneau (Fra) France    0:03:36
4. Amanda Miller (USA) HTC-Highroad
5. Ashleigh Moolman (RSA) International Mixed Team
6. Emma Pooley (GBr) Garmin-Cervelo
Overall
1.    Emma Pooley (GBr) Garmin-Cervelo    12:58:52
2.    Ashleigh Moolman (RSA) International Mixed Team    0:02:20
3.    Christel Ferrier Bruneau (Fra) France    0:02:21
4.    Amanda Miller (USA) HTC-Highroad    0:02:22
5.    Ludivine Henrion (Bel) Belgium    0:03:01
17.    Catherine Williamson (GBr) Great Britain/France    0:09:46
22.    Sharon Laws (GBr) Garmin-Cervelo    0:12:06
32.    Claire Thomas (GBr) Great Britain/France    0:16:37
50.   Lucy Martin (GBr) Garmin-Cervelo    0:26:37
54.    Penny Rowson (GBr) FOR-Viored-Brookvex    0:32:59
Stage 4
HTC-Highroad’s Evelyn Stevens conquered a mountainous stage four on Thursday at the Tour Cycliste Féminin International de l’Ardèche in a bunch sprint, four and a half minutes ahead of the peloton. The team successfully executed an aggressive strategy that put both Stevens and Amanda Miller on the podium.
“We wanted to set the pace and put a few girls in the break early on,” said sport director Ronny Lauke, “Evelyn is a naturally aggressive rider and she performed wonderfully, as did the rest of the girls.”
Stevens recalls, “We started off going for the stage win. Emilia [Fahlin] was in an early break, and Ally [Stacher] and Amanda were all over it, keeping control of the peloton.”
“Carla [Ryan] from Garmin-Cervelo took off on the first climb and I went with her, but she dropped me on the descent which had me a bit disappointed,” Stevens continued, “Then at [kilometer] sixty I attacked and tried to get as much time as possible.”
Stevens rode in the break that held a maximum gap of six minutes and fifty seconds at fifty kilometers. The gap was reduced slightly toward the finish were Stevens and Miller bested the bunch.
“Since I was the highest from our team in the GC, I rode a little more conservatively at the beginning,” said Miller, “Amber [Neben] and I were riding with each other and waiting for Emma Pooley [Garmin-Cervelo] to attack, which she did on the last GPM climb. We went with her and I got dropped but Amber held on.”
“By five hundred meters to go, Amber was leading me out,” continued Miller, “I took off for my sprint at one hundred and fifty meters into a strong head wind. It was a hard finish and I threw my bike, not sure of what place i’d come in.”
Miller held the best young rider’s jersey, and after three thousand meters of climbing in stage four, the girls are still in great form and will be after another victory in a hilly stage five. This victory is the third for the team in Ardèche this year, and the one hundred and fifth for HTC-Highroad this season.
Results
Stage
1. Evelyn Stevens (USA) HTC Highroad Women    3:34:49
2 Amanda Miller (USA) HTC Highroad Women    0:04:23
3. Christel Ferrier-Bruneau (Fra) France
4. Ludivine Henrion (Bel) Belgium
5. Ashleigh Moolman (RSA)
6. Emma Pooley (GBr) Garmin – Cervelo
7. Pia Sundstedt (Fin)
8. Joanna Van De Winkel (RSA)
9. Carla Ryan (Aus) Garmin – Cervelo
10. Amber Neben (USA) HTC Highroad Women
14. Pascale Schnider (Swi) Switzerland    0:05:59
20. Catherine Hare Willianson (GBr)
28. Sharon Laws (GBr) Garmin – Cervelo
31. Elizabeth Armitstead (GBr) Garmin – Cervelo
34. Claire Thomas (GBr) Â Â Â 0:07:34
52. Penny Rowson (GBr) Â Â Â 0:11:49
54. Lucy Martin (GBr) Garmin – Cervelo
67. Sarah Byrne (GBr)
72. Rohan Battison (GBr) Â Â Â 0:20:10
73. Melanie Wotsch (Ger) Â Â Â 0:25:27
Overall
1. Emma Pooley (GBr) Garmin – Cervelo    9:16:41
2. Ashleigh Moolman (RSA) Â Â Â 0:02:20
3. Christel Ferrier-Bruneau (Fra) France    0:02:21
4. Amanda Miller (USA) HTC Highroad Women    0:02:22
5. Ludivine Henrion (Bel) Belgium    0:03:01
6. Evelyn Stevens (USA) HTC Highroad Women    0:03:36
7. Elizabeth Armitstead (GBr) Garmin – Cervelo    0:03:47
8. Aude Biannic (Fra) France    0:04:09
9. Julia Martisova (Rus) Russian Federation    0:04:13
10. Elena Cecchini (Ita) Colavita Forno d’Asolo
Stage 3: Vals les Bains – Le Teil 96km
1. Emma Pooley (GBr) Garmin – Cervelo    2:38:38
2. Elizabeth Armitstead (GBr) Garmin – Cervelo    0:02:25
3. Julia Martisova (Rus) Russian Federation
4. Elena Cecchini (Ita) Colavita Forno d’Asolo
5. Ludivine Henrion (Bel) Belgium
6. Christel Ferrier-Bruneau (Fra) France
7. Lise Nöstvold (Nor) Norway
8. Amanda Miller (USA) HTC Highroad Women
9. Ashleigh Moolman (RSA)
10. Aude Biannic (Fra) France
15. Catherine Hare Willianson (GBr)
16. Sharon Laws (GBr) Garmin – Cervelo
36. Claire Thomas (GBr)
38. Penny Rowson (GBr)
49. Lucy Martin (GBr) Garmin – Cervelo
62. Sarah Byrne (GBr)
66. Rohan Battison (GBr)
Overall
1 Emma Pooley (GBr) Garmin – Cervelo    5:37:29
2 Elizabeth Armitstead (GBr) Garmin – Cervelo    0:02:11
3 Ashleigh Moolman (RSA) Â Â Â 0:02:20
Stage 2 Time Trial
Vals les Bains, France, 7th September 2011 -Â After winning a short prologue on Monday and taking the leaders jersey at Tour de l’Ardeche, Sweden’s Emilia Fahlin backed up on Wednesday to take the win in the second time trial of the week.
Fahlin powered over the 3.5km course and surprised herself a second time to take the win.
“It was also a short time trial,” said Fahlin, ” but it was totally different to the prologue. It went straight uphill and then down a technical descent to the finish.”
“I’m surprised to win again but I’m really happy,” she added. “The mountain stages come in the next few days, which will be a lot harder, but these wins have given me some confidence so we’re excited to race hard and give it everything.
Probably the biggest surprise for Fahlin was that she could go so fast so early in the morning; not particularly being known as a morning person.
“It definitely wasn’t easy for me starting a race at 8:30am!”
“She’s really excited,” said Sport Director Ronny Lauke. “These are big wins for her and it shows her form going into the world championships. The girls are very motivated here and I’m really happy with the way they’re riding.”
The afternoon saw Emma Pooley win the second stage of the day.
1. Emilia Fahlin (Swe) HTC Highroad Women    0:05:13
2. Ashleigh Moolman (RSA) Â Â Â 0:00:06
3. Elizabeth Armitstead (GBr) Garmin – Cervelo    0:00:07
4. Emma Pooley (GBr) Garmin – Cervelo    0:00:08
5. Pascale Schnider (Swi) Switzerland    0:00:12
6. Amanda Miller (USA) HTC Highroad Women
7. Iris Slappendel (Ned) Garmin – Cervelo    0:00:13
8. Pia Sundstedt (Fin)
9. Christel Ferrier-Bruneau (Fra) France    0:00:14
10. Amber Neben (USA) HTC Highroad Women    0:00:18
Stage 1
1. Emilie Moberg (Nor) Norway    2:50:04
2. Lizzie Armitstead (GBr) Garmin-Cervelo
3. Julia Martisova (Rus) Russia
4. Elena Cecchini (Ita) Forno D’Asolo Colavita
5. Emilia Fahlin (Swe) HTC-Highroad
6. Aude Biannic (Fra) France
7. Lucy Martin (GBr) GARMIN-Cervelo
8. Pascale Schnider (Swi) Switzerland
9. Grace Verbecke (Bel) Belgium
10. Larisa Pankova (Rus) Russia
Prologue
1. Emilia Fahlin (Swe) HTC-Highroad    0:03:09.10
2. Leire Olaberria Dorronsoro (Spa)Â Â Â Â 0:00:00.32
3. Pascale Schnider (Swi) Switzerland    0:00:01.71
4. Iris Slappendel (Ned) GARMIN-Cervelo    0:00:02.23
5. Pia Sundstedt (Fin) Team Rothaus Vita Classica    0:00:04.05
6. Lizzie Armitstead (GBr) GARMIN-Cervelo    0:00:04.70
7. Amber Neben (USA) HTC-Highroad    0:00:05.12
8. Emma Pooley (GBr) GARMIN-Cervelo    0:00:06.45
9. Amanda Miller (USA) HTC-Highroad    0:00:06.86
10. Christel Ferrier Bruneau (Fra) France    0:00:07.60
