Evelyn Stevens wins fourth stage, Emma Pooley takes lead of International de’l’Ardeche 2011
HTC Highroad Women team’s Evelyn Stevens showed her good skills and took the fourth stage of Tour Cycliste Feminin International de’l’Ardeche 2011 on Wednesday, September 8. Emma Pooley takes the overall leader’s jersey.
The race started in Saint Sauveur de Montagut and ended in Cruas. The American professional cyclists took a total of 3 hours, 34 minutes and 49 seconds to cover the distance 127 kilometres.
Recently, she also took first place in United States national time trial championships. She also took first place in Redlands classic third stage and also in the sixth stage of Nature Valley Grand Prix.
After winning the stage, Stevens told the media, “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.”
She further added, “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, Then at [kilometer] sixty I attacked and tried to get as much time as possible.”
Her team-mate Amanda Miller was in second place with 4 minutes and 23 seconds down to Stevens and Christel Ferrier-Bruneau finished third with same timing of Stevens.
Grace Verbeke (Belgium) tried her best to take a lead but failed to hold her pace and secured 12th spot with a difference of 4 hours, 29 seconds ahead of Julia Martisova and Elodie Hegoburu.
In the final kilometres the four cyclists made their first breakaway lead including, Evelyn Stevens (HTC Highroad Women), Amanda Miller (HTC Highroad Women), Christel Ferrier-Bruneau (France) and Ludivine Henrion (Belgium).
After 50 kilometres, they build a gap of six minutes and fifty seconds over the peloton. The last two cyclists were caught by the peloton while Miller and Stevens continued their efforts and worked well until the last kilometres.
Stevens launched an attack and built a huge gap between the other cyclists as she crossed the finish line ahead of the other cyclists.
Garmin-Cervelo team’s Emma Pooley took the overall standing with a timing of 9 hours, 16 minutes and 41 seconds while Ashleigh Moolman (RSA) was in second with 2 minutes and 20 seconds down to Pooley.
Christel Ferrier-Bruneau (France) finished third with the difference of 2 minutes and 21 seconds ahead of Amanda Miller and Ludivine Henrion.
The next stage will start in Saint Martin d’Ardèche and end in Villeneuve de Berg as all the cyclists will cover the distance of 123.5 kilometres.
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