Ina Teutenberg wins second stage of Giro Toscana Int. Femminile 2011 – Cycling Update
HTC-Highroad Women Team’s Ina Teutenberg won the bunch sprint of the second stage of Premondiale Giro Toscana Int. Femminile 2011 on Wednesday, September 14. She also retained her overall leader’s jersey.
The race started in Porcari and ended in Altopascio. In the final sprint, Teutenberg showed her brilliant skills and easily beat World Champion Giorgia Bronzini of Colavita Forno d’Asolo.
Ina took a total of 2 hours, 55 minutes and 37 seconds to cover the distance of 117.1 kilometres. Alona Andruk (Diadora-Pasta Zara) was in third place with the same timing as Ina ahead of Belinda Goss and Julia Martisova.
Teutenberg said, "One girl got ahead at the beginning and held a break with a max of two and a half minutes. We pulled her in at about forty kilometres.”
She further explained, “The girls did a great job controlling and setting me up for the finish. I was out front for the last corner, and after I came out of it I took off with about two hundred meters to go."
With 31 kilometres to go, Amanda Miller was the first cyclist who was able to get away and the American could only build a lead of a few seconds over the peloton. In the first intermediate sprint the three cyclists Valentina Scandolara (Gauss-RDZ-Ormu),
Megan Guarnier (United States) and Romy Kasper (Kuota Speed Kueens) gained a lead but Scandolara took maximum points to take first place.
After 53 kilometres, Katazyna Sosna managed to get away alone and build a lead of 2 minutes and 54 seconds. The HTC-Highroad Team was able to catch her in the final lap as Silvia Valsecchi tried to get away but she was also caught by the peloton.
Teutenberg increased her pace and was able to cross the final line ahead of the other cyclists without any difficulty.
She also took the overall lead with a timing of 3 hours, 1 minute and 54 seconds while Chloe Hosking was runner-up with 10 seconds down to Teutenberg. Charlotte Becker was in third place with a difference of 13 seconds ahead of Arndt.
The next stage will run in Pontedera and end in Volterra as all the cyclists will cover the distance of 137.6 kilometres.
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