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Tour of Chongming Island 2011

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Stage 3 -Chloe Hosking wins final stage, Teutenberg takes overall.

Shanghai East Beach Cup - City Circuit 79.2km

Race Writeup  

Chloe Hosking (HTC Highroad) won the sprint in the final stage of the Tour of Chongming Island 2011. Hosking had the perfect lead out from team-mate Ellen van Dijk and finished just ahead of the overall leader, her team-mate, Ina-Yoko Teutenberg. Italian road Champion, Monia Baccaille (MCipollini), was third. Ina-Yoko Teutenberg completed the double,  securing the overall lead for a second year.

It was a beautiful day in downtown Chengqiao for the final stage of the Tour of Chongming Island. Temperatures reached 27 degrees and there was a breeze blowing. As with the other stages, many locals turned out to watch the race. 

Overnight leader Ina-Yoko Teutenberg (HTC Highroad), held a 17 second lead, ahead of second place Annemiek van Vleuten (Nederland Bloeit). HTC Highroad set up Teutenberg for the first sprint, she just had to win one sprint and finish the race to secure overall victory. With local school children cheering on the riders, HTC Highroad lined up perfectly for the first sprint and Teutenberg was delivered to the line first. She secured the valuable seconds to put her in an unbeatable lead overall. 

After 25km of racing, a small group of three riders attacked. They didn't get far but held a 15 second lead for two laps. Valentina Bastianelli (Vaiano Solaristech), Lang Meng (China Chongming- Giant) and Chapookam Monrudee (Thailand) worked hard to try to make the break stick. At the front of the peloton however, HTC Highroad's Charlotte Becker, Judith Arndt, Adrie Visser and Ellen van Dijk policed the group to make sure the leaders didn't get too far ahead.

Unlike previous days, the day for the mechanics was relatively quiet. USA's Jackie Crowell and Lindsey Myers were two of three riders to suffer punctures and had to chase back to the peloton just before the second of the three sprints. Crowell then had further mechanical trouble with two laps to go.

The peloton stretched out with 1500m to go to the second sprint; led by Chongming-Giant and the Italian National team. With 300m to go however, Hitec had prime position and Sara Mustonen took maximum points ahead of Giada Borgato (Italy) and Johansson. 

With 5 laps to go, Vaiano Solaristech's Sosna Katazini attacked. This was quickly covered by Arndt and Visser. Monrudee (Thailand) who had been in the earlier break, attacked again. This time she only managed to get a 12 second lead. Two riders attacked to close her gap, Katazini (Vaiano Solaristech) and Andrea Graus (Austrian National Team). 

The three riders worked together to stay away but just before the third and final sprint approached, the gap was closed down by MCipollini and Italy. Baccaille secured maximum points which moved her up to fourth in the Points Classification. 

With two laps to go, Bastianelli (Vaiano Solaristech) attacked again. She dangled 30m off the front of the peloton, which was controlled at this point by HTC Highroad. At the bell, she was within 10m of the chasing peloton. 

With 3km to go the peloton was all together. HTC Highroad made their move with precision tactics and took the race to the rest of the peloton. They controlled the front of the bunch and just before the last corner, Arndt took the front and led them round with Visser next in line. Teutenberg slowed just after the left hand turn to create a gap behind the 'train' which was taking Hosking to the line. The gap gave van Dijk and Hosking a vital advantage over the others; a momentary lull before any of the other sprinters had a chance of reacting. 

The group finally came together with 50m to go but it was all too late. Hosking was still in a good position and maintaining her speed, she came off van Dijk's wheel to cross the line first. Teutenberg was there too, having closed the gap she, herself, had created. The hitherto race leader crossed the line celebrating the victory of her team-mate and her own general classification victory. Baccaille crossed in third and moved herself up to second in the sprint competition and to third overall. It was almost a 1-2-3 for HTC Highroad, van Dijk rolled across the line in fourth place celebrating as she did so.

Teutenberg completed the Tour of Chongming with a 26 second advantage in the General Classification and a 29 point advantage in the sprint competition.

HTC Highroad won the Team Classification, ahead of Nederland Bloeit and Hitec Products UCK, who incredibly completed the tour with the same time gap behind HTC Highroad 1 minute 25 seconds.

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Post Race Comments

Ina-Yoko Teutenberg (HTC Highroad) was very happy with her own and her team-mates performance. "Again we did a great job out there today. We made it hard when we needed to. It was quite windy and this helped us. The strong girls were able to but the riders in the gutter when the pace was high," said Teutenberg "The girls worked really hard to get this win. We were stretched out and everyone was on my wheel, thinking they were going to lead me out for the sprint. I just stopped pedalling just before the corner and the girls had five metres. It was just enough for Chloe to bring the victory home. " said Teutenberg when she spoke to WomensCycling.net in an exclusive post-race interview. 

"Every day they did everything to keep me safe, particularly yesterday in the cross winds, so it's nice that we were able to pull it off and it was nice for Chloe to win today. She's so fast around the corners, that just leaving a little gap makes it really hard [for the others] to get her back. Now we have a day to get some rest before the World Cup on Sunday. We have a really good team here. I think we have a great chance to defend the title. There are so many other good bike riders here. A lot of things can happen so you can never be too confident. You have to respect the other," added Teutenberg

Continuing with interviews, WomensCycling.net also spoke exclusively to the following riders and team managers:

Chloe Hosking (HTC Highroad) won the Tour of Chongming in 2009, just before she signed her professional contract with HTC Highroad, helped Teutenberg win the first bonification sprint which secured the overall race win. The team were then able to work for Hosking in the finale. "It was really something," she added, "It was a total team effort, all six of us were there with 800m to go. I don't know,  I don't think I have ever seen that done before. It was really great. This is a team victory."

"Judith [Arndt] took us right to 500m, then Adrie took us through the last corner. Ina, sneakily gapped off and Ellen just hit it and I had just 200m to go."

Ronny Lauke (Team Director) was extremely happy with the results. Especially after the team had controlled the 11-lap circuit race in Chengqiao Town from the start with the aim of defending the race lead to ensure nobody could take time bonus seconds away. "We we didn't just want to secure the GC," said Lauke, "We wanted to try for another stage win too."

Lauke then shared that, "The whole tour tuned out to be very successful. The girls did incredibly well as a team. They showed commitment, they were dedicated and made things happen. So far it has been great racing over here." 

Continuing the one-to-one conversation and with a look towards the World Cup in Sunday, Lauke is positive about the possibilities for the team, "I think they will all be confident enough to know they can win on Sunday. We will work on a good strategy and hopefully they recover well tomorrow and I am looking forward to a good race."

Annemiek van Vleuten (Nederland Bloeit) "I don't think of myself as a sprinter but this week we did some practice and it was great to have the sprint prepared for me. It is great to have Jaroen [Blijlevens -Team Director] here so he knows all about it too," said van Vleuten 

Looking to the World Cup on Sunday, van Vleuten added, "I am confident. It is a nice race and for me it will be good if it is hard race. It is more kilometres and with a nice bridge so I am looking forward to it. We have used these three days as a team to prepare and I think we are ready for it."

Monia Baccaille (MCipollini Giambenini) was a very happy Italian Champion. "Third is good," said Baccaille about her final position on the General Classification. "Second behind Teutenberg in the sprint is better for me though," she added when she too spoke to WomensCycling.net

Emma Johansson (Hitec Products UCK)   said she struggled on the final day but finished fourth overall and third in the sprint competition. "I was really sick overnight with food poisoning, so I struggled today," said Johansson. "It would have been nice to move up on the General [Classification] but I have to think about the World Cup on Sunday now," added Johansson

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Results - Top 10 - Click here for full result

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General Classification Top 10 - Click here for full classifications

Sprint 

Best Asian Rider 

Team Classification

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Photos   Click on any image to enlarge >>

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