Columbia-Highroad’s women’s team will be starting the Tour de L’Aude in France on Friday, with Ina-Yoko Teutenberg gunning for her thirteenth win of the 2009 season.

“My form’s as good as it usually is at this time of year, so I’ll definitely be going for stage wins there,” Teutenberg says.  “The Tour de L’Aude’s a special race. It’s got a very tricky, hilly, windy route, and on top of that it’s the first long stage race of the season.  A lot of it is held on narrow country lanes, which makes it a nervous race for the overall leader. They have to be very attentive because the attacks can go at any moment.”

L’Aude is certainly a race which suits Teutenberg: she won two stages last year, one from a sprint and one from a break. One of her earliest victories, back in 1997, was a stage in the French ten-day race.  “I didn’t go to the Tour of Berne [World Cup race last Sunday] because you can’t do everything, but my condition is good and I’ll be on the lookout to see what I can do in the breaks and the sprints.  After L’Aude I don’t race for two weeks, but the idea is that I’ll keep going right  the way through to the Tour of Italy in early July.”

“With Ina’s current condition and after what she has done so far this season, for sure she’ll be up there in the time trials and on the road stages,” adds team sports director Ronny Lauke.  “We’re very confident we’ll be getting some great results there, from all our riders.”

Columbia-Highroad for Tour de L’Aude: Kate Bates (Aus); Chantal Beltman (Hol); Emilia Fahlin (Den); Luise Keller (Ger); Ina-Yoko Teutenberg (Ger); Linda Villumsen (Den).