FINAL STAGE

Columbia-HTC rider Kim Anderson successfully fought to take home the yellow jersey as the overall winner of the Route de France Friday.  The American rider and her Columbia-HTC teammates celebrated the win after the 132-kilometre stage from Blanzat to Chatelguyon.

“This is such a great outcome, and it’s great to be in this position,” said Anderson afterward.  “The stage was a lot less stressful than I thought it would be.  I only really had to watch [US National Team rider] Evelyn (Stevens) who was in second.   Once we got into the circuits my teammates really kept the pace.  I just held on, stayed patient, and when Evelyn finally did attack, I just thought ‘I really can do this.’”

Anderson said she had great confidence in today’s stage, feeling the support of her team.  “The team and (Sports Director) Ronny (Lauke) had so much confidence in me going into today.  I just focused on that and didn’t want to disappoint after all the work they did for me.”

Anderson’s victory marks the Columbia-HTC women’s 43rd win of the 2009 season.

STAGE 4

Columbia-HTC's Kim Anderson has taken the first lead of her career in the Route de France stage race.  Anderson succeeded teammate Ina-Yoko Teutenberg as overall leader of the six-day race after forming part of a 10-rider break that gained 28 minutes on the bunch.

The American rider then powered after stage winner Evelyn Stevens of the USA when Stevens attacked in the final 30 kilometres.  Having caught her rival with 2.5 kilometres to go, Stevens won the stage but Anderson has moved into the overall lead, with a minute and 19 seconds advantage.

"I'm really excited and pleased about how the day worked out," Anderson said afterwards.  "I chased down an attack and then there were 10 of us ahead, and for some reason the bunch just didn't chase behind.  Our lead grew really fast, about half of the break was working well, and then when Evelyn attacked I had to chase very hard to get her back.  I didn't get the stage win, but taking a race lead for the first time ever in my career is really important."

"We're really pleased for Kim, because she is a really loyal team worker and it's great that she's got her own opportunity now," team manager Ronny Lauke commented.  It's true that tomorrow is a tough stage, but we've got a strong team here and we'll do everything we can to keep it all under control.  "I will have to watch Evelyn very closely but I'm very confident in my teammates," Anderson added. "I'll do my best to make sure it all works out."

STAGE 3

Columbia-HTC's Route de France leader Ina-Yoko Teutenberg outpowered her rivals for her second bunch sprint victory of the race on Wednesday.  Already the winner of stage one of the six-day event, at the finish of stage three from Saran to Vierzon, the German was once again the fastest.

"It was a tough final uphill sprint, even though most of the stage was pretty flat and easier than the first day," Teutenberg commented afterwards. "On top of that, [Columbia-HTC teammate] Emilia [Fahlin] was in a break which only got caught with about five kilometres to go, so we didn't have to do any work to chase it.  There were some important GC riders in it, and a lot of the other squads pulled the break back, and then I went for the win."

Teutenberg said she had sprinted for the victory after she chased down a move by rival Diana Ziliute in the final kilometre.  "Ziliute got a gap, and I caught her and went past her for the victory.  I don't think I gained any more time on my rivals for the overall, but in any case it was a good win."

The race's last two stages are the hilliest of the 2009 Route de France, and Teutenberg is cautious about her chances of keeping the lead.  "Thursday will also be difficult because it's a very long stage, over 150 kilometres when usually we do about 110 or 120.  So I'll just have to see what happens, see how I'm feeling and go from there."

STAGE 2

Columbia-HTC’s Ina-Yoko Teutenberg powered into the race lead of the Route de France on Tuesday after coming within hundredths of a second of claiming victory in the stage two time trial in Cholet.

“I was just a fraction of a second behind the stage winner, and it’s always a bit disappointing to miss a victory by so little,” Teutenberg said afterwards. “However, getting the lead is really important, too.”

The winner of stage one in a bunch sprint said she was “a little surprised to be going so well in the time trials right now, but that makes it doubly pleasing.

“I did have some time references from my team-mates for the time trial, and the course suited me. In any case, there was only one real tactic in a time trial like this, which was to go all out from the start.”

With three days racing remaining, Teutenberg is cautious about her chances of holding onto the top position overall.

“I don’t know if I’ll be able to hold the lead right the way through to the finish. There are some pretty important climbs at the end of the race and as a sprinter, when you come into form your climbing’s always the thing that gets better last.

“So I’ll take it on the day by day, and see what happens.”

STAGE 1

Columbia-HTC’s Ina-Yoko Teutenberg saw off the opposition in Route De France’s stage one from Fontenay-le-Comte to Cholet on Monday to claim a convincing bunch sprint win.

“The last part was very technical, but at the finish [rival Diana] Ziliute started to accelerate very early and we got a good gap, that made a big difference,” Teutenberg said later.

“I got good support from the team throughout the stage and then they gave me a great lead-out, which all helped.”

Teutenberg said she had had an incident-free stage and build-up to the bunch sprint, even though Monday’s 108 kilometre ride through central France had not been  straightforward.

“The stage was tougher than it looked on the race profile. They always say it’s flat in this part of France, but in fact it’s constantly up and down.

“The hardest part of this year’s race are the last two stages, which are really hilly, and together with tomorrow’s [Tuesday’s]  time trial that’s where the overall will be decided.”

The Columbia-HTC sprint star said her stage win and third place in Sunday’s prologue showed that after a few weeks where she had not felt in such great shape, he condition was now improving.

“I had a bit of a flat period after the Giro d'Italia [in July] and things didn’t go as well as we would have liked in Sweden [in the Vargarda World Cup rounds], either.

 “But now I’ve got a stage win here in France and hopefully things will continue to get better from now on and I can start to build up for the rest of the season.”