Armitstead wins Tour de l'Ardeche stage three

Lizzie Armitstead (Cervelo) won the third stage of the Tour Cycliste Feminin International de l'Ardeche 2010 on Wednesday, following on from fellow Briton Sharon Laws' victory in the opening stage.

Armitstead pulled clear of the group at the end of the 83km stage to take the win ahead of Grace Verbeke (Lotto) and Froydis Waersted (Norway).

Earlier in the day, Armitstead had placed third in the short 3.5km individual time trial behind winner Ruth Corset (Australia).

Laws (Cervelo) placed fifth in the time trial, but crucially lost one second to overall rival Vicki Whitelaw (Lotto), who now moves into the race lead. Armitstead lies fourth overall.

"It was a good victory today with great teamwork again from Lieselot Decroix and Patricia Schwager," Armistead after her stage three win.

"They worked hard in the first part of the race, enabling us to have four riders in the front. I remembered the course from last year. With 600 metres to go, I took a fast corner and had a small gap and I just gave it full gas to the finish and nobody could pass me."

Thursday's fourth stage from Saint Sauveur de Montagut to Cruas features four categorised climbs over its 117km route and will likely shake up the overall classification again.

The 2010 Tour Cycliste Feminin International de l'Ardeche concludes on Saturday, September 11.

Results

Tour Cycliste Feminin International de l'Ardeche 2010, stage two: Vals les Bains 3.5km ITT

1. Ruth Corset (Aus) Australia

2. Christel Ferrier Bruneau (Fra) France at 8 secs

3. Lizzie Armitstead (GB) CErvelo at 8 secs

4. Vicki Whitelaw (Aus) Lotto Ladies at 12 secs

5. Sharon Laws (GB) Cervelo at 13 secs

Stage three: Vals les Bains to Le Teil, 83km

1. Lizzie Armitstead (GB) Cervelo

2. Grace Verbeke (Bel) Lotto Ladies at 4 secs

3. Froydis Waersted (Nor) Norway

4. Ashleigh Moolman (RSA) Lotto Ladies

5. Vicki Whitelaw (Aus) Lotto Ladies all same time

Overall classification after stage 3

1. Vicki Whitelaw (Aus) Lotto Ladies

2. Sharon Laws (GB) Cervelo at 1 sec

3. Ruth Corset (Aus) Australia at 1-29

4. Lizzie Armitstead (GB) Cervelo at 1-33

5. Ashleigh Moolman (RSA) Lotto Ladies at 1-42

6. Grace Verbeke (Bel) Lotto Ladies at 1-43

7. Andrea Gruas (Aut) Acs Chirio at 1-48

8. Lise Noestvold (Nor) Norway at 1-48

9. Tiffany Cromwell (Aus) Lotto Ladies at 1-51

10. Claudia Hausler (Ger) Cervelo at 1-52

Lizzie Armitstead post-stage three interview: YouTube video from www.tcfia.com

Related links



Stage one: Laws wins opening stage of Tour de l'Ardeche