Wiggle Honda Pro Cycling’s Linda Villumsen has secured overall victory in the 2014 Tour de l’Ardèche after yesterday’s seventh and final stage, between Grotte de St Marcel and Bourg Saint Andéol. The Commonwealth Time Trial Champion, who had led the race since taking the lead over from teammate Giorgia Bronzini after stage two, beat American Tayler Wiles, riding for the ‘Mixte Internationale 1’ team, by 12 seconds, with French veteran Edwige Pitel of ‘Mixte Internationale 2’ 37 seconds back in third.
“I am just real happy we finished the wiggle Honda season off in such a good way!” Villumsen exclaimed. “I mean Gio is clearly super fit, some of them stages weren’t exactly flat and she made the selection and was able to sprint too and win so many stages.
“We were down to just 4 riders in the last stage of Ardèche but we managed to pull it off and we are all just hoping that Anna [Schnitzmeier] will recover quick from the injuries attained from her crash,” Villumsen added.
With the priority on the 77.8km stage the protection of Villumsen’s Pink Jersey, Wiggle Honda Pro Cycling was happy to allow a breakaway to escape made up of riders that were no threat. German Kathrin Hammes of the Racing Students+Stevens Hytera Mixte team beat Uenia De Souza Fernandes of Estado de Mexico Faren and Australia’s Carlee Taylor in a three-up sprint for the line, as the black and orange team controlled the peloton containing Villumsen’s rivals behind them.
“I myself was so happy to get the TT right,” Villumsen said, “and as always it is good to have the confidence boost at this time of the year.”
Wiggle Honda Pro Cycling’s Bronzini easily won the sprint for fourth from the first chasing group, 48 seconds behind the break, to comfortably cement her victory in the Green Jersey Points Classification.
Final General Classification
1. Linda Villumsen (Wiggle Honda Pro Cycling)
2. Tayler Wiles (Mixte Internationale 1)
3. Edwige Pitel (Mixte Internationale 2)
