GiroDonne, Stage 6

Stage 6, 119 Km from Cerro al Volturno to Sant'Elena Sannita, resulted in the pink jersey passing from Emma Pooley (Cervelo) to Claudia Hausler (Cervelo). The stage winner was Judith Arndt (Team Columbia HTC) who is now only 12 seconds behind the pink jersey.

The first selection took place only 17 Km from the start on the climb of Macerone. At the KOM point the first across were Trixi Worrack (Equipe Nurberger), Susanne Ljungskog (Flexpoint) and Kristin Armstrong(Cervelo). On the second KOM, after 60 Km from the start, in Prato Gentile the order of arrivals were Mara Abbott (Team Columbia HTC), Nicole Brandli (Bigla) and Claudia Hausler (Cervelo). The decisive escape took place at 70 Km with the best among the escapees being Mara Abbott, Judith Arndt, Nicole Brandli and Claudia Hausler.

Chasing were Fabiana Luperini (Selle ItaliaGhezzi), Emma Pooley (Cervelo), Claudia Ryan (Cervelo) and Trixi Worrack (Equipe Nurberger) but losing time to the lead group. In the end Emma Pooley lost almost 5 minutes and the pink jersey.

The Columbia-HTC women now occupy second and third overall, with Arndt 12 seconds and Abbott 38 seconds behind Hausler's lead with three stages to go."It's a close situation overall and anything could happen over the next three days," pointed out Columbia-HTC team director Ronny Lauke. "Two of the upcoming stages are really tough, whilst the third is flatter and shouldn't change much overall. But when the gaps are as small as this you never know."

Manel Lacambra, Sports Director for Cervelo said, "Claudia is the new leader and we will do everything possible to keep the jersey with our team.”

Amber Neben, who crashed out of the race yesterday, was on her way back home to the USA today to have her doctor look at one of her fingers that may have suffered nerve damage.

Stage 6 top 10 results:
1 Judith Arndt (Ger) Team Columbia HTC Women 3:26:20
2 Claudia Hausler (Ger) Cervelo TestTeam s.t.
3 Nicole Brandli (Swi) Bigla Cycling Team 0:00:03
4 Mara Abbott (USA) Team Columbia HTC Women 0:00:14
5 Trixi Worrack (Ger) Equipe Nürnberger Versicherung 0:05:18
6 Fabiana Luperini (Ita) Selle Italia Ghezzi 0:05:22
7 Carla Ryan (Aus) Cervelo TestTeam 0:05:29
8 Emma Pooley (GBr) Cervelo TestTeam 0:05:44
9 Svetlana Bubnenkova (Rus) Fenixs Edilsavino 0:07:55
10 Edita Pucinskaite (Ltu) Gauss RDZ Ormu - Colnago 0:07:57

Top 10 GC:

1 Claudia Hausler (Ger) Cervelo TestTeam 15:50:43
2 Judith Arndt (Ger) Team Columbia HTC Women 0:00:12
3 Mara Abbott (USA) Team Columbia HTC Women 0:00:38
4 Nicole Brandli (Swi) Bigla Cycling Team 0:02:33
5 Emma Pooley (GBr) Cervelo TestTeam 0:04:39
6 Carla Ryan (Aus) Cervelo TestTeam 0:07:50
7 Fabiana Luperini (Ita) Selle Italia Ghezzi 0:08:49
8 Svetlana Bubnenkova (Rus) Fenixs Edilsavino :08:56
9 Edita Pucinskaite (Ltu) Gauss RDZ Ormu - Colnago 0:09:19

10 Tatiana Guderzo (Ita) S.C. Michela Fanini Record Rox 0:12:15

Jersey classifications:

Pink: Claudia Hausler (Cervelo Test Team)

Cyclamen: Judith Arndt (Team Columbia HTC )

Green: Mara Abbott (Team Columbia HTC)

White: Elizabeth Armitstead (Lotto Betisol Ladies Team)

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