GiroDonne, Stage 8

Trixi Worrack (Equipe Nurnberger) put on a show of strength today on the 115.6 Km stage from San Marco dei Cavoti to Pesco Sannita as she undertook a solo escape. Worrack began her escape from 91 Km and immediately took a substantial lead. Chasing Worrack were four riders: Svetlana Bubnenkova (Fenixs), Tatiana Guderzo (Michela Fanini Record Rox), Loes Gunnewijk (Flexpoint) and Shelley Olds (USA). Worrack maintained her lead and arrived at the finish with a lead of 1 minute and 35 seconds ahead of the four chasers. Second to arrive was Shelley Olds, followed by Svetlana Bubnenkova.

With the loss of Amber Neben due to a crash on Stage 5 the Equipe Nurnberger squad had to develop a new strategy for the latter part of the race. "Once there was no possibility of a GC victory I was free to try for a stage victory", said Worrack.

The pink jersey remained with Claudia Hausler (Cervelo Test Team) who along with her controlled her GC rivals, and in a sprint arrived 6th and ahead of the other GC contenders. Cervelo Test Team Sports Director Manel Lacambra, looking forward to the final stage tomorrow, said, "A quite flat stage is ahead of us; the Giro is not finished but if nothing exceptional happens we will win the GC."

Judith Arndt (Team Columbia) who had been second in GC at the start of today crashed and suffered several contusions. She was unable to continue the race and was taken to the hospital in Benevento for examination.


Stage 8 top 10 results:
1 Trixi Worrack (Ger) Equipe Nürnberger Versicherung 3:05:26
2 Shelley Olds (USA) US National Team 0:01:13
3 Svetlana Bubnenkova (Rus) Fenixs Edilsavino
4 Loes Gunnewijk (Ned) Team Flexpoint

5 Tatiana Guderzo (Ita) S.C. Michela Fanini Record Rox 0:01:15
6 Claudia Hausler (Ger) Cervelo TestTeam 0:02:57
7 Nicole Brandli (Swi) Bigla Cycling Team
8 Susanne Ljungskog (Swe) Team Flexpoint
9 Monia Baccaille (Ita) S.C. Michela Fanini Record Rox
10 Eleonora Patuzzo (Ita) Safi - Pasta Zara Titanedi


Top 10 GC:

1 Claudia Hausler (Ger) Cervelo Test Team 22:25:04
2 Mara Abbott (USA) Team Columbia HTC 0:00:50
3 Nicole Brandli (Swi) Bigla Cycling Team 0:02:53
4 Emma Pooley (GBr) Cervelo Test Team 0:06:55
5 Svetlana Bubnenkova (Rus) Fenixs Edilsavino 0:07:32
6 Fabiana Luperini (Ita) Selle Italia Ghezzi 0:09:13
7 Tatiana Guderzo (Ita) S.C. Michela Fanini Record Rox 0:11:17
8 Carla Ryan (Aus) Cervelo Test Team 0:12:49
9 Susanne Ljungskog (Swe) Team Flexpoint 0:14:45
10 Edita Pucinskaite (Ltu) Gauss RDZ Ormu - Colnago 0:14:55


Jersey classifications:

Pink: Claudia Hausler (Cervelo Test Team)

Cyclamen: Claudia Hausler

Green: Mara Abbott (Team Columbia)

White: Elizabeth Armitstead (Lotto BelisolLadies Team)

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