Above: Anna Blyth: Photo: PhotoSport International (CJ Farquharson)

The objective for the stage said the GB team manager was to get the riders to commit fully to this effort starting with a full 20 minute warm up. All girls had radio's and the manager was able to follow every rider and encourage them to do their very best over the short distance on a very windy day in France. The winner, Linda Villumesen, did a time of 4:52:22 with the British riders as follows:

Great Britain Team
22nd Anna Blyth - 5:07:36 @ 15sec
26th Nikki Harris - 5:09:01 @ 17sec
44th Katie Colclough - 5:18:41 @ 26sec
52nd Alex Greenfield - 5:20:90 @ 28sec
54th Lucy Martin - 5:21:44 @ 29sec

Other British Results
19. Emma Pooley (GBr) Cervelo Test Team 0.13
25. Nicole Cooke (GBr) Vision 1 Racing 0.17
33. Elisabeth Armitstead (GBr) Lotto-Belisol Ladiesteam 0.22
59. Leda Cox (GBr) Esgl93-Gsd Gestion 0.31
64. Helen Wyman (GBr) Vision 1 Racing 0.34
73. Catherine Hare Willianson (GBr) Fenixs 0.36
93. Gabriella Day (GBr) Vision 1 Racing 0.46
105. Emma Silversides (GBr) Lotto-Belisol Ladiesteam 1.10

Stage 1, Rieux Minervois - 116,5km

For the first road stage of this very tough event, the objective for the GB riders was get through the stage and should there be a bunch sprint, it was up to Lucy Martin and Alex Greenfield to have a go in this with Nikki Harris and Katie Colcough there to help them get in position for the best result. The weather for the stage saw temperatures rise to 28 degrees plus and the field would have a 1.5 kilometre climb with half of that very steep.

All the Academy rider were in the main group coming up to the main climb of the day but there was disaster for Anna Blyth who was caught behind a crash at the foot of the climb. The Leeds girl managed to regain the back of the bunch just as the climb got steep and the race started to split wide open. By the time they had come off the descent, most of the race had come back together but unfortunately for Anna, a European Sprint champion, she was unable to make it back to the bunch.

Anna found herself in a back group but worse luck was to come for her as she was dropped from this group and then crashed, losing a lot of skin down her left side. The young rider was taken to hospital where after many many hours, she was finally seen to and patched up. Meanwhile, back at the front of the race, all the other Academy girls got back to the bunch and the stage came down to a sprint where Lucy Martin was an excellent 11th, helped by Nikki Harris who helped her get position.

1. Ina Teutenberg (Ger) Team Columbia Highroad Women 3.06.34 (37.46 km/h)
2. Martine Bras (Ned) Selle Italia Guezzi
3. Marianne Vos (Ned) DSB Bank

9. Catherine Hare Willianson (GBr) Fenixs
11. Lucy Martin (GBr) British National Team
14. Nicole Cooke (GBr) Vision 1 Racing
29. Leda Cox (GBr) Esgl93-Gsd Gestion
30. Elisabeth Armitstead (GBr) Lotto-Belisol Ladiesteam
69. Emma Silversides (GBr) Lotto-Belisol Ladiesteam
73. Katie Colclough (GBr) British National Team
79. Emma Pooley (GBr) Cervelo TestTeam
82. Helen Wyman (GBr) Vision 1 Racing
85. Nikki Harris (GBr) British National Team
95. Alexandra Greenfield (GBr) British National Team 0.13
105. Gabriella Day (GBr) Vision 1 Racing 13.44

Stage Two Port-La-Nouvelle Team Time Trial 27km

Above: Alex Greenfield leads the GB foursome in the Team Time Trial. Photo: PhotoSport International (CJ Farquharson).

After a hard stage 1, the Academy rider's next test was a team time trial and with Anna having crashed out the stage before, they were a rider down. The riders were briefed and told how long to do on the front depending on how they felt with the main objective being to ‘keep the speed' and keep the pace as smooth as possible. They were told that the event was not about riders showing how strong they were by ripping the team up on the rolling course where the temperatures had dropped to around 20 degrees but the wind was still strong.

With only four girls, Nikki Harris and Katie Colclough were the strong riders in the team with Lucy and Alex giving all they could through the ride as the foursome rode to a time of 37:46:99 to finish 13th out of the 18 teams. It was said the manager a good ride considering they had never ridden with Nikki before and also only ever done two or three of these efforts in training.

1. Equipe Nurnberger Versicherung 35.07 (46.13 km/h)
2. Cervelo TestTeam 0.12
3. Team Flexpoint 0.22
11. Vision 1 Racing 2.35
13. British National Team
15. Lotto-Belisol Ladiesteam 2.57

Above: Vision 1 during the Team Time Trial. Photo: PhotoSport International (CJ Farquharson)

Stage Three Lezignan Corbieres 116km

This was a tough stage and the GB riders were told to keep their gears low, maintain position at the front half of the peloton and if it came down to a bunch sprint, then it was up to Lucy and Alex to have a go. Yet again, it was a warm day with temperatures above 25 degrees and the race started steady with most of the teams waiting for the climb.

British Olympic Silver medallist, and a rider at home on the hills, Emma Pooley attacked and rode away up the climb and the bunch let her go while the bunch stayed mostly intact all the way up. Coming into the finish having swept up Pooley along the way, team High Road rode tempo and kept it all together for a bunch sprint. In the sprint, Lucy struggled to hold position and finished 33rd whilst Nikki was the best finisher. Also in the main group were Katie and Alex who despite getting dropped two kilometres from the top of the climb, showed great spirit to catch a group on the decent and finish with them.

Above: Lizzie Armistead on the podium during the French stage race. Photo: PhotoSport International (CJ Farquharson)

1.Ina Teutenberg (Ger) Team Columbia Highroad Women 2.58.18 (39.03 km/h)
2 Tania Belvederesi (Ita) Gauss Rdz Ormu-Colnago
3 Denise Zuckermandel (Ger) German National Team

12 Elisabeth Armitstead (GBr) Lotto-Belisol Ladiesteam
15 Nikki Harris (GBr) British National Team
20 Catherine Hare Willianson (GBr) Fenixs
32 Leda Cox (GBr) Esgl93-Gsd Gestion
33 Lucy Martin (GBr) British National Team
39 Nicole Cooke (GBr) Vision 1 Racing
61 Helen Wyman (GBr) Vision 1 Racing
63 Emma Silversides (GBr) Lotto-Belisol Ladiesteam
73 Katie Colclough (GBr) British National Team
80 Emma Pooley (GBr) Cervelo TestTeam
93 Gabriella Day (GBr) Vision 1 Racing @8.01
94 Alexandra Greenfield (GBr) British National Team

Stage 4, Castelnaudary 108,5km

The British Academy riders were in survival mode for this tough stage and their objective was to look after themselves and get through each day as best as possible from now on. It was a long hard course with two long climbs and temperatures above 27 degrees. The riders had a big climb to start with and that quickly split the main group into smaller groups which came together on the descent. It wasn't until the last climb before the race split asunder again with Nikki Harris being the best of the Great Britain team while Britain's Nicole Cooke, World and Olympic champion finishing second on the stage.

Above: Nicole Cooke (right) battling with Marianne Vos for a stage win. Photo: PhotoSport International (CJ Farquharson)

1. Marianne Vos (Ned) DSB Bank 2.55.13 (37.32 km/h)
2. Nicole Cooke (GBr) Vision 1 Racing
3. Claudia Hausler (Ger) Cervelo TestTeam 0.03

16 Elisabeth Armitstead (GBr) Lotto-Belisol Ladiesteam
17 Nikki Harris (GBr) British National Team
19 Catherine Hare Willianson (GBr) Fenixs
42 Emma Silversides (GBr) Lotto-Belisol Ladiesteam
54 Emma Pooley (GBr) Cervelo TestTeam
58 Jennifer Fischer (Fra) Vienne Futuroscope
59 Lucy Martin (GBr) British National Team 7.42
60 Helen Wyman (GBr) Vision 1 Racing
65 Katie Colclough (GBr) British National Team
69 Leda Cox (GBr) Esgl93-Gsd Gestion
98 Alexandra Greenfield (GBr) British National Team 12.25

Stage 5, Amelie Les Bains 104km

As on stage four, the objective for these young Great Britain riders was to get through the stage and learn to survive in one of the hardest professional women's races there is. The stage had a monster of a climb as well today, a four kilometre one to warm them up and then an 18 kilometre climb with the temperatures yet again above 27 degrees.

As expected, the race split on the first climb with most of the race coming back together except for Alex Greenfield who was one of 15 riders who never managed to rejoin the main group. As they hit the 18km climb, the race slowly started to split apart. Katie and Lucy managed to find themselves into a reasonable group whilst the more experienced and older international, Nikki Harris, stayed with the lead group a lot longer, going over the top in a group of about 20. Nikki then descended like a stone and the GB manager says of her descent - "I followed her all the way down and her speed was impressive. By the time she hit the bottom of the descent she could just see the cars from the group ahead -- I would like to know what the time gap was at the top!"

1. Kristin Armstrong (USA) Cervelo TestTeam 2.42.03 (38.5 km/h)
2 Amber Neben (USA) Equipe Nurnberger Versicherung
3 Grace Verbeke (Bel) Lotto-Belisol Ladiesteam 0.12

9 Nicole Cooke (GBr) Vision 1 Racing
20 Elisabeth Armitstead (GBr) Lotto-Belisol Ladiesteam 3.04
26 Nikki Harris (GBr) British National Team 3.27
51 Catherine Hare Willianson (GBr) Fenixs 5.19
65 Lucy Martin (GBr) British National Team 13.26
66 Helen Wyman (GBr) Vision 1 Racing
67 Katie Colclough (GBr) British National Team
68 Leda Cox (GBr) Esgl93-Gsd Gestion
85 Emma Pooley (GBr) Cervelo TestTeam 14.39
97 Alexandra Greenfield (GBr) British National Team 23.00

Stage 6 Osseja 92km

The races reputation for being tough was reinforced on stage 6 with a 4.4 kilometre climb and a 14 kilometre one in the 92 kilometres. This was yet again a very hard stage with all the Great Britain girls getting into their groups by the top of the main climb with all the groups behind the one Nikki Harris was in, all merging into one and staying that way to the finish. While Nikki did well again to move up a few places, the younger girls just made it through this ‘Queen' stage.

1. Trixi Worrack (Ger) Equipe Nurnberger Versicherung 2.37.01 (36.3 km/h)
2. Claudia Hausler (Ger) Cervelo TestTeam
3. Kristin Armstrong (USA) Cervelo TestTeam

5 Elisabeth Armitstead (GBr) Lotto-Belisol Ladiesteam 6.15
7 Nicole Cooke (GBr) Vision 1 Racing
18 Emma Pooley (GBr) Cervelo TestTeam 10.28
27 Helen Wyman (GBr) Vision 1 Racing 14.43
40 Nikki Harris (GBr) British National Team 14.47
57 Lucy Martin (GBr) British National Team 27.33
60 Catherine Hare Willianson (GBr) Fenixs
73 Leda Cox (GBr) Esgl93-Gsd Gestion
81 Alexandra Greenfield (GBr) British National Team
87 Katie Colclough (GBr) British National Team

Stage 7 Saint-Hilaire to Montreal D'Aude 102,5km

With legs and bodies really starting to feel the fatigue of a long stage race, the objective for the Great Britain Academy riders was to sit as near to the front as possible to give them as much a sliding room as possible on the climbs which included two 3 kilometre ones and a 5 kilometre one. Yet again, it proved to be a tough stage for the GB riders with a climb coming early on and the race starting to split in the first 15km. Alex Greenfield found herself into a small group while Katie and Lucy were in a group of about 15 and Nikki in a group of 10. After a week of racing, the Tour was really starting to take its toll on the girls who's aim is to get through the stage race.

1 Marianne Vos (Ned) DSB Bank 2.30.01
2 Claudia Hausler (Ger) Cervelo Test Team 0.09
3 Trixi Worrack (Ger) Equipe Nurnberger Versicherung 0.22

6 Nicole Cooke (GBr) Vision 1 Racing
9 Elisabeth Armitstead (GBr) Lotto-Belisol Ladiesteam
46 Catherine Hare Willianson (GBr) Fenixs 10.00
47 Helen Wyman (GBr) Vision 1 Racing
48 Nikki Harris (GBr) Grande Bretagne
79 Lucy Martin (GBr) Grande Bretagne 20.08
80 Katie Colclough (GBr) Grande Bretagne
81 Leda Cox (GBr) Esgl93-Gsd Gestion
86 Emma Pooley (GBr) Cervelo Test Team
90 Alexandra Greenfield (GBr) Grande Bretagne 21.45

Above: Katie Colclough. Photo: PhotoSport International (CJ Farquharson)

Stage 8 Axat to Espezel 101km
If ever there was a tough stage to avoid after a week of racing it was this one with a climbs including two 5 kilometre ones, a 6 km one, a 7km one and a 3km one. Ugh! Yet again it was hot with temperatures above 27 degrees and it proved to be a very tough day for all the Great Britain riders with them all ending up in the same group at the back of the race. Britain's Nicole Cooke again was denied a stage win by Dutch girl Marianne Vos with the World and Olympic champion finishing in second place.

Above: Vos wins another stage. Photo: PhotoSport International (CJ Farquharson)

1. Marianne Vos (Ned) DSB Bank 2.51.20
2 Nicole Cooke (GBr) Vision 1 Racing
3 Grace Verbeke (Bel) Lotto-Belisol Ladiesteam 0.02

11 Elisabeth Armitstead (GBr) Lotto-Belisol Ladiesteam 2.51
45 Lucy Martin (GBr) Grande Bretagne 21.39
46 Nikki Harris (GBr) Grande Bretagne
47 Catherine Hare Willianson (GBr) Fenixs
54 Helen Wyman (GBr) Vision 1 Racing
55 Leda Cox (GBr) Esgl93-Gsd Gestion
75 Katie Colclough (GBr) Grande Bretagne
78 Alexandra Greenfield (GBr) Grande Bretagne

Stage 9 Limoux 87,5km

The relentless climbing in this race continued for the final stage with five climbs over a kilometre in length and the temperatures were rising again, this time well into the 30's now. The pace of the race was flat out from the start and split on the first hill where a group of six riders who were no danger to the overall contenders escaping and staying away all day.

Alex got dropped on the second hill of the day and got herself into a group of around 10 whilst Katie and Lucy also ended up in a group of 15. Nikki Harris meanwhile stayed in the main group and was sprinting for 7th at the finish, finishing in 15th place. Overall, the manager says the race was a tough baptism for the young girls in the GB team whilst Nikki rode well to finish the event in 35th place.

Above: Two of Britain's finest female road riders right now, Nicole Cooke and Lizzie Armitstead. Photo: PhotoSport International (CJ Farquharson)

Stage 9

1. Ina Teutenberg (Ger) Team Columbia Highroad Women 2.24.51 (36.244 km/h)
2. Noëmie Cantele (Ita) Bigla Cycling Team
3. Emma Johansson (Swe) Red Sun Cycling Team

10. Nicole Cooke (GBr) Vision 1 Racing
15. Nikki Harris (GBr) Grande Bretagne
17. Catherine Hare Willianson (GBr) Fenixs
19. Elisabeth Armitstead (GBr) Lotto-Belisol Ladiesteam
55. Emma Pooley (GBr) Cervelo Test Team 1.44
61. Leda Cox (GBr) Esgl93-Gsd Gestion
71. Lucy Martin (GBr) Grande Bretagne
73. Katie Colclough (GBr) Grande Bretagne

Above: Due to injury for some Olympic Academy riders, Nikki Harris was drafted into the GB line-up and proved to be a worthy choice with some out standing performances. Photo: PhotoSport International (CJ Farquharson)

Final General Classification

1. Claudia Hausler (Ger) Cervelo Test Team 22.49.10
2. Trixi Worrack (Ger) Equipe Nurnberger Versicherung 2.06
3. Marianne Vos (Ned) DSB Bank 3.50
5. Nicole Cooke (GBr) Vision 1 Racing 7.58
14. Elisabeth Armitstead (GBr) Lotto-Belisol Ladiesteam 18.30
33. Emma Pooley (GBr) Cervelo Test Team 51.04
35. Nikki Harris (GBr) Grande Bretagne 53.04
53. Catherine Hare Willianson (GBr) Fenixs 1.11.56
70. Leda Cox (GBr) Esgl93-Gsd Gestion 1.36.24
73. Lucy Martin (GBr) Grande Bretagne 1.41.07
75. Katie Colclough (GBr) Grande Bretagne 1.41.24

Sprints classification
1. Vicki Whitelaw (Aus) Vision 1 Racing 31 pts
2. Monica Holler (Swe) Bigla Cycling Team 16
3. Ina Teutenberg (Ger) Team Columbia Highroad Women 12
7. Emma Pooley (GBr) Cervelo Test Team 7
9. Nicole Cooke (GBr) Vision 1 Racing 7

Mountains classification
1. Trixi Worrack (Ger) Equipe Nurnberger Versicherung 49 pts
2. Claudia Hausler (Ger) Cervelo Test Team 38
3. Svetlana Bubnenkova (Rus) Fenixs 36
5. Emma Pooley (GBr) Cervelo Test Team 22
14. Nicole Cooke (GBr) Vision 1 Racing 6

Points classification
1. Marianne Vos (Ned) DSB Bank 207 pts
2. Ina Teutenberg (Ger) Team Columbia Highroad Women 161
3. Emma Johansson (Swe) Red Sun Cycling Team 139
4. Kristin Armstrong (USA) Cervelo Test Team 131
5. Trixi Worrack (Ger) Equipe Nurnberger Versicherung 120
6. Nicole Cooke (GBr) Vision 1 Racing 120

Young rider classification
1. Marianne Vos (Ned) DSB Bank 22.53.00
2. Elisabeth Armitstead (GBr) Lotto-Belisol Ladiesteam 14.40
16. Lucy Martin (GBr) Grande Bretagne 1.37.17

RELATED LINKS
www.womenscycling.net

Above: Lizzie Armitstead all smiles during a stage of the race. Photo: PhotoSport International (CJ Farquharson)

Above: Helen Wyman, Vision 1. Photo: PhotoSport International (CJ Farquharson)