Emakumeen Euskal Bira (F)

Arndt Sprints to First Triumph of Year in Spain

Following an injury-blighted first half of the season, Judith Arndt’s successful return to racing has now seen the German star take her first victory of 2009 in stage one of the Bira in Spain.  The Columbia-Highroad rider was the fastest in a 19-rider sprint that decided the 78-kilometre stage starting and finishing in Iurreta, and is now race leader of the prestigious Spanish event.  Second was Great Britain’s Nicole Cooke and third Emma Johannson of Sweden.  Arndt had a very tough spring in which she first broke a collarbone and then was unlucky enough to fracture her wrist in a crash in her first race back in April.  She returned to racing in the GP Montreal in Canada  and since then has made fast progress towards top condition.

“It was a great day’s riding by the team and payday for Judith after working so hard to come back ,” commented sports director Ronny Lauke. “Mara [Abbott] went for it with an attack on the last climb of the day, and then when part of the race came back together, [Kim] Anderson gave Judith the perfect lead-out in the sprint finish.  We could see that she was getting better and better after taking second in a one-day race in Spain earlier this week.  Then today it all came together in a big way.”

Arndt was equally delighted to have taken her first victory since the Tour of Tuscany last September. “It was a tough sprint because you never know what’s going to happen with rivals as tough as Johannsen and Cooke.  But I thought I would give it a try and it all worked out fine in the end.”


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