Cyclopunk: Energiewacht Tour Stage 5 report and results

Ina-Yoko Teutenberg
(image credit: Velocio Sports)

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I honestly never wanted this race to end - the riding has been absolutely first rate, the outcome was totally unexpected and with the short, spectator-and-TV friendly circuit courses and excellent online coverage the organisers have done more for women's cycling in only five days than many organisations have achieved in five years; so congratulations on an absolutely first rate job by all the riders and everyone else involved. It looks very much as though a holiday to north-east Nederland is on the cards in April 2013.

Many fans expected Specialized-Lululemon to get Ina-Yoko Teutenberg up to the front in order to hammer home her General Classification victory today and for Rabobank to come together in a serious attempt to propel Marianne Vos back up to the top, but this stage turned out to be all about the lesser-known riders - a number of whom finished within the top ten after a series of effective breaks throughout the race. Meanwhile, Lululemon kept out of the limelight and concentrated on getting Teutenberg to where she needed to be; their clever riding leaving no doubt whatsoever that the GC was hers.

Nicole Cooke
(image credit: Gsl CC BY-SA 2.5)

Nicole Cooke (Faren-Honda) scored a superb stage win five years to the day since she won the Ronde van Vlaanderen voor Vrouwen, powering to the line and gaining a 2" lead over a pursuing group made up of Eveyn Arys (2nd, Kleo), Sarah Düster (Rabobank), Megan Guarnier (TIBCO) and Marieke Van Wanroij (AA-Drink-Leontien.nl) - a much-needed boost for the Welsh rider after a few difficult years in the wake of an illness that badly knocked her performance.

Stage 5
1. Nicole Cooke Faren-Honda 03:27:05
2. Evelyn Arys Kleo +2"
3. Sarah Düster Rabobank ST
4. Megan Guarnier Team TIBCO ST
5. Marieke Van Wanroij AA Drink-Leontien.nl ST
6. Josien Van Wingerden Specialized Dpd SRAM +4" -
7. Jennifer Wheeler Team TIBCO ST
8. Chloe Mcconville +16"
9. Amy Pieters Skil-Argos +2'19"
10. Judith Jelsma WV De Noord-Westhoek ST

(Full stage result)

Stage wins: 1. Kristin Armstrong (Exergy Twenty12); 2. Ina-Yoko Teutenberg (Team Specialized-Lululemon); 3. Ina-Yoko Teutenberg (Team Specialized-Lululemon); 4a. Kirsten Wild (AA Drink-Leontien.nl); 4b. Specialized-Lululemon; 5. Nicole Cooke (Faren-Honda)

Final General Classification