Tour de l'Aude Cycliste Feminin

The Tour de l'Aude Cycliste Féminin, to use its full official name, is the longest running officially sanctioned UCI event on the women's elite cycle racing calendar. Located in the Aude region, about the Aude River in south-central France, it has been held annually without a break since 1985.

It had its beginning in 1985 when Jean Thomas, who prior to this time, was active in organizing men's cycling events, turned his attention to the organization of a major women's tour. The initial Tour de l'Aude was only 4 days long and was held in and around the environs of one city only.

Since that time, the race grew in both length and prestige until it became one of the grand tours of women's cycle racing, attracting many of the top women riders in the world, including several Olympic and World Champions. In 2006, the race was 11 days long. [http://www.cyclingnews.com/road/2006/may06/aude06/]

Following the death of race founder Jean Thomas, the tradition is carried on under the tutelage of Thomas' daughter, Anne-Marie Thomas.

Tour de l'Aude Past Winners

	1st Place	2nd Place	3rd Place
2008	Susanne Ljungskog - Menikini-Selle Italia (Swe)	Judith Arndt - Team High Road Women (Ger)	Trixi Worrack - Equipe Nürnberger Versicherung (Ger)
2007	Susanne Ljungskog - Team Flexpoint (Swe)	Trixi Worrack - Equipe Nürnberger Versicherung (Ger)	Judith Arndt - T-Mobile Women (Ger)
2006	Amber Neben - Team Flexpoint (USA)	Susanne Ljungskog - Team Flexpoint (Swe)	Trixi Worrack - Equipe Nürnberger Versicherung (Ger)
2005	Amber Neben - Team Flexpoint (USA)	Trixi Worrack - Equipe Nürnberger Versicherung (Ger)	Kristin Armstrong - USA National Team (USA)
2004	Trixi Worrack - Equipe Nürnberger Versicherung (Ger)	Judith Arndt - Equipe Nürnberger Versicherung (Ger)	Kim Bruckner - T-Mobile Women (USA)
2003	Judith Arndt (Ger)	Lyne Bessette (Can)	Susanne Ljungskog (Swe)
2002	Judith Arndt (Ger)	Valentina Polkhanova (Rus)	Edita Pucinskaite (Lit)
2001	Lyne Bessette (Can)	Judith Arndt (Ger)	Susanne Ljungskog (Swe)
2000	Hanka Kupfernagel (Ger)	Mirjam Melchers (Ned)	Geraldine Loewenguth (Fra)
1999	Lyne Bessette (Can)	Hanka Kupfernagel (Ger)	Heidi Van de Vijver (Bel)
1998	Fabiana Luperini (Ita)	Valentina Polkhanova (Rus)	Catherine Marsal (Fra)
1997	Linda Jackson (Can)	Svetlana Bubnenkova (Rus)	Heidi Van de Vijver (Bel)
1996	Alexandra Koliaseva (Rus)	Svetlana Bubnenkova (Rus)	Catherine Marsal (Fra)
1995	Valentina Polkhanova (Rus)	Rasa Polikeviciute (Lit)	Svetlana Bubnenkova (Rus)
1994	Catherine Marsal (Fra)	Rasa Polikeviciute (Lit)	Alexandra Koliaseva (Rus)
1993	Jeannie Longo (Fra)	Leontien van Moorsel (Ned)	Marion Clignet (Fra)
1992	Julie Young (USA)
1991	Leontien van Moorsel (Ned)	Catherine Marsal (Fra)	Inga Thompson (USA)
1990	Catherine Marsal (Fra)	Leontien van Moorsel (Ned)	D. Kelly (Can)
1989	Cecile Odin (Fra)	N. Kibardina (USR)	S. Neil (Can)
1988	Jeannie Longo (Fra)	Maria Canins (Ita)	Lisa Brambani (GBr)
1987	Maria Canins (Ita)	T. Poliakova (Ukr)	Jeannie Longo (Fra)
1986	Phillis Hines (USA)	V. Lafargue (Fra)	A. Yakovleva (USR)
1985	Janelle Parks (USA)

External links

* [http://www.tour-aude-cycliste-feminin.com Tour de l'Aude web site] (in French)