- 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 theAude River in south-centralFrance , 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)
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.