Arndt faces greatest test

German Judith Arndt found the fifth and final stage of the women's cycle tour of New Zealand from Palmerston North to Masterton on Saturday "kind of nerve-racking" but she needn't have worried.
Arndt started the day with a slender lead over top Kiwi hope Catherine Cheatley (Wanganui), and while Cheatley's New Zealand national team squad members did their best to pull her through, Arndt was still 4secs to the good when the final general classification figures were published.
There was one period in the final stage, however, when Arndt was displaced as tour leader on the road.
A breakaway group built up a lead of more than 2mins over the main bunch, putting Australian Shara Gillow ahead.
But Arndt said she was not overly concerned because there was always a strong likelihood the group would be caught and that Gillow would feel the strain of doing a lot of the hard work out in front.
Cheatley, winner of the inaugural tour in 2005, was a "little frustrated" at missing out by such a narrow margin, but was full of praise for her team who did everything they could to make Arndt's task more difficult. And Cheatley had praise, too, for the victor, labelling her a "world class rider" who deserved the spoils. Arndt's overall time was 11hrs 50mins 56secs and Cheatley's 11hrs 51mins.
Arndt was eighth over the line on the final stage with Cheatley receiving the same time in 13th place. First home there was Ukrainian Alona Andruk, who completed the 112km in 3hrs 28mins 2secs. Runner-up Kendelle Hodges, of Australia, and the next three home, Kiwis Emily Collins, Jeanne Kuhajak and Kate Chilcott, were credited with the same time as the winner.
General classification: Judith Arndt 11hrs 50mins 56secs, Catherine Cheatley at 4secs, Ruth Corset (Australia) at 12secs, Shara Gillow at 1min 5secs, Collins at 1min 29secs, Andruk at 1min 29secs.