Women's Tour Beneden-Maas
World Cup Event, Round 5, CDM

Netherlands, September 13, 1998

Brief

With one month to go before the World Championships in Valkenburg, the Women's circuit staged its second last World Cup event over 120 kms around the city of Spijkenisse (just south across the river from Rotterdam). The two favourites for the race are the Ranking's leader, Lithuanian Diana Ziliute and Italian Alessandra Cappellotto, who both ride for the Accadue O-Lorena team.

10 Italian riders who are vying for selection in the Italian team for the Worlds have already planned to go south to Valkenburg after this race to inspect the parcours for the Worlds. Alessandra Cappellotto, has already indicated that she plans to contest both the road and the ITT championships. She told the press: "They are both going to be hard. The parcours has some tough climbs. The narrow roads at the beginning will force the bunch to ride in a line. The first climb (Bemelerberg) is able to be pedalled through, but the second (Cauberg) is tougher. And the finish is less than 2 kms over the top of Cauberg. The final moves will determine the winner. My main threats are Kupfernhagel, Pucinskaite and Ziliute".

Spijkenisse, 117 kms:

  1. Diana Ziliute (Lit) 			     3.02.00 
  2. Ina Teutenberg (Ger) 				0.01
  3. Viola Müller-Paulitz (Ger) 
  4. Deirdre Demet (Usa) 
  5. Debby Mansveld (Ned) 
  6. Sissy Van Alebeek (Ned) 
  7. Rikke Sandhoj Olsen (Den) 
  8. Kristy Scrymgeour (Aus) 
  9. Alessandra Cappellotto (Ita) 
 10. Mirjam Melchers (Ned) 
 11. Elisabeth Vink (Ned) 
 12. Tanja Schmidt (Ger) 
 13. Ingunn Bollerud (Nor) 
 14. Zita Urbonaite (Lit) 
 15. Martine Bras (Ned) 
 16. Sylvie Riedle (Fra) 
 17. Silvia Zoller (Swi) 
 18. Heidi Van De Vijver (Bel) 
 19. Janneke Vos (Ned) 
 20. Lotte Schmidt (Den) 
 21. Marion Van Zuilen (Ned) 
 22. Karen Kurreck (Usa) 
 23. Maiken Jorgensen (Den) 
 24. Aud Berg Kari (Nor) 
 25. Natascha Klewitz (Ger) 
 26. Jorunn Kvalo (Nor) 
 27. Veronique Belleter (Bel) 
 28. Wenche Stensvold (Nor) 
 29. Ghita Beltman (Ned) 
 30. Angela Hillenga (Ned) 
 31. Catherine Marsal (Fra) 
 32. Sara Carrigan (Aus) 
 33. Luisiana Pegoraro (Ita) 
 34. Nicole Vermast (Ned) 
 35. Wendie Kramp (Ned) 
 36. Marie Mochel (Fra) 
 37. Zinajda Stagourskaia (Blr) 
 38. Yvonne Brunen (Ned) 
 39. Vera Hohlfeld (Ger) 
 40. Solarun Flatas (Nor) 
 41. Giana Goldberg-Roberge (Usa) 
 42. Edita Pocinskaite (Lit) 
 43. Edith Klep (Ned) 
 44. Julie Young (Usa) 
 45. Chantal Beltmann (Ned) 
 46. Kerstin Scheitle (Ger) 
 47. Mariëlle Van Scheppingen (Ned) 
 48. Priska Doppmann (Swi) 
 49. Emily Robbins (USA) 
 50. Edita Kubelskiene (Lit) 
 51. Liesbeth Deceuninck (Bel) 
 52. Christine Mos (Ned) 
 53. Ruth Demeijer (Bel) 
 54. Roberta Bonanomi (Ita) 
 55. Marije Gemser (Ned) 
 56. Fabiana Luperini (Ita) 
 57. Els Pauwels (Bel) 
 58. Sonja Kuik (Ned) 					0.14
 59. Rasa Mazeikyte (Lit) 				0.14
 60. Hester Marieke Kroes (Ned)		 		0.14
 61. Sanne Schmidt (Den) 				1.02
 62. Lisbeth Simper (Den) 				1.32 
 63. Stacey Spencer (Can) 				1.44
 64. Melina Rasmussen (Den) 				2.33
 65. Sandy Espeseth (Can) 				2.33
 66. Valeria Cappellotto (Ita) 				2.33
 67. Natalie Bates (Aus) 				2.33
 68. Greta Zocca (Ita) 					2.33
 69. Janet Harder (Ned) 				2.33
 70. Jacqueline Brabenetz (Ger) 			2.33
 71. Jose Laan (Ned) 					2.33
 72. Vanja Vonckx (Bel) 				2.33
 73. Séverine Desbouys (Fra) 				2.33
 74. Anouska Van Der Zee (Ned) 				4.06 

Started: 109
Finished: 74

Gina Roberge Reports

For those of you that remember, the last World Cup race was a race all about water. The severe heat created a race that was won by the rider best hydrated. Today's 117 kilometer, mostly flat race, offered plenty of chances for hydration. Once again, the World Cup was all about water.

We woke to 11 degrees, side driven rain. Our attempts to be optimistic about the possible lightning of the skies and slacking of the miserable weather were laughable; I am not sure that the sun actually shines in Holland this time of year. The citizens of Spijkenisse actually came out to the start to cheer for the group of about one hundred of the world's best women. I guess they are accustomed to this weather. As we rolled out of town, I chatted with many of the women I have become friends with this year. The chatting did not last for long; the first attacks were fierce. I knew that the cross winds would be a factor today and made every effort possible to get to the front and stay there. There are risks required to do this that I don't think about until after the race; if I thought about then in the race I would be paralyzed by fear and sit at the back all the time. For example, you look up the road and realize that the peleton is going to turn right, the wind will then force the group to echelon. For those of you unfamiliar with this term, an echelon is a formation of riders that goes across the road, keeping most of the riders on the protected side of the wheel in front of them. Echelons can easily be the winning factor in a race; soon the group is all the way to the gutter, and there is no where for riders to go. To ensure that you are not closed out of the front echelon, left out in the wind without shelter, you make a hard effort to get as close to the front as the other women will allow. This frequently requires taking another woman off the wheel in front of her, or battling for her position long enough for her to acquiess into giving it up. Or you might just have to make space that is not there. Frequently you have to move up on the edge of the pavement, looking for a widening, and as you scoot up the side you pray that when it narrows, not only will there be room for you, but there will be pavement as well.

For the first 70 kilometers, this is how the race went. I could not see, and my hands were so cold that breaking was challenging. Thanks to Aaron, our mechanic for the National Team, my bike was working superbly; he had lowered the tire pressure for better traction and set my brakes in so they required less effort to use.

I was sitting in third position when we came to when of the many medians they have in Holland, when Dede attacked up the left side right by me. It is interesting to be teammates with Dede, Emily and Karen Kurreck, all Saturn riders. Today, though, I got a lot of enjoyment out of helping Dede try to maintain her third position in the World Cup ranking. But back to the attack, as Dede attacked, I hesitated, knowing that Capollotto was behind me; she is a major threat to Dede. Soon Dede had a gap with four other riders in tow. I was patient and waited for a group to try and bridge. And there it was, I missed it a little, and struggled to get up to it, all the time checking to make sure I was getting away clean. I did not want anyone threatening to Dede to come up with me. When we got to Dede's group I sat on a minute, took a drink, and then gave a really hard pull to try to get the group clear. We were all working well together, but the Dream Team, riding for Diana Zillute, would have none of it. They had twelve riders here, and put most of them to work to chase our group down. Their hard work paid off in the end; in the field sprint Ziliute came up the winner, with Ina Teutenburg in second (I think), and Dede in fourth.

Unfortunately, my Saeco/Timex teammate, Kendra, crashed and was unable to finish the race, or I am sure she would have been a factor in the final sprint.

I have to say, that as miserable as the weather was today, I enjoyed every kilometer we raced. There is some sort of magic to asking your body to perform in such extreme conditions, when feelings, vision, and all other sensations are no longer a factor in the race. It comes down to the desire to survive and to win. Racing like this represents the classic challenge that humans have faced for centuries; who wants it more, who is willing to suffer more, and who is the toughest. Today we were pretty tough. And although Diana Ziliute now has the World Cup series locked up, I am sure the next World Cup will be as aggressive, as tough, and as much as an honor to participate in as the previous five have been.

World Cup Standings after Race 5