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Elite Women's Road Race, 103.2 kms (6 laps)Saturday, October 10, 1998As it Happened |
You can also see a summary table of the data for each lap.
Lap 1
121 Women riders have just started in cold and wet conditions. The weather here is terrible and there were several crashes in the Junior Men's race this morning. The peloton is heading down the hill into Maastricht in a tight bunch.
The pace is very slow as they head up the slight incline into Bemelen. Bemelerberg is 11 per cent and 1.7 kms long. They bunch is now going up together. 7.5 kms gone. Heading across the plateau of Margraten - 12.3 kms gone. Judith Arndt (Ger) punctures. A South African rider is dropped. The German team is driving together to bring Arndt back.
There is a large fall. 5 riders have been left behind - Sandra Wamplfer (Swi) and (Sarah Symington (GB) are the most disadvantaged.
Up the Cauberg for the first time. The peloton is strung out and riders are going out the back already. Leontien van Moorsel is on the front. Longo is out the back badly. Her race is over. There is a large group - maybe 14 riders who have been left behind. Van Moorsel is driving the lead group.
Data for lap 1:
Time: 26.13 (avs: 39.364)
Laps to go: 5
Leader: Peloton 1: Peloton 2: 0.15 Peloton 3: 0.23 (with Longo)
Lap 2
The split in the race has been eliminated. Longo is back in the race. Coming into Bemelen, Roberta Bonanomi (Italy) is driving the race. Two English women have adandoned (Symington and Louise Jones)
An attack comes as the riders come back up the Bemelerberg. Van Moorsel, Kupfernagel (Ger), and Luperini (Ita) are prominent.
Over the top, a group of riders are driving hard and have a small gap. Australian Anna Wilson is present as is Julie Young (USA), Mary Hopgood (USA), Wenche Stensvold (Swi), Allesandro Capellotto (Ita), Jolanta Polikeviciute (Lit) and Hanka Kupfernagel and 2 others.
Lotte Schmidt (Swe) is changing bike on the Cauberg. Totally incompetent support going on.
Over the top of the Cauberg, the peloton is more or less together with Van Moorsel continuing to do a lot of work over the top.
3 groups coming into the end of lap 2. A small group of 4 (with Van Moorsel), the peloton at 0.04 and a smaller peloton at 0.16
Data for lap 2:
Time: 51.45 (avs: 39.884)
Laps to go: 4
Leader: Group of 4 (with Van Moorsel) Large Peloton: 0.04 Small Peloton: 0.16
Lap 3
Down the hill into Maastricht and the peloton is together. This is the problem with the circuit. The Cauberg provides some selection but the descent negates it. As they come back up the 2.1 km section from Maastricht to Bemelen, Hanka Kupfernagel attacks but the move is covered. The peloton is in one long line. Longo is ominously right at the back of the bunch as they go into Bemelen.
The Bemelerberg is splitting the bunch badly. Over the top and on to the false flat an Italian rider is opening up a small gap. She is joined by a German. It is Alessandra Cappellotto and Judith Arndt. They have a few seconds on the bunch.
Down the Daalhemmerweg into Valkenburg and the peloton is together. There is a fall on the corner turning up the Cauberg (a Spaniard). Over the top and past the grandstands the peloton is together. Van Moorsel is again on the font. The replays here show that several riders fell at the bottom of the Cauberg and one hit a cameraperson.
At the end of the lap the peloton is tightly bunched. Two riders come in at 0.25 and 0.31. Then the group that fell on the Cauberg come in at 0.44. A group of arond 10 come across at 2.35.
Data for lap 3:
Time: 1.18.01 (avs: 39.683)
Laps to go: 3
Leader: Peloton. Small groups: at 0.25, 0.31, and 0.44. A further group comes in at over 2.30 minutes.
Lap 4
There is a break in the coverage at present. The indication is that it will resume in 12 minutes. Coverage is back. A group has just come over the top of the Cauberg and they have a small gap on the peloton. Van Moorsel is aggressive. Alessandra Cappellotto attacks leading into the finish line but the move is covered.
Through the finish the peloton is largely together.
Data for lap 4:
Time: 1.44.07 (avs: 39.647)
Laps to go: 2
Leader: Peloton.
Lap 5
Two laps to go. Judith Arndt, Van Moorsel, and A. Cappellotto are driuing the bunch over the Bemelerberg. Zabirova, Hanka Kupfernagel, Diana Ziliute among 16. Wilson (Aus) is there. Stansfeld is there as is Jackson.
Svitlana Hihilyeva (Ukr), Mirjam Melchers and Chantal Beltmann (Ned) are also in the group with has a narrow lead now as they descend into Valkenburg.
On the Cauberg, Diana Ziliute (Lit) is attacking. Melchors has pedal trouble and stops. Over the top, Ziliute has a small gap and is driving very hard. Van Moorsel is trying to close the gap. The peloton is splite and again Longo is in the third group. Ziliute has a 100 metre lead. Van Moorsel is closing the gap with 7 others. Under the km banner and the pace is very high now.
The race is all over the place. 4 pelotons.
Data for lap 5:
Time: 2.09.56 (avs: 39.712)
Laps to go: 1
Leader: Group of 9 (Ziliute, Van Moorsel, Wilson, Luperini, Kupfernagel). Peloton 1: at 20 seconds.
Lap 6
The bell sounds and one lap to go. On the descent into Maastricht, all the favourites are in the top group of 10 or so riders - including Anna Wilson (Aus), Alessandra Cappellotto (Ita), Edita Pucinskaite (Lit), Catherine Marsal (Fra), Heidi Van De Vijver (Bel), Leontien Van Moorsel (Ned), Hanka Kupfernagel (Ger), Jeannie Longo (Fra), Linda Jackson (Can), and Svitlana Hihilyeva (Ukr).
They have a lead of 20 seconds over the peloton.
Going through Bemelen and approaching the last climb of the Bemelerberg the group has thinned to 8. Wilson is gone. Another group of 8 are about 13 seconds down over the top.
Longo, Van Moorsel, Jackson, Cappellotto, Kupfernagel, and Hihilyeva.
Over the top, Ziliute has closed the gap and has joined the group of 8 as they pass the Gasthuis. 7.6 kms to go.
Longo attacks and the others are on her wheel. Cappellotto, Jackson and Ziliute are in trouble but regain contact. It is coming down to the a race up the Cauberg now.
The top group have 30 seconds on the chasing bunch. It will be enough. Wilson is in the chase group with Marsal, Van De Vijver, Zabirova and others.
Kupfernagel, Ziliute, Van Moorsel, Hihilyeva, Cappellotto, Jackson, Longo, and two others make up the top group of 9. They are descending into Valkenburg now. Gunn-Rita Dahle (Nor) is one of them.
2.9 kms to go as they go around the bottom corner. 81 kms per hour down the hill. They turn the corner together. Up the climb, it is Longo, Kupfernagel, Cappellotto, Gunn-Rita Dahle (Nor) is gone out the back. 7 left.
Coming to the top. Longo leads the line of riders with Kupfernagel. Jackson is gone. 6 left now.
Longo, Van Moorsel, Cappellotto, Kupfernagel, Ziliute and Hihilyeva. It is coming down to a long sprint. The finessing is beginning. No-one wants to lead it out.
The Norwegian is back on because they are messing around. 7 left now. 1 kms to go. Longo is on the front, Van Moorsel at the back. Jackson is back. 8 still in it.
Winding up now. Longo on the front. Van Moorsel is looking threatening on the outside. Tucked into the right hand side. The Sprint has started and Ziliuite gets the race with Van Moorsel second, Kupfernagel third.
1. Diana Ziliute (Lit) 2.35.33 2. Leontien Van Moorsel (Ned) 3. Hanka Kupfernagel (Ger) 4. Edita Pucinskaite (Lit) 5. Allessandra Cappellotto (Ita) 6. Svitlana Hihilyeva (Ukr) 7. Linda Jackson (Can) 8. Gunn-Rita Dahle (Nor) 9. Jeannie Longo-Ciprelli (Fra) 10. Anna Wilson (Aus) 0.46