GP des Nations - Cat 1.1

France, September 18, 1999

Report:

Honchar, Wilson claim titles; Streel fails test

At Forges-Les-Eaux for the Grand Prix des Nations, the Ukrainian Serguei Honchar won the mens individual time trial, while Australia's Anna Wilson claimed the womens event.

The Ukrainian averaged over 48 kmh to complete the 71 kilometre course in 1.28.40, with Britain's Chris Boardman finishing in second only six seconds behind. Germany's Jen Voigt was third at 32 seconds.

Anna Wilson finished the 35.5 km course in 48 minutes 41 seconds at an average speed of 43.752 km/h, beating France's Jeannie Longo by 29 seconds, while Elizabeth Emery of the US was third and Marion Clignet (France) finished fourth, in front of Germany's Hanka Kupfernagel. In fact, Australian women filled four of the top 10 positions, with Tracey Gaudry, Kathy Watt and Kristy Scrymgeour in in 6th, 7th and 8th, respectively.

For Honchar, the vistory was something of revenge, as he was barred from entering the Tour of Switzerland in June because of a high hematocrit reading.

Speaking of failing blood tests and tainted results, recently crowned Belgian individual time trial champion Marc Streel (from Danish team Home Jack and Jones) was prevented from starting and given a two-week holiday by the UCI after failing the hematocrit level blood test prior to the start of the Grand Prix des Nations.

Streel had been in form recently, winning both the national ITT and the Cat 1.5, Zomergem-Adinkerke race in Belgium on September 10. In the Belgian race, Streel finished alone, one and a half minutes ahead of a chasing trio of St Quentin's Michel Thilloy, Finnish amateur Jukka Heinikainen and Bert Rosems, while Matt Gilmore came in fifth another 27 seconds later.

Prior to the start of the GP des Nations, some 22 riders including four U21, four U18 and one woman were tested. Streel was the only rider disqualified.


 1 Serguei Honchar (Ukr) Vini Caldirola  1.28.40  (48.045 km/h)
 2 Chris Boardman (GBR) Crédit Agricole     0.06
 3 Jens Voigt (Ger) Crédit Agricole         0.32
 4 Beat Zberg (Sui)                         1.38
 5 Gilles Maignan (Fra)                     1.43
 6 Michael Rich (Ger)                       2.23
 7 Christophe Moreau (Fra)                  3.06
 8 Arturas Kasputis (Lit)                   3.20
 9 Alberto Martinez (Esp)                   3.21
10 Brad McGee (Aus)                         3.54
11 Frédéric Finot (Fra)                     4.45
12 Bart Voskamp (Ned)                       5.13
13 Laszlo Bodrogi (Hun)                     5.35
14 Chris Newton (GBR)                       5.42
15 Guillaume Auger (Fra)                    6.04
16 Floyd Landis (USA)                       6.16
17 Francisque Teyssier (Fra)                6.39
18 Laurent Genty (Fra)                      7.09
19 Uwe Peschel (Ger)                        7.20
20 Stéphane Delimauges (Fra)                7.54

Women (35.5km)

  1 Anna Wilson (Aus)             48.41 (43.752 km/h)
  2 Jeannie Longo (Fra)            0.29
  3 Elizabeth Emery (USA)          0.40
  4 Marion Clignet (Fra)           1.03
  5 Hanka Kupfernagel (Ger)        1.17
  6 Tracey Gaudry (Aus)            1.34
  7 Kathryn Watt (Aus)             1.57
  8 Kristy Scrymgeour (Aus)        2.01
  9 Géraldine Loewenguth (Fra)     2.51
 10 Nicole Brandli (Sui)           3.15

Espoirs (35.5km)

 1 Sandro Guttinger (Sui)        45.16 (47.054 km/h)
 2 Christian Poos (Lux)           0.53
 3 Marcel Duyn (PBS)              0.56
 4 David Derepas (Fra)            1.08
 5 Bradley Wiggins (GBR)          1.26
 6 Fabrice Salanson (Fra)         1.36
 7 Ivan Gutierrez (Esp)           1.48
 8 Thue Houlberg (Dan)            2.00
 9 Mathew Hayman (Aus)            2.08
10 Kris Ingeby (Swe)              2.15


Junior men (35.5km)

1 Bobby Traksel (Ned)             46.43 (45.594 km/h)
2 Fabian Cancallara (Sui)          0.03
3 Jean Zen (Fra)                   1.19
4 Rémy Quignon (Fra)               2.01
5 Johan Vansummeren (Bel)          2.15