Team List
1999 Stage 6 winner: Anna Wilson
Rider Profiles
Start List The AIS Team Trains
Dede Demet, the World Cup champion and winner of the inaugural event in 1998 will make a welcomed return for the Saturn team and will form a formidable partnership with Anna Wilson and New Zealand sensation Suzy Pryde and American star Emily Robbins.
Demet won both the inaugural World Cup in 1998 and then powered on to win the Tour de Snowy, defeating Wilson in an exciting dual.
Wilson, the wonderful pedalling sensation from Victoria and winner of the Commonwealth Games gold medal in 1998, has developed into the premier cyclist in the World.
Wilson won the 1999 World Cup in Canberra and then went on to win the overall World Cup with several incredible performances, including victory in the final race. Anna then capped off her year with two silver medals at the World Championships and has emerged as a major threat for Olympic Games gold in Sydney this year.
Wilson and Demet will be race favourites for the 473 kilometre nine stage event which will take in some of the toughest terrain the cyclists will experience in competition this year.
Tracey Gaudry, the winner of the Tour de Snowy last year, has also signed contracts with the Timex team and is confident of defending her title racing for the first time in her new colours.
Gaudry, the Olympic and Commonwealth Games representative from Canberra, has an outstanding team to work with and any of the six Timex team could win the tour. Last year's race leader Mari Holden will join Gaudry along with Sanna Lehtimaki of Finland, Odessa Gunn of Canada and Americans Kim Smith and Erin Veenstra-Mirabella.
Gaudry also produced some sensational performances last year including a World Cup win and finished third overall in the World Cup behind Wilson.
New Zealand has also entered the strongest team yet in the event with Jacinta Coleman and Commonwealth Games star Sarah Ulmer heading up a powerful team.
Ten times Tour de France stage winner and cycling legend Jean-Paul Van Poppel, the Dutch National coach has his Olympic team on show including stage winner Mirjam Melchers, who won the Talbingo stage last year in great fashion.
The full Dutch squad, who are preparing themselves for the Tour de Snowy and the World Cup in Canberra on Sunday 12 March, similar to several of the teams are preparing for several weeks in Australia before the start of competition.
Canadian cycling sensation Genevieve Jeanson, the dual world junior champion in both the road race and time trial last year, is expected to make her presence felt in the competition.
The Canadian based team has also been supported by Karen Kurreck, an outstanding cyclist that wore the leaders jersey last year before losing it to eventual winner Gaudry to eventually finish second overall.
Start List
Timex 1 Tracey Gaudry (Aus) 2 Odessa Gunn (Can) 3 Mari Holden (USA) 4 Sanna Lehtimaki (Fin) 5 Erin Veenstra-Mirabella (USA) 6 Kim Smith (USA) Saturn 7 Anna Wilson (Aus) 8 Dede Demet (USA) 9 Susy Pryde (NZl) 10 Sophie Freshwater (Aus) New Zealand 11 Jacinta Coleman (NZl) 12 Vanessa Cheatley (NZl) 14 Rosalind Reekie-May (NZl) 15 Annalisa Farrell (NZl) 16 Sarah Ulmer (NZl) Team 2001 17 Kirsty Robb (NZl) 18 Benita Douglas (NZl) 19 Natalie Beetson (NZl) 20 Fanny Lavierrie (NZl) 21 Karen Dekryger (Ned) Pays Bas-Holland 22 Chantal Beltman (Ned) 23 Ghita Beltman (Ned) 24 Arenda Grimberg (Ned) 25 Angela Hillenga (Ned) 26 Mirjam Melchers (Ned) 27 Mirella Van Melis (Ned) 28 Marielle Van Scheppingen (Ned) Jayco-VIS 29 Elizabeth Tadich (Aus) 30 Geraldine Denham (Aus) 31 Dellys Franke (Aus) 32 Naomi Williams (Aus) 33 Katie Mactier (Aus) 34 Jessica Amy (Aus) Sydney Water 36 Emma James (Aus) 37 Nadia Frischknecht (Aus) 38 Avril Swan (Aus) 39 Lucy Vignes (Aus) 40 Simone Jacobs (Aus) Bicisport-NSWIS 41 Margaret Hemsley (Aus) 42 Natalie Bates (Aus) 43 Belinda Probert (Aus) 44 Alexandra Ka Wah Yeung (HKg) 45 Fjelda Lee (Aus) AIS-ACTAS 46 Sara Carrigan (Aus) 47 Juanita Feldhahn (Aus) 48 Kristy Scrymgeour (Aus) 49 Kym Shirley (Aus) 50 Alison Wright (Aus) 51 Hayley Rutherford (Aus) Japan 52 Ayumi Ootsuka (Jpn) 53 Kaori Iida (Jpn) 54 Miho Oki (Jpn) 55 Akemi Morimoto (Jpn) Master Team/Carpe Diem 56 Sigrid Corneo (Ita) 57 Priska Doppman (Swi) 58 Bridget Evans (Aus) 59 Kerry Ellen Hellmuth (USA) 60 Marcia Eicher Vouets (Swi) 61 Katia Longhin (Ita) Canada 62 Genevieve Jeanson (Can) 63 Anne Samplonius (Can) 64 Sandy Espeseth (Can) 65 Erin Carter (Can) 66 Karen Kurreck (USA) 67 Susan Hefler (USA) Velobelles 68 Annabelle Vowels (Aus) 69 Tracey Bowyer (Aus) 70 Jodie Vaassen (Aus) 71 Fiona Scarff (Aus) Northern Regional Team 72 Mika Ogishima (Jpn) 73 Kanako Nishi (Jpn) 74 Bianca Netzler (Sam) Southern Regional Team 78 Julie Hooper (Aus) 79 Karen Sumpton (Aus) 80 Honi Geysen (Aus) 81 Rebecca Cleveland (Aus) 82 Anna Bayliss (Aus)