Results

Anna Wilson

1999 Stage 6 winner: Anna Wilson

RESULTS

March 4 - 9, 2000

Stage 1 - March 4: Tumut Criterium, 30.0 kms (23 laps)

By Jeff Jones

Mirjam Melchers towards victory
(click for larger image)
Photo: Jeff Jones

The Tour de Snowy started today in downtown Tumut, under extremely hot conditions. Temperatures were approximately 35 degrees, making life extra tough for those that had just come over from colder climes. The course wasn't that easy, either having eight corners combined with one short and one long drag - there would be no sitting in for an easy ride to the finish.

The race was really just a wake up for many, with the harder stuff to come over the coming days. The USA Saturn team started the ball rolling, with Suzy Pryde of New Zealand leading the bunch out. All the major teams were wired for sound, as is becoming the norm in top level racing. However, the public were relying on Mike Tomalaris' dulcet tonesto keep them up to date.

The action commenced at the first sprint (lap 4), with Dutch rider leading out Alison Wright (Aus, AIS) for the money, closely marked by defending champion, Tracey Gaudry. The bunch had already started to splinter at this point, and many riders found themselves lapped by the end. Gaudry had her revenge on the second prime (lap 8), taking it fairly comfortably but it was shortly after this that the main move went.

Dutch rider, Mirjam Melchers attacked, though not with a great deal of conviction, shortly before halfway. She won this stage last year and is regarded as a criterium specialist. She gained a 10-15 second gap, which she held for quite some time, as the bunch were disorganised in the chase. Timex, Saturn and the Australian Institute of Sport squad tried half-heartedly, but the heat was a deterrant, as well as the stages to come.

The gap blew out to over 30 seconds, and Melchers was never going to be caught, taking the remaining two sprint primes. In the finish, she was triumphant, very red, and happy to win the first stage. The field sprint was won in an ominous fashion by Anna Wilson (Aus, Saturn), with Mari Holden (USA, Timex) taking third.

Afterwards, Melchers was a little surprised to have gotten away so easily: "It just happened - last year I won the stage and I tried again. It was staying at 10 seconds for a while, but then they stopped chasing and I still had good legs," she said.

"I'm not afraid of tomorrow's road stage to Talbingo, but the time trial [on the same day] will be hard. I see Anna, Tracey and Mari as my main competition."

Tomorrow will see the stronger riders come to the fore, with a gradual uphill stage from Tumut to Talbingo followed by an 8.9 kilometer time trial afterwards. The real action will start on the following day, with a climbing stage from Khancoban to Cabramurra.

Results


1 Mirjam Melchers (Ned) Pays Bas-Holland           44.34 (40.39 km/h)
2 Anna Wilson (Aus) Saturn                          0.14
3 Mari Holden (USA) Timex 
4 Alison Wright (Aus) AIS-ACTAS 
5 Karen Kurreck (USA) Canada 
6 Mirella Van Melis (Ned) Pays Bas-Holland 
7 Chantal Beltman (Ned) Pays Bas-Holland 
8 Katia Longhin (Ita) Master Team/Carpe Diem 
9 Sarah Ulmer (NZl) New Zealand 
10 Kristy Scrymgeour (Aus) AIS-ACTAS
11 Sara Carrigan (Aus) AIS-ACTAS
12 Margaret Hemsley (Aus) Bicisport-NSWIS
13 Kym Shirley (Aus) AIS-ACTAS
14 Tracey Gaudry (Aus) Timex
15 Priska Doppman (Swi) Master Team/Carpe Diem
16 Ghita Beltman (Ned) Pays Bas-Holland
17 Elizabeth Tadich (Aus) Jayco-VIS
18 Arenda Grimberg (Ned) Pays Bas-Holland
19 Dede Demet (USA) Saturn
20 Susy Pryde (NZl) Saturn
21 Geneviève Jeanson (Can) Canada
22 Jacinta Coleman (NZl) New Zealand
23 Sandy Espeseth (Can) Canada
24 Angela Hillenga (Ned) Pays Bas-Holland
25 Erin Carter (Can) Canada
26 Juanita Feldhahn (Aus) AIS-ACTAS
27 Marielle Van Scheppingen (Ned) Pays Bas-Holland
28 Ayumi Ootsuka (Jpn) Japan
29 Sanna Lehtimaki (Fin) Timex
30 Katie Mactier (Aus) Jayco-VIS
31 Odessa Gunn (Can) Timex
32 Sigrid Corneo (Ita) Master Team/Carpe Diem
33 Anne Samplonius (Can) Canada
34 Dellys Franke (Aus) Jayco-VIS
35 Marcia Eicher Vouets (Swi) Master Team/Carpe Diem
36 Rosalind Reekie-May (NZl) New Zealand
37 Miho Oki (Jpn) Japan
38 Erin Veenstra-Mirabella (USA) Timex
39 Akemi Morimoto (Jpn) Japan
40 Geraldine Denham (Aus) Jayco-VIS
41 Kim Smith (USA) Timex
42 Vanessa Cheatley (NZl) New Zealand
43 Annabelle Vowels (Aus) Velobelles
44 Anna Bayliss (Aus) Southern Regional Team
45 Fiona Scarff (Aus) Velobelles
46 Kerry Ellen Hellmuth (USA) Master Team/Carpe Diem
47 Benita Douglas (NZl) Team 2001
48 Emma James (Aus) Sydney Water
49 Lucy Vignes (Aus) Sydney Water
50 Jessica Amy (Aus) Jayco-VIS
51 Hayley Rutherford (Aus) AIS-ACTAS
52 Natalie Bates (Aus) Bicisport-NSWIS
53 Belinda Probert (Aus) Bicisport-NSWIS
54 Kirsty Robb (NZl) Team 2001
55 Kaori Iida (Jpn) Japan
56 Mika Ogishima (Jpn) Northern Regional Team
57 Jodie Vaassen (Aus) Velobelles
58 Fjelda Lee (Aus) Bicisport-NSWIS
59 Karen Sumpton (Aus) Southern Regional Team
60 Sophie Freshwater (Aus) Saturn                   1.17
61 Susan Hefler (USA) Canada                        2.10
62 Julie Hooper (Aus) Southern Regional Team
63 Bianca Netzler (Sam) Northern Regional Team      2.33
64 Rebecca Cleveland (Aus) Southern Regional Team
65 Honi Geysen (Aus) Southern Regional Team         2.53
66 Bridget Evans (Aus) Master Team/Carpe Diem       3.04
67 Naomi Williams (Aus) Jayco-VIS                   3.29
68 Kanako Nishi (Jpn) Northern Regional Team
69 Nadia Frischnecht (Aus) Sydney Water
70 Annalisa Farrell (NZl) New Zealand               3.54
71 Karen Dekryger (Ned) Team 2001                   4.29
72 Fanny Lavierrie (NZl) Team 2001
73 Tracey Bowyer (Aus) Velobelles
74 Avril Swan (Aus) Sydney Water
75 Simone Jacobs (Aus) Sydney Water
76 Natalie Beetson (NZl) Team 2001                  6.25
77 Alexandra Ka Wah Yeung (HKg) Bicisport-NSWIS     7.42

Stage points:

1 Mirjam Melchers (Ned) Pays Bas-Holland               5 pts
2 Anna Wilson (Aus) Saturn                             3
3 Mari Holden (USA) Timex                              2
4 Alison Wright (Aus) AIS-ACTAS                        1

Sprint primes:

1st (lap 4): Alison Wright (Aus) AIS-ACTAS

2nd (lap 8): Tracey Gaudry (Aus) Timex

3rd (lap 12): Mirjam Melchers (Ned) Pays Bas-Holland

4th (lap 16): Mirjam Melchers (Ned) Pays Bas-Holland      

General classification after stage 1:

1 Mirjam Melchers (Ned) Pays Bas-Holland           44.14
2 Anna Wilson (Aus) Saturn                          0.19
3 Mari Holden (USA) Timex                           0.24
4 Alison Wright (Aus) AIS-ACTAS                     0.29
5 Karen Kurreck (USA) Canada                        0.34
6 Mirella Van Melis (Ned) Pays Bas-Holland 
7 Chantal Beltman (Ned) Pays Bas-Holland 
8 Katia Longhin (Ita) Master Team/Carpe Diem 
9 Sarah Ulmer (NZl) New Zealand 
10 Kristy Scrymgeour (Aus) AIS-ACTAS
11 Sara Carrigan (Aus) AIS-ACTAS
12 Margaret Hemsley (Aus) Bicisport-NSWIS
13 Kym Shirley (Aus) AIS-ACTAS
14 Tracey Gaudry (Aus) Timex
15 Priska Doppman (Swi) Master Team/Carpe Diem
16 Ghita Beltman (Ned) Pays Bas-Holland
17 Elizabeth Tadich (Aus) Jayco-VIS
18 Arenda Grimberg (Ned) Pays Bas-Holland
19 Dede Demet (USA) Saturn
20 Susy Pryde (NZl) Saturn
21 Geneviève Jeanson (Can) Canada
22 Jacinta Coleman (NZl) New Zealand
23 Sandy Espeseth (Can) Canada
24 Angela Hillenga (Ned) Pays Bas-Holland
25 Erin Carter (Can) Canada
26 Juanita Feldhahn (Aus) AIS-ACTAS
27 Marielle Van Scheppingen (Ned) Pays Bas-Holland
28 Ayumi Ootsuka (Jpn) Japan
29 Sanna Lehtimaki (Fin) Timex
30 Katie Mactier (Aus) Jayco-VIS
31 Odessa Gunn (Can) Timex
32 Sigrid Corneo (Ita) Master Team/Carpe Diem
33 Anne Samplonius (Can) Canada
34 Dellys Franke (Aus) Jayco-VIS
35 Marcia Eicher Vouets (Swi) Master Team/Carpe Diem
36 Rosalind Reekie-May (NZl) New Zealand
37 Miho Oki (Jpn) Japan
38 Erin Veenstra-Mirabella (USA) Timex
39 Akemi Morimoto (Jpn) Japan
40 Geraldine Denham (Aus) Jayco-VIS
41 Kim Smith (USA) Timex
42 Vanessa Cheatley (NZl) New Zealand
43 Annabelle Vowels (Aus) Velobelles
44 Anna Bayliss (Aus) Southern Regional Team
45 Fiona Scarff (Aus) Velobelles
46 Kerry Ellen Hellmuth (USA) Master Team/Carpe Diem
47 Benita Douglas (NZl) Team 2001
48 Emma James (Aus) Sydney Water
49 Lucy Vignes (Aus) Sydney Water
50 Jessica Amy (Aus) Jayco-VIS
51 Hayley Rutherford (Aus) AIS-ACTAS
52 Natalie Bates (Aus) Bicisport-NSWIS
53 Belinda Probert (Aus) Bicisport-NSWIS
54 Kirsty Robb (NZl) Team 2001
55 Kaori Iida (Jpn) Japan
56 Mika Ogishima (Jpn) Northern Regional Team
57 Jodie Vaassen (Aus) Velobelles
58 Fjelda Lee (Aus) Bicisport-NSWIS
59 Karen Sumpton (Aus) Southern Regional Team
60 Sophie Freshwater (Aus) Saturn                   1.37
61 Susan Hefler (USA) Canada                        2.30
62 Julie Hooper (Aus) Southern Regional Team
63 Bianca Netzler (Sam) Northern Regional Team      2.53
64 Rebecca Cleveland (Aus) Southern Regional Team
65 Honi Geysen (Aus) Southern Regional Team         3.13
66 Bridget Evans (Aus) Master Team/Carpe Diem       3.24
67 Naomi Williams (Aus) Jayco-VIS                   3.49
68 Kanako Nishi (Jpn) Northern Regional Team
69 Nadia Frischknecht (Aus) Sydney Water
70 Annalisa Farrell (NZl) New Zealand               4.14
71 Karen Dekryger (Ned) Team 2001                   4.49
72 Fanny Lavierrie (NZl) Team 2001
73 Tracey Bowyer (Aus) Velobelles
74 Avril Swan (Aus) Sydney Water
75 Simone Jacobs (Aus) Sydney Water
76 Natalie Beetson (NZl) Team 2001                  6.45
77 Alexandra Ka Wah Yeung (HKg) Bicisport-NSWIS     8.02

Points classification:

1  Mirjam Melchers (Ned) Pays Bas-Holland              5 pts
2  Anna Wilson (Aus) Saturn                            3
3  Mari Holden (USA) Timex                             2
4  Alison Wright (Aus) AIS-ACTAS                       1

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