Results
1999 Stage 6 winner: Anna Wilson
RESULTS
Stage 2 - March 5: Tumut - Talbingo, 42.3 kms
By Jeff Jones
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Although short, the 42.3 kilometer stage from Tumut to Talbingo still had the potential to cause some damage in the bunch, containing one second category climb starting just 10 kilometers out of town. With time bonuses (6-4-3-2-1 seconds) for a category 2 climb, plus a 20 second bonus for the stage win, the overnight lead of Dutch rider, Mirjam Melchers was anything but assured.
The climb indeed proved to be important, in more ways than one. After a steady start out of town with no attacks, the riders began the 5 km climb with some aggression. Just a few hundred meters into it, there was a large hole created in the bunch by a crash. Although no-one was seriously hurt, the damage was done in time, as the bunch split into serveral groups. Worst off was Canada/USA rider, Karen Kurreck, who was almost last back on her bike and had to engage in an ultimately fruitless chase for the rest of the stage.
First over the top, and looking very impressive was Timex rider, Tracey Gaudry, who led Canada's Genevieve Jeanson and Anna Wilson for the points. About 30 riders made it over in the front group, but this later swelled to over 40 as more regained on the short descent.
Following this, the tempo was kept high without any serious attacking. Indeed, two chasing groups closed within striking distance with approximately 18 kilometers to go. However, just as it looked like coming together, the group hit another small rise and the gap blew out again.
Things were looking set up for another sprint finish with 13 kilometers to go, but there was more drama in the front bunch. This time it was Timex rider, Mari Holden, one of the big race favourites, who experienced mechanical difficulties with her chainring partially coming off. She needed a spare bike - generously supplied by teammate, Sanna Lehtimaki (Fin) who used an AIS bike to chase. Holden regained the bunch quickly, but Lehtimaki was not so lucky (she had also damaged her knee in the crash), and was forced to finish alone.
Inside the last 10 kilometers, the attacks really started with the Dutch, Timex, and the AIS teams being prominent. Saturn, with their small numbers were content to just watch carefully and hope for a bunch sprint so that Anna Wilson could take a bonus. The only significant move came from New Zealand's Jacinta Coleman who went at about 8 km out, but she was caught by the combined Dutch and Timex train with 2 kilometers to go.
The sprint was actually led out by Holden, who was keen to gain some time coming into the next stage. However, the sprint was too long and it was Anna Wilson who won, with New Zealand's Sarah Ulmer taking second from Holden. The win, plus her position yesterday gave Wilson the overall lead from Melchers, who was unable to place highly today.
She was surprised afterwards to have taken it, but recognised that the coming stages would be more important: "It was a short, sharp stage at a very high pace - I certainly didn't find it easy."
"The Dutch were really motivated coming into the finish, but I was determined not to get caught in the gutter like I did last year. Once I had the position, the win was straightforward. There's no pressure coming into this afternoon's time trial, as tomorrow will be the crux of the race," she said.
Second placed Ulmer was not caught in the crash, but said that she "was right beside it...it was a puncture or something, but it caused a big cut in the bunch. Only two thirds finished up the front, which was surprising."
Tracey Gaudry became the first Queen of the Mountains leader, while Melchers will wear the points jersey. This afternoon's time trial is 8.9 km, and quite flat, favouring riders like Wilson, Gaudry, Holden, and Kurreck, who unfortunately lost several minutes today.
1 Anna Wilson (Aus) Saturn 1.10.33 2 Sarah Ulmer (NZl) New Zealand 3 Mari Holden (USA) Timex 4 Sara Carrigan (Aus) AIS-ACTAS 5 Dede Demet (USA) Saturn 6 Elizabeth Tadich (Aus) Jayco-VIS 7 Chantal Beltman (Ned) Pays Bas-Holland 8 Odessa Gunn (Can) Timex 9 Alison Wright (Aus) AIS-ACTAS 10 Katia Longhin (Ita) Master Team/Carpe Diem 11 Mirjam Melchers (Ned) Pays Bas-Holland 12 Kristy Scrymgeour (Aus) AIS-ACTAS 13 Margaret Hemsley (Aus) Bicisport-NSWIS 14 Kym Shirley (Aus) AIS-ACTAS 15 Tracey Gaudry (Aus) Timex 16 Priska Doppman (Swi) Master Team/Carpe Diem 17 Ghita Beltman (Ned) Pays Bas-Holland 18 Arenda Grimberg (Ned) Pays Bas-Holland 19 Susy Pryde (NZl) Saturn 20 Genevieve Jeanson (Can) Canada 21 Jacinta Coleman (NZl) New Zealand 22 Sandy Espeseth (Can) Canada 23 Erin Carter (Can) Canada 24 Juanita Feldhahn (Aus) AIS-ACTAS 25 Marielle Van Scheppingen (Ned) Pays Bas-Holland 26 Ayumi Ootsuka (Jpn) Japan 27 Katie Mactier (Aus) Jayco-VIS 28 Anne Samplonius (Can) Canada 29 Dellys Franke (Aus) Jayco-VIS 30 Marcia Eicher Vouets (Swi) Master Team/Carpe Diem 31 Rosalind Reekie-May (NZl) New Zealand 32 Erin Veenstra-Mirabella (USA) Timex 33 Akemi Morimoto (Jpn) Japan 34 Geraldine Denham (Aus) Jayco-VIS 35 Vanessa Cheatley (NZl) New Zealand 36 Annabelle Vowels (Aus) Velobelles 37 Anna Bayliss (Aus) Southern Regional Team 38 Fiona Scarff (Aus) Velobelles 39 Emma James (Aus) Sydney Water 40 Lucy Vignes (Aus) Sydney Water 41 Jessica Amy (Aus) Jayco-VIS 42 Hayley Rutherford (Aus) AIS-ACTAS 43 Natalie Bates (Aus) Bicisport-NSWIS 44 Belinda Probert (Aus) Bicisport-NSWIS 45 Kirsty Robb (NZl) Team 2001 46 Kaori Iida (Jpn) Japan 47 Mika Ogishima (Jpn) Northern Regional Team 48 Jodie Vaassen (Aus) Velobelles 49 Fjelda Lee (Aus) Bicisport-NSWIS 50 Karen Sumpton (Aus) Southern Regional Team 51 Sophie Freshwater (Aus) Saturn 52 Julie Hooper (Aus) Southern Regional Team 53 Bianca Netzler (Sam) Northern Regional Team 54 Honi Geysen (Aus) Southern Regional Team 55 Naomi Williams (Aus) Jayco-VIS 56 Nadia Frischknecht (Aus) Sydney Water 57 Annalisa Farrell (NZl) New Zealand 58 Tracey Bowyer (Aus) Velobelles 59 Mirella Van Melis (Ned) Pays Bas-Holland 60 Benita Douglas (NZl) Team 2001 61 Angela Hillenga (Ned) Pays Bas-Holland 0.18 62 Kim Smith (USA) Timex 3.4 63 Fanny Lavierrie (NZl) Team 2001 64 Karen Kurreck (USA) Canada 65 Susan Hefler (USA) Canada 66 Sigrid Corneo (Ita) Master Team/Carpe Diem 67 Rebecca Cleveland (Aus) Southern Regional Team 68 Kerry Ellen Hellmuth (USA) Master Team/Carpe Diem 69 Sanna Lehtimaki (Fin) Timex 70 Bridget Evans (Aus) Master Team/Carpe Diem 6.13 71 Miho Oki (Jpn) Japan 8.58 72 Simone Jacobs (Aus) Sydney Water 10.53 73 Natalie Beetson (NZl) Team 2001 74 Kanako Nishi (Jpn) Northern Regional Team 75 Avril Swan (Aus) Sydney Water 76 Karen Dekryger (Ned) Team 2001 15.19 77 Alexandra Ka Wah Yeung (HKg) Bicisport-NSWIS 37.18 Mountains: Category 2 - 15.3 km 1 Tracey Gaudry (Aus) Timex 6 pts 2 Genevieve Jeanson (Can) Canada 4 3 Anna Wilson (Aus) Saturn 3 4 Mirjam Melchers (Ned) Pays Bas-Holland 2 5 Mari Holden (USA) Timex 1 Stage points 1 Anna Wilson (Aus) Saturn 5 pts 2 Sarah Ulmer (NZl) New Zealand 3 3 Mari Holden (USA) Timex 2 4 Sara Carrigan (Aus) AIS-ACTAS 1 General classification after stage 2: 1 Anna Wilson (Aus) Saturn 1.54.43 2 Mirjam Melchers (Ned) Pays Bas-Holland 0.02 3 Mari Holden (USA) Timex 0.17 4 Sarah Ulmer (NZl) New Zealand 0.23 5 Tracey Gaudry (Aus) Timex 0.32 6 Sara Carrigan (Aus) AIS-ACTAS 0.33 7 Alison Wright (Aus) AIS-ACTAS 8 Genevieve Jeanson (Can) Canada 0.34 9 Odessa Gunn (Can) Timex 0.38 10 Erin Veenstra-Mirabella (USA) Timex 11 Dede Demet (USA) Saturn 12 Susy Pryde (NZl) Saturn 13 Jacinta Coleman (NZl) New Zealand 14 Vanessa Cheatley (NZl) New Zealand 15 Rosalind Reekie-May (NZl) New Zealand 16 Kirsty Robb (NZl) Team 2001 17 Benita Douglas (NZl) Team 2001 18 Chantal Beltman (Ned) Pays Bas-Holland 19 Ghita Beltman (Ned) Pays Bas-Holland 20 Arenda Grimberg (Ned) Pays Bas-Holland 21 Mirella Van Melis (Ned) Pays Bas-Holland 22 Marielle Van Scheppingen (Ned) Pays Bas-Holland 23 Elizabeth Tadich (Aus) Jayco-VIS 24 Geraldine Denham (Aus) Jayco-VIS 25 Dellys Franke (Aus) Jayco-VIS 26 Katie Mactier (Aus) Jayco-VIS 27 Jessica Amy (Aus) Jayco-VIS 28 Emma James (Aus) Sydney Water 29 Lucy Vignes (Aus) Sydney Water 30 Margaret Hemsley (Aus) Bicisport-NSWIS 31 Natalie Bates (Aus) Bicisport-NSWIS 32 Belinda Probert (Aus) Bicisport-NSWIS 33 Fjelda Lee (Aus) Bicisport-NSWIS 34 Juanita Feldhahn (Aus) AIS-ACTAS 35 Kristy Scrymgeour (Aus) AIS-ACTAS 36 Kym Shirley (Aus) AIS-ACTAS 37 Hayley Rutherford (Aus) AIS-ACTAS 38 Ayumi Ootsuka (Jpn) Japan 39 Kaori Iida (Jpn) Japan 40 Akemi Morimoto (Jpn) Japan 41 Priska Doppman (Swi) Master Team/Carpe Diem 42 Marcia Eicher Vouets (Swi) Master Team/Carpe Diem 43 Katia Longhin (Ita) Master Team/Carpe Diem 44 Anne Samplonius (Can) Canada 45 Sandy Espeseth (Can) Canada 46 Erin Carter (Can) Canada 47 Annabelle Vowels (Aus) Velobelles 48 Jodie Vaassen (Aus) Velobelles 49 Fiona Scarff (Aus) Velobelles 50 Mika Ogishima (Jpn) Northern Regional Team 51 Karen Sumpton (Aus) Southern Regional Team 52 Anna Bayliss (Aus) Southern Regional Team 53 Angela Hillenga (Ned) Pays Bas-Holland 0.56 54 Sophie Freshwater (Aus) Saturn 1.22 55 Julie Hooper (Aus) Southern Regional Team 2.34 56 Bianca Netzler (Sam) Northern Regional Team 2.57 57 Honi Geysen (Aus) Southern Regional Team 3.17 58 Naomi Williams (Aus) Jayco-VIS 3.53 59 Nadia Frischknecht (Aus) Sydney Water 4.18 60 Sanna Lehtimaki (Fin) Timex 61 Kim Smith (USA) Timex 62 Annalisa Farrell (NZl) New Zealand 63 Sigrid Corneo (Ita) Master Team/Carpe Diem 64 Kerry Ellen Hellmuth (USA) Master Team/Carpe Diem 65 Karen Kurreck (USA) Canada 66 Tracey Bowyer (Aus) Velobelles 4.53 67 Susan Hefler (USA) Canada 6.14 68 Rebecca Cleveland (Aus) Southern Regional Team 6.37 69 Fanny Lavierrie (NZl) Team 2001 8.33 70 Miho Oki (Jpn) Japan 9.36 71 Bridget Evans (Aus) Master Team/Carpe Diem 9.41 72 Kanako Nishi (Jpn) Northern Regional Team 14.46 73 Avril Swan (Aus) Sydney Water 15.46 74 Simone Jacobs (Aus) Sydney Water 75 Natalie Beetson (NZl) Team 2001 17.42 76 Karen Dekryger (Ned) Team 2001 20.12 77 Alexandra Ka Wah Yeung (HKg) Bicisport-NSWIS 45.24 Queen of the mountains classification: 1 Tracey Gaudry (Aus) Timex 6 pts 2 Genevieve Jeanson (Can) Canada 4 3 Anna Wilson (Aus) Saturn 3 4 Mirjam Melchers (Ned) Pays Bas-Holland 2 5 Mari Holden (USA) Timex 1 Points classification: 1 Anna Wilson (Aus) Saturn 8 pts 2 Mirjam Melchers (Ned) Pays Bas-Holland 5 3 Mari Holden (USA) Timex 4 4 Sarah Ulmer (NZl) New Zealand 3 5 Sara Carrigan (Aus) AIS-ACTAS 1 6 Alison Wright (Aus) AIS-ACTAS 1