Results
1999 Stage 6 winner: Anna Wilson
RESULTS
Stage 8 - March 9: Thredbo - Cooma, 97.3 kms
By Jeff Jones
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The final day of racing in the Tour de Snowy 2000 was another split stage affair, with the cyclists completing a 97 kilometer stage from Thredbo down to Cooma in the morning, followed by a 30 kilometer evening criterium. Unfortunately, the damp weather that has been predominant for the past few days did not ease up, and the bunch rolled out of Thredbo in their rain jackets in 8 degree temperatures.
It wasn't going to be an easy stage, despite the downhill start, as their were two category climbs en route and one sprint. The mountains and the points competitions still haven't been decided, and there was also the outside chance that second placed Tracey Gaudry (Timex) would mount one last challenge on race leader Geneviève Jeanson of Canada.
Sure enough at the first QOM at 18.8 kilometers, Gaudry tried her hand. On her wheel straight away was Jeanson, who took the points from Gaudry and Jacinta Coleman (NZ). Although a little break had formed on the climb, it soon came back together on the straight, fast descent that followed.
Into the valley towards Jindabyne, and it was Gaudry again who went on the attack on a little rise. She managed a 200 meter break on the bunch, but there was a certain Canadian on her wheel who prevented the move from becoming in any way dangerous. A similar situation arose on the second QOM out of Jindabyne, with Jeanson and Gaudry splitting the bunch, but Jeanson taking the final points to seal the Queen of the Mountains jersey.
After this last attempt, Tracey Gaudry basically conceded defeat to the Canadian, as there were no more real challenges to come in the race. Anna Wilson took the sprint into Berridale (64 km) sealing her points jersey, and the riders could at last take it a little easier for the run in to Cooma.
It was not quite over though, as a break of six formed inside the last 15 kilometers. This was later reduced to four - Australian Sara Carrigan (AIS), Maeielle van Scheppingen (Ned), Erin Carter (Can) and - surprise - Mari Holen (USA, Timex). These four opened a slender gap on the main bunch, but it was enough to ensure that they would stay away to win the stage into Cooma.
With five kilometers to go, Carrigan took advantage of a slight rise to launch an all out attack. She crested the top with a few hundred meters lead, and from there it was all downhill into Cooma. She hung on to the finish, although almost seized up around the last corner to win by a handful of seconds over Holden. In third place was van Scheppingen from the Dutch team [Incidentally, one of their members Arenda Grimberg is turning 22 tomorrow. Happy birthday from Dick Soepenberg and Rudi Ottens].
Afterwards, the riders rushed to their hotels to get warm again for the evening criterium, with the official presentation to be held then. The winner of the day, Sara Carrigan was still on fire though and she could spare some words:
"At the start of the stage in Thredbo it was pretty cold, but after we rode down the hill it was ok," she said. "I thought we'll see what happens and I managed to get away in that group of six near the end."
"With five kilometers to go I said, 'what the hell, I'll give it a go' and went on a little rise. I hung on till the end but was pretty knackered coming into the finish. It's definitely my best result in my second Tour de Snowy," said a happy Carrigan.
Sara will be part of the AIS road squad this year when they head over to Italy for five to six months following the national time trial championships.
The race is now just about finished in terms of overall classifications: Jeanson has the leaders and mountains jersey solidly in her grasp, while Anna Wilson will take the points. Mari Holden managed to move up into striking distance of Anna Wilson's third overall GC position and only 16 seconds separates the two.
The final stage will be dangerous though, as the rain has gotten worse. The U-turn after the start-finish will be treated with caution, as all the rider who are racing in Canberra on Sunday would like to do so with their bikes and bodies intact.
1 Sara Carrigan (Aus) AIS-ACTAS 2.23.27 (40.67 km/h) 2 Mari Holden (USA) Timex 0.04 3 Marielle Van Scheppingen (Ned) Pays Bas-Holland 4 Erin Carter (Can) Canada 0.08 5 Mirella Van Melis (Ned) Pays Bas-Holland 0.39 6 Alison Wright (Aus) AIS-ACTAS 7 Hayley Rutherford (Aus) AIS-ACTAS 8 Dede Demet (USA) Saturn 9 Priska Doppman (Swi) Master Team/Carpe Diem 10 Arenda Grimberg (Ned) Pays Bas-Holland 11 Miho Oki (Jpn) Japan 12 Chantal Beltman (Ned) Pays Bas-Holland 13 Katie Mactier (Aus) Jayco-VIS 14 Rosalind Reekie-May (NZl) New Zealand 15 Marcia Eicher Vouets (Swi) Master Team/Carpe Diem 16 Mirjam Melchers (Ned) Pays Bas-Holland 17 Karen Kurreck (USA) Canada 18 Susy Pryde (NZl) Saturn 19 Anne Samplonius (Can) Canada 20 Jacinta Coleman (NZl) New Zealand 21 Anna Wilson (Aus) Saturn 22 Kym Shirley (Aus) AIS-ACTAS 23 Ghita Beltman (Ned) Pays Bas-Holland 24 Sandy Espeseth (Can) Canada 25 Juanita Feldhahn (Aus) AIS-ACTAS 26 Vanessa Cheatley (NZl) New Zealand 27 Honi Geysen (Aus) Southern Regional Team 28 Elizabeth Tadich (Aus) Jayco-VIS 29 Julie Hooper (Aus) Southern Regional Team 30 Sanna Lehtimaki (Fin) Timex 31 Tracey Gaudry (Aus) Timex 32 Geneviève Jeanson (Can) Canada 33 Sarah Ulmer (NZl) New Zealand 34 Lucy Vignes (Aus) Sydney Water 35 Kirsty Robb (NZl) Team 2001 36 Natalie Bates (Aus) Bicisport-NSWIS 37 Geraldine Denham (Aus) Jayco-VIS 38 Kim Smith (USA) Timex 39 Emma James (Aus) Sydney Water 40 Annalisa Farrell (NZl) New Zealand 41 Jessica Amy (Aus) Jayco-VIS 42 Akemi Morimoto (Jpn) Japan 43 Sigrid Corneo (Ita) Master Team/Carpe Diem 1.22 44 Odessa Gunn (Can) Timex 1.31 45 Kristy Scrymgeour (Aus) AIS-ACTAS 1.58 46 Katia Longhin (Ita) Master Team/Carpe Diem 2.02 47 Jodie Vaassen (Aus) Velobelles 2.22 48 Erin Veenstra-Mirabella (USA) Timex 3.42 49 Nadia Frischknecht (Aus) Sydney Water 7.02 50 Margaret Hemsley (Aus) Bicisport-NSWIS 51 Karen Sumpton (Aus) Southern Regional Team 52 Mika Ogishima (Jpn) Northern Regional Team 12.29 53 Dellys Franke (Aus) Jayco-VIS 14.53 54 Ayumi Ootsuka (Jpn) Japan 55 Anna Bayliss (Aus) Southern Regional Team 56 Natalie Beetson (NZl) Team 2001 57 Naomi Williams (Aus) Jayco-VIS 58 Fanny Lavierrie (NZl) Team 2001 20.14 59 Kerry Ellen Hellmuth (USA) Master Team/Carpe Diem 20.30 60 Fiona Scarff (Aus) Velobelles 61 Benita Douglas (NZl) Team 2001 62 Annabelle Vowels (Aus) Velobelles 63 Bianca Netzler (Sam) Northern Regional Team 64 Kanako Nishi (Jpn) Northern Regional Team 65 Sophie Freshwater (Aus) Saturn 66 Susan Hefler (USA) Canada 67 Tracey Bowyer (Aus) Velobelles 68 Bridget Evans (Aus) Master Team/Carpe Diem 69 Belinda Probert (Aus) Bicisport-NSWIS 70 Rebecca Cleveland (Aus) Southern Regional Team 71 Angela Hillenga (Ned) Pays Bas-Holland DNF 72 Alexandra Ka Wah Yeung (HKg) Bicisport-NSWIS DNF Mountains: Ivo's Farm - category 2, 18.8 km 1 Geneviève Jeanson (Can) Canada 6 pts 2 Tracey Gaudry (Aus) Timex 4 3 Mari Holden (USA) Timex 3 4 Jacinta Coleman (NZl) New Zealand 2 5 Kym Shirley (Aus) AIS-ACTAS 1 Jindabyne - category 2, 41.1 km 1 Geneviève Jeanson (Can) Canada 6 pts 2 Tracey Gaudry (Aus) Timex 4 3 Jacinta Coleman (NZl) New Zealand 3 4 Kym Shirley (Aus) AIS-ACTAS 2 5 Anna Wilson (Aus) Saturn 1 Srpint: Berridale, 64 km 1 Anna Wilson (Aus) Saturn 5 pts 2 Sara Carrigan (Aus) AIS-ACTAS 3 3 Mirjam Melchers (Ned) Pays Bas-Holland 2 4 Emma James (Aus) Sydney Water 1 General classification after stage 8: 1 Geneviève Jeanson (Can) Canada 13.04.21 2 Tracey Gaudry (Aus) Timex 1.45 3 Anna Wilson (Aus) Saturn 6.38 4 Mari Holden (USA) Timex 6.54 5 Kym Shirley (Aus) AIS-ACTAS 7.27 6 Jacinta Coleman (NZl) New Zealand 9.00 7 Mirjam Melchers (Ned) Pays Bas-Holland 9.41 8 Rosalind Reekie-May (NZl) New Zealand 10.08 9 Juanita Feldhahn (Aus) AIS-ACTAS 10.28 10 Dede Demet (USA) Saturn 12.43 11 Susy Pryde (NZl) Saturn 13.35 12 Chantal Beltman (Ned) Pays Bas-Holland 16.57 13 Kim Smith (USA) Timex 19.58 14 Sandy Espeseth (Can) Canada 19.59 15 Alison Wright (Aus) AIS-ACTAS 20.30 16 Priska Doppman (Swi) Master Team/Carpe Diem 22.11 17 Karen Kurreck (USA) Canada 22.23 18 Sara Carrigan (Aus) AIS-ACTAS 23.24 19 Marcia Eicher Vouets (Swi) Master Team/Carpe Diem 24.03 20 Julie Hooper (Aus) Southern Regional Team 25.00 21 Sarah Ulmer (NZl) New Zealand 25.09 22 Marielle Van Scheppingen (Ned) Pays Bas-Holland 27.31 23 Emma James (Aus) Sydney Water 29.47 24 Katie Mactier (Aus) Jayco-VIS 30.49 25 Erin Carter (Can) Canada 31.15 26 Sanna Lehtimaki (Fin) Timex 31.50 27 Arenda Grimberg (Ned) Pays Bas-Holland 33.33 28 Katia Longhin (Ita) Master Team/Carpe Diem 33.36 29 Annalisa Farrell (NZl) New Zealand 34.23 30 Margaret Hemsley (Aus) Bicisport-NSWIS 34.27 31 Anne Samplonius (Can) Canada 34.43 32 Jodie Vaassen (Aus) Velobelles 35.24 33 Elizabeth Tadich (Aus) Jayco-VIS 35.57 34 Hayley Rutherford (Aus) AIS-ACTAS 35 Vanessa Cheatley (NZl) New Zealand 36.28 36 Natalie Bates (Aus) Bicisport-NSWIS 36.49 37 Erin Veenstra-Mirabella (USA) Timex 36.58 38 Ghita Beltman (Ned) Pays Bas-Holland 37.05 39 Kirsty Robb (NZl) Team 2001 37.43 40 Karen Sumpton (Aus) Southern Regional Team 41.35 41 Geraldine Denham (Aus) Jayco-VIS 42.07 42 Nadia Frischknecht (Aus) Sydney Water 42.40 43 Lucy Vignes (Aus) Sydney Water 44.19 44 Honi Geysen (Aus) Southern Regional Team 46.30 45 Odessa Gunn (Can) Timex 47.48 46 Jessica Amy (Aus) Jayco-VIS 48.51 47 Mika Ogishima (Jpn) Northern Regional Team 49.11 48 Anna Bayliss (Aus) Southern Regional Team 50.08 49 Akemi Morimoto (Jpn) Japan 50.34 50 Kristy Scrymgeour (Aus) AIS-ACTAS 53.53 51 Mirella Van Melis (Ned) Pays Bas-Holland 54.47 52 Sigrid Corneo (Ita) Master Team/Carpe Diem 55.29 53 Annabelle Vowels (Aus) Velobelles 56.06 54 Benita Douglas (NZl) Team 2001 57.42 55 Ayumi Ootsuka (Jpn) Japan 1.01.41 56 Fiona Scarff (Aus) Velobelles 1.05.57 57 Belinda Probert (Aus) Bicisport-NSWIS 1.08.40 58 Kerry Ellen Hellmuth (USA) Master Team/Carpe Diem 1.09.21 59 Naomi Williams (Aus) Jayco-VIS 1.10.24 60 Miho Oki (Jpn) Japan 1.15.02 61 Sophie Freshwater (Aus) Saturn 1.18.13 62 Dellys Franke (Aus) Jayco-VIS 1.19.18 63 Rebecca Cleveland (Aus) Southern Regional Team 1.20.34 64 Bianca Netzler (Sam) Northern Regional Team 1.22.53 65 Natalie Beetson (NZl) Team 2001 1.23.35 66 Susan Hefler (USA) Canada 1.28.30 67 Tracey Bowyer (Aus) Velobelles 1.32.45 68 Fanny Lavierrie (NZl) Team 2001 1.39.39 69 Kanako Nishi (Jpn) Northern Regional Team 1.46.10 70 Bridget Evans (Aus) Master Team/Carpe Diem 2.01.29 Mountains classification: 1 Geneviève Jeanson (Can) Canada 38 pts 2 Tracey Gaudry (Aus) Timex 30 3 Kym Shirley (Aus) AIS-ACTAS 13 4 Mari Holden (USA) Timex 11 5 Jacinta Coleman (NZl) New Zealand 11 6 Anna Wilson (Aus) Saturn 5 7 Susy Pryde (NZl) Saturn 3 8 Kim Smith (USA) Timex 2 9 Dede Demet (USA) Saturn 2 10 Mirjam Melchers (Ned) Pays Bas-Holland 2 11 Juanita Feldhahn (Aus) AIS-ACTAS 2 12 Hayley Rutherford (Aus) AIS-ACTAS 1 Points classification: 1 Anna Wilson (Aus) Saturn 18 pts 2 Mirjam Melchers (Ned) Pays Bas-Holland 10 3 Mari Holden (USA) Timex 8 4 Geneviève Jeanson (Can) Canada 8 5 Kim Smith (USA) Timex 6 6 Sara Carrigan (Aus) AIS-ACTAS 6 7 Tracey Gaudry (Aus) Timex 5 8 Susy Pryde (NZl) Saturn 4 9 Jacinta Coleman (NZl) New Zealand 3 10 Sarah Ulmer (NZl) New Zealand 3 11 Kym Shirley (Aus) AIS-ACTAS 3 12 Hayley Rutherford (Aus) AIS-ACTAS 3 13 Karen Kurreck (USA) Canada 3 14 Marielle Van Scheppingen (Ned) Pays Bas-Holland 2 15 Juanita Feldhahn (Aus) AIS-ACTAS 2 16 Rosalind Reekie-May (NZl) New Zealand 1 17 Natalie Bates (Aus) Bicisport-NSWIS 1 18 Alison Wright (Aus) AIS-ACTAS 1 19 Erin Carter (Can) Canada 1