4th Montreal World Cup (CDM)Canada, June 2, 2001Complete Live ReportStart time: 1130 Welcome to the live coverage of the fifth round of the women's World Cup in Montreal. The race started on time at 1130, in light rain. The temperature is a cool 12 degrees celsius. Lap 1 - 8.3 km Manon Jutras (Team Rona) leads the way at the end of the first lap, with a 14 second advantage to the bunch. Kim Bruckner (Saturn), Sue Palmer (Canada) and Suzanne Sonye (Saturn) are prominent. Some 15 riders were already dropped on the first climb Lap 2 - 16.6 km Manon Jutras (Team Rona) still leads the race, by 30 seconds now from the main group with Jeannie Longo, Geneviève Jeanson, Susanne Ljungskog, Mirjam Melchers, and Lyne Bessette all at the front. Lap 3 - 24.9 km At the end of the third lap, Manon Jutras is just about to get caught by her Rona teammate, Geneviève Jeanson. 20 seconds behind them rides Mirjam Melchers (Acca Due), Lyne Bessette (Saturn), Susanne Ljungskog (Vlaanderen) and Jeannie Longo. Lap 4 - 33.4 km This is looking quite ominous now: Genevieve Jeanson has opened up a 1'14 gap to the main field, with 8 laps to go. In second place through the start/finish was - ironically - Jeanson's predecessor (in terms of riding style) Jeannie Longo. Then: Lyne Bessette, Susanne Ljungskog, Manon Jutras, Mirjam Melchers, and Ceris Gilfillan Lap 5 - 41.5 km Jeanson was opened up her advantage to 3 minutes at the end of lap 5. She seems unstoppable! The nearest rider chasing her is Acca Due O's Vera Hohlfeld, followed by Bessette, Jutras, Longo and Melchers. Lap 6 - 49.8 km Although we're only halfway, it's probably safe to say that Genevieve Jeanson has a 90% chance of winning this World Cup race in Montreal. The diminuitive Rona rider has taken another minute out of her pursuers on the 6th lap, and now leads Susanne Ljungskog, Cindy Pieters, Heidi Van De Vijver, Mirjam Melchers, Lyne Bessette, Manon Jutras, and Sophie Creux by 4'18. Lap 7 - 58.1 km The gap to Jeanson has almost stablised at the end of the seventh lap. She leads Melchers, Bessette, and Ljungskog by 4'47, with Gilfillan, Longo and Pieters a further 10 seconds back. Lap 8 - 66.4 km The chasing riders have lost another minute to the unstoppable power of Jeanson. Gilfillan, Melchers, Bessette, Bruckner, and Ljungskog are now at 5'55, with 4 laps to go. It's definitely a race for second place now. Lap 9 - 74.5 km Another lap, another minute. Genevieve Jeanson (Rona) is completely destroying the field in the fifth round of the women's World Cup. She leads by 6'55 with 3 laps to go, with the next group containing the following riders: Jeannie Longo (France), Mirjam Melchers (Acca Due O), Lyne Bessette (Saturn), Ceris Gilfillan (GBr), Susanne Ljungskog (Vlaanderen), Anna Millward (Saturn), and Cindy Pieters (Vlaanderen).
Lap 10 - 83 km 2 laps to go, and Jeanson's lead is 7'24 on the Longo/Bessette/Millward group. Perhaps with a few extra laps, she might catch them, but will have to be content with a crushing win instead. Lap 11 - 91.3 km With one lap to go, Jeanson is still taking time out of her rivals. She leads by 7'46, with Ljungskog and Bessette chasing, followed by the Longo, Gilfillan, Pieters group at 8'04 Lap 12 - 99.6 km Genevieve Jeanson crosses the line in triumph, but there's a long wait for second place. Unofficial results: 1. Jeanson 2. Ljungskog 3. Bessette 4. Melchers 5. Gilfillian 6. Longo |