Home

Stages & Results

Overall Map

Starting List

Photos

Contacts

Archives

2000
1999
1998

Results Index    Results    Map/profile    Previous Stage    Next Stage    Anna Millward's diary

Stage 6 - March 6: Khancoban - Cabramurra, 110.8 km

Bruckner vaults into the lead

By Jeff Jones

Bruckner leads
Photo: © Tom Balks/CN

Team Saturn-Timex kept the overall race lead in the Tour de Snowy, recording their 5th stage win in the process as 30 year old Kim Bruckner rode into Cabramurra alone a winner. She beat Australian Institute of Sport rider, Margaret Hemsley, by over a minute and a half after the two had attacked at kilometre 64. In third place was Zinaida Stahurskaia (GAS), who put nearly 2 minutes into race leader Anna Millward, but was over 4 minutes behind Bruckner at the end - not enough to overhaul the American.

After yesterday's drama, today's 110 kilometre haul from Khancoban to Cabramurra started off in a fairly pedestrian manner. The 65 rider peloton were content to stay together over the first undulations, with an occasional "softening up" move thrown in for good measure.

By the first mountain sprint at kilometre 55, things still hadn't really broken up. Swiss rider Priska Doppmann (Acca Due O) won the sprint, followed by Stahurskaia, Millward, Shirley and Hemsley. After this, Saturn went on the offensive, sending Millward, then Anke Erlank up the road. When the South African was caught, Margaret Hemsley counter-attacked and Kim Bruckner tacked onto her wheel.

The bunch immediately sat up and the pair increased their gap to 30 seconds, then 2'37, 3'30 and 4'50 at the bottom of the final climb. From there, it was 10 kilometres of hard slog to the summit and some thought that the leading pair would be caught after being on their own for so long. However, it was clearly not going to happen as both Hemsley and Bruckner are accomplished climbers (Bruckner lives in Boulder, Colorado at nearly 2000 m) and they quickly settled into a rhythm.

Keep it steady...
Photo: © Tom Balks/CN

They were aided by the fact that no-one behind wanted to help Stahurskaia attack, and there was some tension in the bunch when she tried. Eventually, she and Fany Lecourtois (Alfa Lum) rode away from a group containing Millward, Kym Shirley (AIS), Kim Smith (Autotrader.com) and Mirjam Melchers (Acca Due O). However, the could only make a small inroad into Bruckner and Hemsley and Stahurskaia effectively lost her chance of taking the race.

In front, Hemsley looked strong but eventually succumbed to Bruckner's climbing power. "I thought it was going to be touch and go because I was pretty much grovelling all the way. Kim was definitely the strong rider of the two of us," said Hemsley afterwards.

Bruckner eventually crossed with a 1'38 advantage on Hemsley, but more importantly she had 4'03 on Stahurskaia, who dropped Lecourtois to finish third. "It's huge but I owe a lot to my teammates," said an elated Bruckner. "We were trying to work hard for Anna and planned to attack after the first QOM. Anna went, Anke went and then Margie went from the AIS and we were away."

"I felt OK going into it [the last climb] but I was a little worried. Five minutes is a good cushion but with the World Champion coming up strong behind us I didn't know. I just kept a steady tempo and then when Margaret fell off that motivated me more to go and that helped a lot. It ended well."

Pregnolato worked hard
Photo: © Tom Balks/CN

When she found out she was the new race leader, Bruckner's reaction was even more positive: Oh! No I didn't realise that! I was a good day overall - I've never even got a mountain sprint before!"

But now, Saturn will be working for her tomorrow. "That's a switch, but that's OK. We've still got three in the top five or six so that's OK," she added.

Anna Millward happily relinquished her leader's jersey to her teammate. "Kim's from altitude so I realised that she should be the one to get away, because I knew she wouldn't have a problem with the altitude on the climb. She pulled it off!"

"She's got a great lead now. I've never done the stage tomorrow but it doesn't look anything like as hard as today. We'll be just looking after Kim and trying to ride in for the tour win for her."

"I didn't think I'd hold onto Zina and that's why we wanted to have someone away before the climb. I was hoping - you always hope - but the way she's been climbing she's been hurting me every day. On a climb like that, there's no 'sit' at all."

The final day of the race is not easy, with the morning stage from Tumbarumba to Tumut (69.1 km) starting with a 20 kilometre climb. However from there it's generally downhill and should present no problems to Bruckner and her Saturn team. The final stage is a criterium in Tumut, a perfect way to showcase the end of the 2001 Tour de Snowy.

Results

1 Kimberly Bruckner (USA) Saturn                   4.04.31 (27.19 km/h)
2 Margaret Hemsley (Aus) AIS                          1.38
3 Zinaida Stahurskaia (Blr) GAS Sport                 4.03
4 Fany Lecourtois (Fra) Alfa Lum R.S.M.               4.09
5 Kim Shirley (Aus) AIS                               5.57
6 Kim Smith (USA) Autotrader.com
7 Anna Millward (Aus) Saturn
8 Mirjam Melchers (Ned) Acca Due O-H.P.
9 Rosalind Reekie-May (NZl) New Zealand               6.43
10 Sigrid Corneo (Ita) Carpe Diem-Itera               8.34
11 Sarah Ulmer (NZl) Autotrader.com
12 Hayley Rutherford (Aus) AIS
13 Sara Carrigan (Aus) AIS
14 Priska Doppmann (Swi) Acca Due O-H.P.
15 Mari Holden (USA) Alfa Lum R.S.M.
16 Melissa Holt (NZl) New Zealand
17 Anke Erlank (RSA) Saturn
18 Karen Sumpton (Aus) AIS
19 Emma Carney (Aus) Jayco VIS
20 Pam Shuster (USA) Autotrader.com                  10.15
21 Natasha Harrigan (Aus) Bicisport                  10.19
22 Susy Pryde (NZl) Autotrader.com
23 Lara Ruthven (USA) Carpe Diem-Itera               10.30
24 Giovanna Troldi (Ita) Acca Due O-H.P.
25 Erin Philp (Aus) Australian Regional              10.39
26 Olivia Gollan (Aus) NSWIS Trek Team               12.18
27 Katie Mactier (Aus) Jayco VIS                     12.32
28 Vera Hohlfeld (Ger) Acca Due O-H.P.
29 Tatiana Stiajkina (Ukr) Alfa Lum R.S.M.
30 Kirsty Robb (NZl) New Zealand                     12.41
31 Bridget Evans (Aus) Bicisport                     14.59
32 Elizabeth Tadich (Aus) Jayco VIS                  16.42
33 Vanessa Cheatley (NZl) New Zealand
34 Alison Wright (Aus) AIS
35 Sara Felloni (Ita) Alfa Lum R.S.M.
36 Julie Hooper (Aus) City Cycles Melbourne          20.05
37 Roberta Bonanomi (Ita) GAS Sport
38 Jennifer Manefield (Aus) Bicisport                21.11
39 Emma James (Aus) NSWIS Trek Team                  21.33
40 Natalie Bates (Aus) NSWIS Trek Team               21.57
41 Miho Oki (Jap) Japan Cycling Federation
42 Naomi Williams (Aus) Jayco VIS                    23.50
43 Rebecca Locke (Aus) Australian Regional           26.06
44 Kate Bates (Aus) NSWIS Trek Team                  26.16
45 Jeanette Schwarz (Aus) Australian Regional
46 Kerry Hellmuth (USA) Carpe Diem-Itera
47 Vera Carrara (Ita) Carpe Diem-Itera
48 Louisa Hamilton-White (Aus) City Cycles Melbourne
49 Silvia Parietti (Ita) GAS Sport                   29.58
50 Luisana Pegoraro (Ita) Carpe Diem-Itera
51 Helen Kelly (Aus) Jayco VIS                       32.43
52 Annie Gariepy (Can) Autotrader.com                34.19
53 Jessica Amy (Aus) Jayco VIS                       35.40
54 Rebecca Cleveland (Aus) Team-Bizar.com            36.37
55 Nora Moeke (NZl) New Zealand                      38.26
56 Simone Poulos (Aus) Bicisport                     40.32
57 Alex Harrison (Aus) Team-Bizar.com                42.28
58 Gabriella Pregnolato (Ita) GAS Sport              43.03
59 Kanako Nishi (Jap) Japan Cycling Federation       43.51
60 Mary Rogers (Aus) City Cycles Melbourne           44.37
61 Victoria Kirkby (Aus) Team-Bizar.com              45.51
62 Rochelle Gilmore (Aus) NSWIS Trek Team            48.39
63 Sue McCarthy (Aus) City Cycles Melbourne          50.07
64 Rebecca McConnell (Aus) Team-Bizar.com            55.09
DNF Sophie Freshwater (Aus) Australian Regional
 
Mountains
 
Climb 1 - Cat. 2, km 55.4
 
1 Priska Doppmann (Swi) Acca Due O-H.P.         6 pts
2 Zinaida Stahurskaia (Blr) GAS Sport           4
3 Anna Millward (Aus) Saturn                    3
4 Kim Shirley (Aus) AIS                         2
5 Margaret Hemsley (Aus) AIS                    1
 
Climb 1 - Cat. 2, km 55.4
 
1 Kimberly Bruckner (USA) Saturn               10 pts
2 Margaret Hemsley (Aus) AIS                    8
3 Zinaida Stahurskaia (Blr) GAS Sport           6
4 Fany Lecourtois (Fra) Alfa Lum R.S.M.         4
5 Kim Shirley (Aus) AIS                         2
 
General classification after stage 6
 
1 Kimberly Bruckner (USA) Saturn                  10.40.13
2 Zinaida Stahurskaia (Blr) GAS Sport                 1.30
3 Margaret Hemsley (Aus) AIS                          2.20
4 Anna Millward (Aus) Saturn                          2.54
5 Kim Shirley (Aus) AIS                               5.53
6 Fany Lecourtois (Fra) Alfa Lum R.S.M.               6.25
7 Mirjam Melchers (Ned) Acca Due O-H.P.               6.52
8 Kim Smith (USA) Autotrader.com                      8.22
9 Anke Erlank (RSA) Saturn                            8.27
10 Priska Doppmann (Swi) Acca Due O-H.P.              8.43
11 Rosalind Reekie-May (NZl) New Zealand              9.00
12 Mari Holden (USA) Alfa Lum R.S.M.                  9.38
13 Sara Carrigan (Aus) AIS                           10.39
14 Sigrid Corneo (Ita) Carpe Diem-Itera              10.59
15 Hayley Rutherford (Aus) AIS
16 Karen Sumpton (Aus) AIS
17 Melissa Holt (NZl) New Zealand
18 Susy Pryde (NZl) Autotrader.com                   12.44
19 Emma Carney (Aus) Jayco VIS                       12.57
20 Sarah Ulmer (NZl) Autotrader.com                  13.44
21 Lara Ruthven (USA) Carpe Diem-Itera               13.45
22 Pam Shuster (USA) Autotrader.com                  15.25
23 Natasha Harrigan (Aus) Bicisport                  15.29
24 Olivia Gollan (Aus) NSWIS Trek Team               18.28
25 Katie Mactier (Aus) Jayco VIS                     18.42
26 Kirsty Robb (NZl) New Zealand                     18.51
27 Tatiana Stiajkina (Ukr) Alfa Lum R.S.M.           20.46
28 Vanessa Cheatley (NZl) New Zealand
29 Roberta Bonanomi (Ita) GAS Sport                  22.30
30 Giovanna Troldi (Ita) Acca Due O-H.P.             22.45
31 Bridget Evans (Aus) Bicisport                     23.13
32 Erin Philp (Aus) Australian Regional              24.04
33 Vera Hohlfeld (Ger) Acca Due O-H.P.               24.15
34 Sara Felloni (Ita) Alfa Lum R.S.M.                25.57
35 Alison Wright (Aus) AIS                           26.25
36 Natalie Bates (Aus) NSWIS Trek Team               28.07
37 Elizabeth Tadich (Aus) Jayco VIS                  28.25
38 Jennifer Manefield (Aus) Bicisport                29.25
39 Miho Oki (Jap) Japan Cycling Federation           34.34
40 Emma James (Aus) NSWIS Trek Team                  38.18
41 Kerry Hellmuth (USA) Carpe Diem-Itera             38.49
42 Naomi Williams (Aus) Jayco VIS                    39.57
43 Jeanette Schwarz (Aus) Australian Regional        42.44
44 Julie Hooper (Aus) City Cycles Melbourne          42.55
45 Luisana Pegoraro (Ita) Carpe Diem-Itera           44.44
46 Kate Bates (Aus) NSWIS Trek Team                  45.27
47 Vera Carrara (Ita) Carpe Diem-Itera               45.49
48 Silvia Parietti (Ita) GAS Sport                   46.00
49 Rebecca Locke (Aus) Australian Regional           52.05
50 Annie Gariepy (Can) Autotrader.com                56.24
51 Jessica Amy (Aus) Jayco VIS                     1.01.15
52 Rochelle Gilmore (Aus) NSWIS Trek Team          1.03.05
53 Louisa Hamilton-White (Aus) City Cycles Melbour 1.06.04
54 Rebecca Cleveland (Aus) Team-Bizar.com          1.07.32
55 Helen Kelly (Aus) Jayco VIS                     1.09.07
56 Gabriella Pregnolato (Ita) GAS Sport            1.09.55
57 Alex Harrison (Aus) Team-Bizar.com              1.12.28
58 Simone Poulos (Aus) Bicisport                   1.23.24
59 Nora Moeke (NZl) New Zealand                    1.31.22
60 Victoria Kirkby (Aus) Team-Bizar.com            1.41.04
61 Kanako Nishi (Jap) Japan Cycling Federation     1.45.02
62 Sue McCarthy (Aus) City Cycles Melbourne        1.47.05
63 Mary Rogers (Aus) City Cycles Melbourne         1.54.29
64 Rebecca McConnell (Aus) Team-Bizar.com          2.11.27

Points classification

1 Anna Millward (Aus) Saturn                            21 pts
2 Zinaida Stahurskaia (Blr) GAS Sport                    9
3 Rochelle Gilmore (Aus) NSWIS Trek Team                 9
4 Anke Erlank (RSA) Saturn                               5
5 Kimberly Bruckner (USA) Saturn                         4
6 Sara Carrigan (Aus) AIS                                4
7 Mirjam Melchers (Ned) Acca Due O-H.P.                  3
8 Sarah Ulmer (NZl) Autotrader.com                       3
9 Margaret Hemsley (Aus) AIS                             3
10 Alison Wright (Aus) AIS                               3
11 Priska Doppmann (Swi) Acca Due O-H.P.                 2
12 Mari Holden (USA) Alfa Lum R.S.M.                     2
13 Kim Shirley (Aus) AIS                                 2
14 Naomi Williams (Aus) Jayco VIS                        2
15 Kate Bates (Aus) NSWIS Trek Team                      2
16 Giovanna Troldi (Ita) Acca Due O-H.P.                 1
17 Fany Lecourtois (Fra) Alfa Lum R.S.M.                 1

Mountains classification

1 Zinaida Stahurskaia (Blr) GAS Sport                   30 pts
2 Kim Shirley (Aus) AIS                                 16
3 Priska Doppmann (Swi) Acca Due O-H.P.                 11
4 Margaret Hemsley (Aus) AIS                            11
5 Kimberly Bruckner (USA) Saturn                        10
6 Anna Millward (Aus) Saturn                            10
7 Anke Erlank (RSA) Saturn                               7
8 Mirjam Melchers (Ned) Acca Due O-H.P.                  6
9 Fany Lecourtois (Fra) Alfa Lum R.S.M.                  4
10 Mari Holden (USA) Alfa Lum R.S.M.                     2
11 Emma Carney (Aus) Jayco VIS                           1

The Tour de Snowy Internet site is brought to you by www.cyclingnews.com.

back to top