International Thuringen-Rundfahrt der Frauen, Cat 2.9.1

Germany, July 30-August 3, 1997

Prologue, Zeulenroda, 6 km:

Brief : 6 km prologue of torture -it had everything, up and down, sharp corners, pave or cobbles and some fast smooth straights. An extremely technical course that Kurreck just edged out Valvik. The Australian women faired well with Kathy again our best. All looking forward to a good hard tour with terrain more suited to what the Australian women enjoy.

 1. Karen Kurrec (USA)     	        8:04.81 
 2. Monika Valvik (Nor)        		0:01 
 3. Barbara Heeb (Swi)           	0:08 
 4. Alessandra Cappellotto (Ita)	0:09 
 5. Heidi van de Vijver (Bel)         	0:12
 6. Anne Samplonious (Can) 		0.15.7
 7. Jol.  Polokeviciute (Lit)		0.16.4
 8. Jorunn Kvalo (Nor) 			0.17.3 
 9. Luisiana  Pegoraro (Ita) 		0.18.4 
10. Kathy Watt (Australia)		0.20.2 
11. Vera Hohlfeld (Ger)           	0:21
12. Ina  Teutenberg (Ger)		0.22.6 
..
34. Lyn Nixon (Australia)		0.37.4 
36. Pam Schuster (USA)			0.38.5 
37. Elizabeth Tadich (Australia)	0.39
42. Kristy  Scrymgeour (Australia)	0.41.8
48. Charlotte White (Australia)		0.45.2
57. Kim  Palmer (Australia)		0.49.8 
73. Juanita Feldhahn (Australia)	0.58

Stage 1 , Zeulenroda - Greiz, 127 kms:

No big climbing, yet quite demanding. 3 mountain sprints with climbs up to 3 and 4 km. Pave (cobbles) through narrow villages and rail crossings throughout. Also narrow forest roads. No doubt an interesting days racing ahead for stage 1. Oh yeah, the finish is a 400 metre straight through a cobbled shopping arcade about 1 1/2 cars wide with 2 corners in the last 300 metres. Can't wait! Heavy duty wheels at the ready.

 1. Vera Hohlfeld (Ger)             3:36:18
 2. Monika Valvik (Nor)
 3. Karen Kurreck (USA)             all s.t.

Stage 2, Greiz - Saalfeld, 145 km:

 1. Alessandra Cappellotto (Ita)     3:50:49 (+ 0.10 bonus)
 2. Barbara Heeb (Swi) 			0.04
 3. Vera Hohlfeld (Ger) 		1.24
 4. Monica Valvik (Nor) 		1.28
 5. Luisiana Pegoraro (Ita)
 6. Karen Kurreck (USA)
 7. Jolanta Polikeviciute (Lit)
 8. Rasa Polikeviciute (Lit)
 9. Kathy Watt (Australia)
10. Lynette Nixon (Australia) 	     all s.t.

Overall after Stage 2:

 
 1. Cappellotto 		     7:22:54
 2. Heeb 				0.03
 3. Valvik 				1.24
 4. Kurreck 				1.25
 5. Hohlfeld				1.36
 6. J. Polikeviciute 			1.46
 7. Pegoraro 				1.48
 8. Watt 				1.50
 9. R. Polikeviciute 			2.05
10. Nixon 				2.07

Stage 3, Saalfeld - Schleiz, 56 km:

 1. Barbara Heeb (Swi)               1:32:55
 2. Alessandra Cappellotto (Ita)
 3. Joan Wilson (USA)              	0:40
 4. Vera Hohlfeld (Ger)           	0:41

Stage 4, Schleiz - Gera, 86 km:

 1. Ina-Yoko Teutenberg (Ger)        2:12:33
 2. Pamela Schuster (USA)             	0:00
 3. Lynette Nixon (Australia)       	0:05

Stage 5, Gera - Zeulenroda, 133 km:

 1. Monica Valvik (Nor)    	     3:32:14
 2. Karen Kurreck (USA)
 3. Alessandro Cappelotto (Ita)
 4. Barbara Heeb (Swi)     	     all s.t.
...
14. Kathy Watt (Australia)		0.46
19. Vera Hohlfeld (Ger)      		0:46

Final GC

 1. Alessandra Cappellotto  (Ita)   14:41:59
 2. Barbara Heeb (Swi)   		0:03
 3. Monika Valvik (Nor)  		2:11
 4. Karen Kurreck (USA)			2.16
 5. Jolanta Polikeviciute (Lit)		2.44 
 6. Luisiana Pegoraro (Ita)		2.46 
 7. Rasa Polikeviciute (Lit)		3.10
 8. Vera Hohlfeld (Ger)   		3:13
 9. Kathy Watt (Australia)		3.42
10. Lyn Nixon (Australia)		3.53
11. Edith Klep (Ned)			5.21 
12. Ina Teutenburg (Ger)		5.42
16. Anne Sampolonious (Can)		6.39
17. Heidi Van de Vijver (Bel)		6.43
...
27. Elizabeth Tadich (Australia)	
30. Charlotte White (Australia)
43. Pam Schuster (USA)
50. Juanita Feldhahn (Australia)	
53. Kim  Palmer (Australia)

Australian Women's Team Roundup for the Tour

Another hard tour for the Australian Team, with technically difficult and treacherous cornering and paved roads.

The team was:

 Kathy Watt (Vic)
 Juanita Feldhahn (Qld)
 Lyn Nixon (WA)
 Kim Palmer (ACT)
 Elizabeth Tadich (Vic)
 Charlotte White (NSW)

Lyn Nixon produced our best result on tour with a great 3rd place on stage 4. Lyn broke away with Ina Teutenburg (Ger) and Pam Schuster (USA) after 5 km into the 86 km stage. The group of 3 stayed clear and finished 1 min. 30 secs. ahead of the bunch at the finish.

Lyn and Kathy Watt were our strongest riders for the tour with top 10 finishes from both in 2 stages. The rest of the Australians supported extremely well, and comments around the tour competitors and entourage were that it was a pleasant surprise to see how well the Australian team worked together when required.

The Australian women's team departed yesterday (Monday) for the start of TOUR FEMININ. It starts in METZ and finishes 12 days later in NICE.

Although not mountainous, all stages were throughout difficult, undulating terrain, and 2 stages near the maximum distance of 150 km for women's World Cup stage racing, at 144 km and 133 km for stages 2 and 5.

Tour winner Alessandra Cappellotto (Italy) won the tour in the last sprint. She started the last stage only 1 sec. behind World Champion, Barbara Heeb (Switzerland), and only needed to beat Heeb in the final sprint and receive a time bonus for the victory. It was also a close tussle for 3rd place, with again only 1 sec. between Monica Valvik (Norway) and Karen Kurreck (USA) going into the last stage. A group of 7 broke clear in the last 10km of the stage, with all top 4 contenders making the group.