NZ Women's Classic 1996

Bill's Editorial

I am sorry that my reporting of this event is patchy. One would think that with the top women in the world racing in NZ and leading into the Olympic Games in August and with Australia defending the Olympic Road Race title, that the press would give it a consistent coverage.

Just goes to show - its cycling, its women, and its NZ - I guess we should be thankful for the drip-feed that we are getting. So sorry, I have done my best.

Prologue Criterium - 30 minutes - Raglan Beach

 1. Karen Bliss-Livingston (Saturn USA)		30.00
 2. Jeanne Goley (Saturn USA)	
 3. Anna Wilson (AIS-Australia)
 4. J. Toulenberg (Germany)
 5. K. Scrymgeour (Australia)
 6. D. Demet (Saturn USA)
 7. K. Kurreck (USA)
 8. Julie Young (USA)
 9. T. Duff-Miller (NZ)
10. Elizabeth Tadich (AIS-Australia)

Stage One - Raglan to Huntly - 87kms

 1. Kurreck (USA)				2.22.17
 2. Young  (USA)				  
 3. Clara Hughes (Canada)			
 4. Tadich (Aust)				  s.t.
 5. M. Holden (USA)			    	 + 0.04
 6. J. Nelson (NZ)			 	 + 4.08

General Classification after Stage One

 1. Kurreck					2.52.12
 2. Young					 + 0.01
 3. Hughes				 	 + 0.02
 4. Tadich				  	 + 0.03
 5. Holden					 + 0.08
 6. Bliss-Livingston				 + 4.08
 7. Golay (Saturn USA)				 + 4.09
 8. Wilson				 	 + 4.10
 9. Toulenberg					 + 4.11
10. Scrymgeour					 + 4.12

Other

Sprint Ace

 1. Kurreck 	10 points
 2. Young	 6
 3. Tadich	 4
 3. Holden 	 4

Queen of Mountains
 
 1. Kurreck	23
 2. Young	20
 3. Tadich	19

Stage Two - Huntly to Hamilton - 55.4 km

 1. Vera Holfield (Germany)		1.24.02
 2. Dede Dernet (SA)
 3. Cathy Reardon (Giant-AIS-Australia)	   s.t.
 4. Tracey Watson (Giant-AIS-Australia)	 + 0.16

Stage Three - Hamilton to Cambridge - 62.7 km

 1. Anna Wilson (Giant-AIS)		1.42.47
 2. Kristy Scrymgeour (Australia)	 + 0.06
 3. Cathy Reardon 			 + 2.29

GC after Stage Three

 1. Kurreck (USA)

Stage Four

Otorohanga: West Australian Lyn Nixon won Australia's second consecutive stage at the women's classic of New Zealand yesterday with a fourth stage victory.

Shepparton teenager Elizabeth Tadich won the field sprint for second place some 29 secs behind Nixon, moving herself into equal second place on GC in the five day tour, which finishes tomorrow. America's Karen Kurreck relinquished the overall lead to compatriot Julie Young.

Stage 5

Missing in Action!

Stage 6 - Otorohanga to Pirongla 125km

 1. K. Bliss-Livingston (US)			
 2. J. Golay (US)
 3. Julie Young (US)
 4. Karen Kurreck (US)
 5. Elizabeth Tadich (Giant-AIS, Australia)  	all same time

Overall

 1. J. Young
 2. Kurreck 	       				at 0.01s
 3. Tadich			       		at 0.06
 4. C. Hughes (Canada)  	       		at 0.23
 5. Anna Wilson (Giant-AIS, Australia) 		at 1.47
 6. Karen Scrymgeour (Australia)       		at 1.52
 7. L. Nixon (Giant-AIS, Australia)    		at 3.47
 8. Cathy Reardon (Giant-AIS, Australia)	at 3.50

Final News

National Australian ITT champion Tracey Watson and Elizabeth Tadich were the stand-out performers from the Australian Institute of Sport Olympic Squad at the women's road classic in New Zealand.

Tadich finished second overall in the five-day tour which concluded on Saturday, behind American Karen Kurreck, while Watson won the 12.5 km second last time trial stage by 19 seconds.

Six of the seven AIS riders who are contending for three Atlanta Games berths competed in the classic, with Olympic road champion Kathy Watt staying behind. Coach Andrew Logan described the squad's display as a "great performance".

Logan said Watson's ITT win made her one of the standouts with Watt for the event at the Olympics. The AIS women's squad has several more races in the lead-up to the national titles in Sydney from April 17-21.

A personal focus on Tracey Watson.