Trophée d'Or Féminin - 2.9.2

France, August 27-31, 2003

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Stage 5 - August 31: Boussac - Saint-Amand-Montrond, 105.7 km

Gollan flies the green and gold; third stage win for Ulmer

Olivia Gollan all smiles
Photo ©: James Victor

It was another great day for riders from down under as New Zealand's Sarah Ulmer (Internations 1) won her third stage and Australian Olivia Gollan (Team Australia) took overall victory at the Trophée d'Or Féminin in central France. American Heather Albert (Internations 3) and France's Magali Le Floc'h (RONA/Esker) took second and third place on a fast (average speed 40.8 km/h) and aggressive stage. Italy's Sigrid Corneo (Nobili Road Runners) kept her polka dot climber's jersey, while Australian Alison Wright (Nobili Road Runners) held onto her green jersey as leader of the points classification. The white jersey for best under 23 rider was awarded to Bielorussian Volha Hayeva (Internations 3).

How it unfolded

One could have expected a fun ride before the start when a group of New Zealand riders and staff gave the crowd a demonstration of Hakka, the traditional Maori war dance. But the battle dance continued on the road with a series of attacks from the gun, with RONA/Esker's Magali Le Floc'h and Karen Bockel testing the peloton's nerves, which soon created a lead group of 13 after 10 kilometres. Included in the lead group were the RONA/Esker trio of Le Floc'h, Bockel and Erinne Willock, Brigit Hollmann (Rostex Quantum), Emma James (Team Australia), Heather Albert, Sandrine Marcuz-Moreau (French Nationals) and seven others.

While strong on paper, the group lacked cohesion and was reeled in after seven kilometres. A major crash at the back of the field occurred a further ten kilometres down the road, with several women forced to abandon and a few driven to hospital.

At the 20 kilometre mark, German Daniela Kenty (Luxembourg Mixte) attacked, followed by Carine Peter (Gervais Lilas) and Cathy Marsal (RONA/Esker). The three created a gap and Cathy Marsal, usually more comfortable on a flat course, won the last climber's sprint of the competition at the top of a climb much tougher than initially envisaged. The climb put an end to the break, but broke the peloton in three pieces and generated a new attack, this time by Sylvie Riedle (Gervais Lilas) and Erinne Willock (Rona/Esker).

Riedle and Willock were then joined by a small group, including young Volha Hayeva (Internations 3), who was lying tenth on general classification, 1'12 behind Olivia Gollan (Team Australia). Hayeva's presence forced the Aussies to react, but race leader Gollan had to supply her own defence. As soon as the break was reeled in, another trio went away, with Heidi Van de Vijver, Zlatica Gavlakova Bazola (Gervais Lilas) and RONA/Esker's Karen Bockel. They stayed in front for almost 20 kilometres, enough for Bockel to win her team the most lucrative sprint primes of the day.

Another fistful of kilometres went by before yet another attack by Swiss Diana Rast (Mazza), with Katie Mactier (Team Australia) on her wheel, policing the lead of teammate Gollan. But instead of playing passive observer, Mactier took the field by surprise and began to work with Rast. When the pair increased their gap to almost 50 seconds, the Nobili Road Runners led the chase, but entering into Saint-Amand with 25 kilometres remaining, the lead was still more than 20 seconds.

Shortly thereafter, Mactier dropped her Swiss companion, while back in the peloton, Magali Le Floc'h and Heather Albert (Internations 3) jumped away and said good-bye to the field. As they pared away at Mactier's lead, Sarah Ulmer came from behind and joined the chase, with the trio bridging the gap to the Australian, with just five kilometres remaining. A fearsome sprinter on any day, Ulmer also looked fresher than the others, so instead of trying to outsprint the New Zelander, Le Floc'h attacked in the last 400 metres. But Ulmer put on her turbo, and jumped clear for her third stage win of the tour.

"I was tired; we had chased at such a crazy pace!" said third-placed Magali Le Floc'h. "Plus I had to break in the last corner; you can't come back from that. Ulmer passed me 50 metres from the finish."

Australian National coach was exhausted from the stress when he talked with Cyclingnews after the event. "It was a very exciting event," he said, "and at times quite nerve-racking but the girls all rose to the occasion and I'm very happy with them all."

The next event on the international schedule is the Rotterdam World Cup where Nicole Cooke will be riding to win the World Cup series, followed by the Giro del Toscana where 170 riders are signed up to race in the lead up to World Championships.

Photos

Images by James Victor

Alison Wright (Nobili Road Runners) held onto her green jersey as the most consistent finisher of the tour.
Australian champion Olivia Gollan (Team Australia) took the yellow jersey on the all important time trial stage, and the team rode tirelessly to defend it.
The Australian team at the sign-on in Boussac at the start of the final stage.
Italy's Sigrid Corneo (Nobili Road Runners) kept her polka dot climber's jersey to the end.
Oenone Wood (Team Australia) won the third stage around Avord by attacking the field with 400 metres to go.
Olivia Gollan (Team Australia) was all smiles as she successfully defended her lead all the way to Saint-Amand-Montrond.
Sarah Ulmer's (Internations 1) performance at the Trophée d'Or was outstanding, winning three out of six stages.
Aussie assault on the podium - (from L to R) Alison Wright (points), Oenone Wood (mountains) and Olivia Gollan (overall).
Smiles all around from Team Australia.
The Australians celebrate on the podium.

Images by Olivia Gollan

It became increasingly difficult to take the smile off Olivia Gollan's face as she donned a new yellow jersey each day.
A winning tune.
Olivia Gollan salutes the crowd as winner of the 2003 Trophée d'Or Féminin.
Smiley Aussies.

Results

1 Sarah Ulmer (NZl) Internations 1                  2.35.27  (40.8 km/h)
2 Heather Albert (USA) Internations 3
3 Magali Le Floc’h (Fra) Rona/Esker
4 Katie Mactier (Aus) Australia                        0.01
5 Sharon Vandromme (Bel) Belgium                        0.18
6 Alison Wright (Aus) RRG Nobili
7 Hanka Kupfernagel (Ger) Berlin RG
8 Volha Hayeva (Blr) Internations 3 
9 Olivia Gollan (Aus) Australia
10 Heidi Van de Vijver (Bel) Belgium
...
22 Karen Bockel (Ger) Rona/Esker
42 Erinne Wilock (Can) Rona/Esker
48 Andrea Hannos (Can) Rona/Esker
49 Catherine Marsal (Fra) Rona/Esker
50 Meshy Holt (NZl) Rona/Esker
 
Final general classification
 
1 Olivia Gollan (Aus) Australia                    13.32.02
2 Hanka Kupfernagel (Ger) Berlin RG                    0.07
3 Oenone Wood (Aus) Australia                          0.11
4 Zoulfia Zabirova (Rus) RRG Nobili                    0.13
5 Tetyana Stiajkina (Blr) Internations 3               0.14
6 Sarah Ulmer (NZl) Internations 1                     0.23
7 Sonia Huguet (Fra) France                            1.10
8 Alison Wright (Aus) RRG Nobili
9 Lada Kozlikova (Cze) Rostex Quantum
10 Volha Hayeva (Blr) Internations 3                   1.12
11 Magali Le Floc’h (Fra) Rona/Esker                   1.13
...
13 Catherine Marsal (Fra) Rona/Esker                   1.55
20 Meshy Holt (NZl) Rona/Esker                         6.51
23 Heidi Van de Vijver (Bel) Belgie                    8.11
26 Erinne Willock (Can) Rona/Esker                     8.25
55 Andrea Hannos (Can) Rona/Esker                     19.46