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Le Tour du Grand Montréal - 2.9.1
Canada, June 2-4, 2003
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Stage 1 - June 3: Petite Italie Criterium, 50 km
Grain's Victory Brewed
By Kristy scrymgeour
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Gina Grain (Victory Brewing Amoroso) filled her hopes of winning a stage at the Tour du Grand Montreal tonight when she crossed the finish line of the Petite Italie Criterium with a big grin on her face and her hands raised high. Cyclingnews spoke to Grain and her teammates before the race, all of who seemed determined and confident that they would bring home their first big victory for the year in this 50km, four corner race.
With the sun low in the sky and a slight chill in the air, 96 girls lined up to start Stage two of the tour in front of a huge crowd. This time last year Laura Van Gilder was preparing to win the stage that would secure her overall tour win. Tonight it was Genevieve Jeanson (Rona Esker) in yellow after an impressive performance in the morning's three kilometer time trial.
The race was fast from the gun and immediately a few riders were struggling to hold the pace as riders such as Nicole Cooke (Acca Due O Pasta) and Amy Moore (Saturn) led early attacks. With multiple cash and time bonus primes up for grabs however, the field was unwilling to let a break form and stayed together for the entire 50 laps. Cooke and her Acca Due team were in great form as they worked to win primes and valuable bonus seconds for Diana Ziliute, "I just had so much fun out there," Cooke explained to Cyclingnews after the race, "races like this are what cycling is all about. It makes the hard winter training all worth it."
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Other teams also had a go to make the race hard with Rachel Heal and Frances Newsted from the Great Britain team both getting involved in the action as well as Japanese Champion Miho Oki. Acca Due seemed to be in control of the race but Grain was persistent. She tested her sprinting legs early and picked up some early primes which gave her confidence for the finish. "I just wanted to test myself out", said Grain, "I really wanted to win this crit, and I felt good the whole race.
Coming into the final lap sprinters were fighting for position and no one team were able to form a strong enough lead out. "People were fighting for wheels and it was quite messy" said Grain. "I managed to find the wheel of Anne Samplonius (Quebec) coming into the last corner and was able to come around her for the finish". Cooke crossed the line to take second place from Erin Carter (Canadian National Team). "I was trying to find Ziliute in the last lap to get her to the front, but with half a lap to go I realized she wasn't on my wheel so I went for it myself" Cook Explained.
Jeanson succeeded in holding on to the leaders jersey despite Ziliute gaining quite a few time bonus seconds and will wear it going into tomorrows challenging 111km Road Race. The stage is described as "a very hilly course" that starts at the Sanctuary de Rigaud and finishes at the Sucrerie de la Montagne where the riders will stay for a famous maple syrup dinner at a sugar shack.
Photos
Images by Kristy Scrymgeour/Cyclingnews.com
- Verison girls warm up with an espresso
- Cooke and Gilmore; the two English speaking riders on Acca Due O
- "If we want to be on the cover, we need to work harder"
- Dedes custom pink lady shoes
- Look to the right, look to the left, look to the right again
- The top 10 on the start line
- Off and racing
- Riders hit the lap's first corner
- It is all a blur at this speed
- Candice Blickem leads the peloton through the start finish line
- Gina Grain celebrates her win
- The Victory Brewing team after the race
- Gina Grain gives her DS a hug
- Cooke, Grain and Carter
Results
1 Gina Grain (Can) Victory Brewing/Amoroso's 1.11.15 2 Nicole Cooke (GBr) Ausra Gruodis - Safi 3 Erin Carter (Can) Équipe Nationale du Canada 4 Katia Longhin (Ita) Acca Due O Pasta 5 Anne Samplonius (Can) Équipe Québec 6 Giorgia Bronzini (Ita) Ausra Gruodis - Safi 7 Regina Schleicher (Ger) German National Team 8 Isabella Wieser (Aut) Charly Lietzsport 9 Liane Bahler (Ger) German National Team 10 Lyne Bessette (Can) Saturn Cycling Team 11 Catherine Marsal (Fra) Rona - Esker 12 Geneviève Jeanson (Can) Rona - Esker 13 Magali Le Floch (Fra) Rona - Esker 14 Diana Ziliute (Ltu) Acca Due O Pasta 15 Miho Oki (Jpn) Japan National 16 Frances Newstead (GBr) Great Britain National Team 17 Stacey Peters (USA) T-Mobile 18 Annette Beutler (Swi) Swiss Cycling Team 19 Deirdre Demet-Barry (USA) T-Mobile 20 Kristin Armstrong (USA) T-Mobile 21 Iona Wynter (Jam) Genesis Scuba/FFCC 22 Karen Bockel (Ger) Rona - Esker 23 Julie Hutsebaut (Can) Équipe Nationale du Canada 24 Amy More (Can) Saturn Cycling Team 25 Rochelle Gilmore (Aus) Ausra Gruodis - Safi 26 Bettina Kuhn (Swi) Swiss Cycling Team 27 Sabine Batz (Ger) Charly Lietzsport 28 Audrey Lemieux (Can) Équipe Nationale du Canada 29 Rachel Heal (GBr) Great Britain National Team 30 Katie Mactier (Aus) Saturn Cycling Team 31 Chantal Beltman (Ned) Acca Due O Pasta 32 Erinne Willock (Can) Rona - Esker 33 Amber Neben (USA) T-Mobile 34 Sara Waller (GBr) Great Britain National Team 35 Nicole Freedman (USA) Basis Women's Cycling Team 36 Nicole Demars (Can) Victory Brewing/Amoroso's 37 Tina Liebig (Ger) German National Team 38 Candice Blickem (USA) Genesis Scuba/FFCC 39 Melissa Holt (NZl) Rona - Esker 40 Theresa Senff (Ger) German National Team 41 Meredith Miller (USA) S.A.T.S. 42 Kimberly Bruckner (USA) T-Mobile 43 Susan Palmer-Komar (Can) Genesis Scuba/FFCC 44 Sarah Grab (Swi) Swiss Cycling Team 45 Diana Rast (Swi) Swiss Cycling Team 46 Leah Goldstein (Isr) Victory Brewing/Amoroso's 47 Sandy Espeseth (Can) Victory Brewing/Amoroso's 48 Heather Albert (USA) Basis Women's Cycling Team 49 Kimberly Anderson (USA) T-Mobile 50 Claudia Stumpf (Ger) German National Team 51 Ayumu Otsuka (Jpn) Japan National 52 Charlotte Goldsmith (GBr) Great Britain National Team 53 Trine Hansen (Den) S.A.T.S. 54 Manon Jutras (Can) Saturn Cycling Team 55 Claudia Meyer (Ger) Charly Lietzsport 56 Jessica Hulser (USA) S.A.T.S. 57 Barbara Heeb (Swi) Swiss Cycling Team 58 Jessica Phillips (USA) Saturn Cycling Team 59 Grace Fleury (USA) Genesis Scuba/FFCC 60 Lauren Franges (USA) Victory Brewing/Amoroso's 61 Anne Wagner (Den) S.A.T.S. 0.12 62 Caroline L'heureux (Can) Équipe Québec 63 Élisa Gagnon (Can) Équipe Québec 0.34 64 Geneviève Leblanc (Can) Équipe Nationale du Canada 65 Yvonne Ilton (USA) Verizon Wireless-Cervélo 2.07 66 Sarah Düster (Ger) German National Team 67 Stéphanie Bourbeau (Can) Équipe Québec 68 Francesca Pellegrini (Ita) Ausra Gruodis - Safi 69 Maggie Shirley (USA) Genesis Scuba/FFCC 70 Julia Bradley (Can) Team Ontario 71 Ann-Marie Miller (USA) Verizon Wireless-Cervélo 72 Catherine Bearce (USA) Basis Women's Cycling Team 73 Karin Wieser (Aut) Charly Lietzsport 74 Lauren Gaffney (USA) Basis Women's Cycling Team 75 Petra Pilz (Aut) Charly Lietzsport 76 Hiroko Shimada (Jpn) Japan National 77 Julie Belanger (Can) Équipe Nationale du Canada 78 Christina Peick-Anderson (Den) S.A.T.S. 79 Sophie St-Jacques (Can) Victory Brewing/Amoroso's 80 Geneviève Gagnon (Can) Équipe Québec 81 Julie Monagle (USA) Verizon Wireless-Cervélo 82 Magalie Boulay (Can) Équipe Nationale du Canada 83 Penny Edwards (GBr) Great Britain National Team 84 Sophie Blanchette (Can) Équipe Québec 85 Barbara Brzezicki (Can) Team Ontario 5.53 86 Clara Constantinescu (Rom) Genesis Scuba/FFCC 10.03 87 Sarah Foulkes (USA) Verizon Wireless-Cervélo HD Holland Gidney (Can) Team Ontario 17.14 DNF Amy Maher (Can) Team Ontario DNS Claudine Labelle (Can) Team Ontario DNS Marie-Pier Bédard (Can) Basis Women's Cycling Team DNS Miyoko Karami (Jpn) Japan National DNS Ghita Beltman (Ned) Acca Due O Pasta General classification after stage 2 1 Geneviève Jeanson (Can) Rona - Esker 1.15.07 2 Katie Mactier (Aus) Saturn Cycling Team 0.04 3 Lyne Bessette (Can) Saturn Cycling Team 0.05 4 Manon Jutras (Can) Saturn Cycling Team 0.07 5 Amber Neben (USA) T-Mobile 0.08 6 Diana Ziliute (Ltu) Acca Due O Pasta 0.09 7 Deirdre Demet-Barry (USA) T-Mobile 0.10 8 Erin Carter (Can) Équipe Nationale du Canada 0.11 9 Karen Bockel (Ger) Rona - Esker 10 Candice Blickem (USA) Genesis Scuba/FFCC 0.12 11 Susan Palmer-Komar (Can) Genesis Scuba/FFCC 12 Anne Samplonius (Can) Équipe Québec 0.13 13 Kimberly Bruckner (USA) T-Mobile 14 Amy More (Can) Saturn Cycling Team 0.14 15 Kristin Armstrong (USA) T-Mobile 0.15 16 Nicole Cooke (GBr) Ausra Gruodis - Safi 0.16 17 Catherine Marsal (Fra) Rona - Esker 18 Melissa Holt (NZl) Rona - Esker 0.17 19 Leah Goldstein (Isr) Victory Brewing/Amoroso's 0.18 20 Kimberly Anderson (USA) T-Mobile 21 Sandy Espeseth (Can) Victory Brewing/Amoroso's 22 Frances Newstead (GBr) Great Britain National Team 23 Grace Fleury (USA) Genesis Scuba/FFCC 0.19 24 Jessica Phillips (USA) Saturn Cycling Team 25 Stacey Peters (USA) T-Mobile 26 Chantal Beltman (Ned) Acca Due O Pasta 27 Gina Grain (Can) Victory Brewing/Amoroso's 0.20 28 Erinne Willock (Can) Rona - Esker 0.21 29 Nicole Freedman (USA) Basis Women's Cycling Team 30 Iona Wynter (Jam) Genesis Scuba/FFCC 31 Jessica Hulser (USA) S.A.T.S. 32 Barbara Heeb (Swi) Swiss Cycling Team 0.22 33 Sarah Grab (Swi) Swiss Cycling Team 34 Audrey Lemieux (Can) Équipe Nationale du Canada 35 Nicole Demars (Can) Victory Brewing/Amoroso's 36 Katia Longhin (Ita) Acca Due O Pasta 0.23 37 Liane Bahler (Ger) German National Team 0.24 38 Ayumu Otsuka (Jpn) Japan National 39 Diana Rast (Swi) Swiss Cycling Team 0.25 40 Annette Beutler (Swi) Swiss Cycling Team 41 Magali Le Floch (Fra) Rona - Esker 42 Heather Albert (USA) Basis Women's Cycling Team 43 Claudia Meyer (Ger) Charly Lietzsport 0.26 44 Sabine Batz (Ger) Charly Lietzsport 45 Giorgia Bronzini (Ita) Ausra Gruodis - Safi 0.27 46 Miho Oki (Jpn) Japan National 47 Meredith Miller (USA) S.A.T.S. 48 Isabella Wieser (Aut) Charly Lietzsport 49 Claudia Stumpf (Ger) German National Team 0.28 50 Rachel Heal (GBr) Great Britain National Team 51 Julie Hutsebaut (Can) Équipe Nationale du Canada 0.29 52 Trine Hansen (Den) S.A.T.S. 53 Theresa Senff (Ger) German National Team 54 Tina Liebig (Ger) German National Team 55 Sara Waller (GBr) Great Britain National Team 0.31 56 Bettina Kuhn (Swi) Swiss Cycling Team 57 Rochelle Gilmore (Aus) Ausra Gruodis - Safi 58 Charlotte Goldsmith (GBr) Great Britain National Team 0.33 59 Lauren Franges (USA) Victory Brewing/Amoroso's 0.34 60 Regina Schleicher (Ger) German National Team 0.41 61 Caroline L'heureux (Can) Équipe Québec 0.46 62 Anne Wagner (Den) S.A.T.S. 0.52 63 Geneviève Leblanc (Can) Équipe Nationale du Canada 1.07 64 Élisa Gagnon (Can) Équipe Québec 1.12 65 Maggie Shirley (USA) Genesis Scuba/FFCC 2.23 66 Catherine Bearce (USA) Basis Women's Cycling Team 2.30 67 Julia Bradley (Can) Team Ontario 2.32 68 Magalie Boulay (Can) Équipe Nationale du Canada 2.35 69 Yvonne Ilton (USA) Verizon Wireless-Cervélo 2.36 70 Hiroko Shimada (Jpn) Japan National 71 Karin Wieser (Aut) Charly Lietzsport 2.37 72 Penny Edwards (GBr) Great Britain National Team 2.38 73 Stéphanie Bourbeau (Can) Équipe Québec 2.39 74 Sarah Düster (Ger) German National Team 2.42 75 Ann-Marie Miller (USA) Verizon Wireless-Cervélo 76 Julie Monagle (USA) Verizon Wireless-Cervélo 2.43 77 Julie Belanger (Can) Équipe Nationale du Canada 2.44 78 Geneviève Gagnon (Can) Équipe Québec 79 Petra Pilz (Aut) Charly Lietzsport 2.46 80 Sophie St-Jacques (Can) Victory Brewing/Amoroso's 81 Lauren Gaffney (USA) Basis Women's Cycling Team 2.47 82 Christina Peick-Anderson (Den) S.A.T.S. 2.48 83 Francesca Pellegrini (Ita) Ausra Gruodis - Safi 3.00 84 Sophie Blanchette (Can) Équipe Québec 3.02 85 Barbara Brzezicki (Can) Team Ontario 6.34 86 Sarah Foulkes (USA) Verizon Wireless-Cervélo 10.44 87 Clara Constantinescu (Rom) Genesis Scuba/FFCC 10.47 Points classification 1 Gina Grain (Can) Victory Brewing/Amoroso's 10 pts 2 Diana Ziliute (Ltu) Acca Due O Pasta 10 3 Nicole Cooke (GBr) Ausra Gruodis - Safi 8 4 Miho Oki (Jpn) Japan National 6 5 Erin Carter (Can) Équipe Nationale du Canada 5 6 Katia Longhin (Ita) Acca Due O Pasta 4 7 Isabella Wieser (Aut) Charly Lietzsport 2 8 Diana Rast (Swi) Swiss Cycling Team 2 9 Anne Samplonius (Can) Équipe Québec 1 Teams classification 1 Saturn Cycling Team 3.45.37 2 Rona - Esker 0.11 3 T-Mobile 0.15 4 Genesis Scuba/FFCC 0.24 5 Acca Due O Pasta 0.35 6 Victory Brewing/Amoroso's 0.42 7 Équipe Nationale du Canada 0.47 8 Swiss Cycling Team 0.56 9 Great Britain National Team 1.01 10 S.A.T.S. 11 Ausra Gruodis - Safi 1.02 12 Charly Lietzsport 1.03 13 German National Team 1.05 14 Équipe Québec 1.49 15 Basis Women's Cycling Team 3.00 16 Japan National 3.11 17 Verizon Wireless-Cervélo 7.45 18 Team Ontario 26.36
