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Geelong Tour - 2.9.2
Australia, February 22-25, 2004
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Stage 2 - February 23: Eastern Beach Criterium, 35km
Mactier keeps lead as Wood wins criterium
By Mikkeli Godfree in Geelong
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In-form AIS rider Oenone Wood has won the Geelong criterium stage with a huge sprint over Kate Bates (NSWIS) and Rochelle Gilmore (SATS). Oenone was ecstatic with her win, commenting that she was a little intimidated, lining up to sprint alongside Bates and Gilmore. Bates was happy with her second place, a small consolation for the timing error the day before which took her from the race lead to fourth. But in third place, Gilmore was "devastated" as equipment failure saw her pull her foot with 80m to go, just as she was making her move.
With a strong team, the AIS dominated the racing today but Mactier (Jayco) still managed to keep her race lead with some good defensive riding in the intermediate sprints, winning the first one over Bates and Barry.
How it unfolded
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Although the race was set to trace the Bay Criterium course, a late amendment meant the laps were twice the distance and slightly safer. Great racing conditions prevailed but a strong southerly seemed to discourage breakaways.
Sarah Ulmer (NZ) was an early protagonist, paying keen attention to the front of the race. Ulmer attacked numerous times up the small rise to the start/finish but the watchful eyes of the Jayco, AIS and NSWIS teams never gave her much leeway.
With the first sprint looming at eight laps to go, the AIS put Natalie Bates up the road but she was overhauled by the line, Mactier taking the sprint (and a 3 second win bonus) over Kate Bates (who gained 2 seconds) and T-Mobile's Deirdre Barry (1 second).
As the women approached the second sprint, with four laps to go, Natalie Bates went off the front, and this time she held them off for much longer. However, her attempt never looked like succeeding and by the sprint, the bunch was back together. With Hayley Rutherford (Nobili Fanini), Olivia Gollan (AIS) and Petra Rossner (Nürnberger) taking the top three spots in the second sprint, the main GC contenders seemed to be saving their legs for the final, which held time bonuses of 10, 6 and 4 seconds.
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With one lap to go, world number 2 Mirjam Melchers hit out. Melchers, a very handy sprinter herself, made her last-minute attack because she "thought it might be good training! It was really chaotic in the peloton and I was also thinking a little bit of my safety...but mainly, I thought it might be a good chance for me."
Despite being caught at the top corner, the Dutchwoman was happy with her early form, "Even though I got caught, it was my first race this year and I didn't expect to be as strong as I was...the peloton was just too quick!"
With Melchers back in the fold, the AIS put the winner of this criterium last year, Olivia Gollan, on the front. Driving the race into the last corner, Gollan said it "hurt like hell" but that they had agreed to put everything on the line for the in-form Oenone Wood.
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With 200m remaining, Kate Bates found herself on the front and led-out around the last corner. Bates looked good for the stage win, but with 100m to go, Wood powered up the right-hand side of the road. At the same time, Rochelle Gilmore (SATS) leaped out of the group but immediately pulled her foot. As they neared the line, it was Wood who streaked away with the win over a fading Bates, and a one-legged-sprinting Gilmore just behind in third.
Oenone Wood, the current Australian road and time trial champion, was "ecstatic" with her win and full of praise for her team who delivered her perfectly to the line. Importantly, the ten-second sprint bonus that the win carried, moved Wood up into second place on GC, only four seconds behind Mactier.
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With a strong team and some good form, Wood will push the tour leader, Mactier, all the way to the finish on Wednesday, citing the decisive climb in the final stage as a "favourite of mine from last year - it will make the race and we are looking forward to doing something on it."
Despite finishing 7th in the sprint and not picking up a time bonus in the final, race leader Mactier was happy with her day. Praising her Jayco riders, Mactier said, "the depth of the team was great. We knew who the hitters were and marked them well. With the depth of the field today there were 50-60 riders who could have won the race so there was a lot to watch." Despite Wood and Bates moving closer to her on GC, Mactier still has her teammate, Yaxley, in 4th position (only nine seconds down) giving the Jayco team a two-pronged attack on the GC.
Second in the stage today, Kate Bates was happy with her progress after her prologue disappointment. Having taken eight seconds worth of bonuses in the race, Bates is now third on GC, only five seconds behind Mactier. "Now, I'm a little closer to the overall lead, which, incidentally, I thought I had last night. But I've got another two days," said Bates after the race. "My team was unbelievable today, I am blown away by how hard they worked for me, given it is the first time many of them have ridden a race like this."
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Rochelle Gilmore, on the other hand was not happy at all. On the podium she said, "this is the most devastating feeling I have ever had in a race. I pulled my foot with 100m to go and had to pedal with one leg. Full credit to Oenone. I would have loved to take one off her today." One month earlier, Gilmore won on this circuit, but a mechanical error (having the wrong type of cleat fitted to her shoe earlier that day) cost her dearly.
With nine seconds separating the top four and four time bonus sprints set for stage three, the 77km stage at Barwon Heads will provide some great racing and possibly see a change in the GC.
Mikkeli Godfree is powered by Big Blue Internet
Photography
Images by Mikkeli Godfree/Cyclingnews.com
- Eventual winner Oenone Wood (AIS) awaits the start with U23 race leader Kate Bates (NSWIS).
- Margaret Hemsley (Nurnberger) looking confident on the start line.
- Tour leader Katie Mactier before the start.
- Sarah Ulmer (NZ) was very active in the criterium today.
- A T-Mobile rider sprints up the rise toward the start-finish line.
- Katie Mactier (Jayco) follows Petra Rossner (Nurnberger) around the bottom corner.
- Sarah Ulmer in the thick of the action.
- Kerryn Charman (Body Torque) hooks into the bottom corner.
- Natalie Bates (AIS) was very strong today.
- Oenone Wood (AIS) was very pleased with her win today.
Images by John Veage
- The top three - Katherine Bates, Oenone Wood and Rochelle Gilmore on the podium.
- Oenone Wood celebrates as she crosses the line
- Riders assemble as spectators wait for the start.
- Is that the time already? The peloton rolls out for the crit
- Olivia Gollan (AIS) takes a turn on the front
- Go Kiwis! A New Zealand team staffer flies the flag.
- Unusual spectators turned out for the crit
- Riders take a corner in the evening sunshine
- Yikes! Rochelle Gilmore loses a pedal in the final sprint, a mechanical that cost her the race
Results
1 Oenone Wood (Aus) AIS 55.17 2 Katherine Bates (Aus) NSWIS 3 Rochelle Gilmore (Aus) S.A.T.S. 4 Miho Oki (Jpn) Japan 5 Sarah Ulmer (NZl) New Zealand 6 Nicole Freedman (Isr) World 7 Katie Mactier (Aus) Jayco 8 Rosalind Reekie (NZl) New Zealand 9 Alison Wright (Aus) Nobili-Fanini 10 Jessica Ridder (Aus) FRF Couriers 11 Bridgett Evans (Aus) Freedom Machine 12 Tina Mayola (USA) Jayco 13 Lorian Graham (Aus) AIS 14 Kristin Armstrong (USA) T-Mobile 15 Sara Carrigan (Aus) QAS 16 Iryna Simonova (Ukr) Ukraine 17 Hayley Rutherford (Aus) Nobili-Fanini 18 Judith Arndt (Ger) Nürnberger 19 Deirdre Barry (USA) T-Mobile 20 Margaret Hemsley (Aus) Nürnberger 21 Frances Newstead (GBr) Great Britain 22 Amber Neben (USA) T-Mobile 23 Cathy Marsal (Fra) Nobili-Fanini 24 Emma Davies (GBr) Great Britain 25 Tetyana Stiajkina (Ukr) Ukraine 26 Jenny Macpherson (Aus) Body Torque 27 Joanne Kiesanowski (NZl) New Zealand 28 Belinda Goss (Aus) Jayco 29 Michelle Hyland (NZl) Avanti 30 Mirjam Melchers (Ned) World 31 Christine Riakos (Aus) FRF Couriers 32 Trixi Worrack (Ger) Nürnberger 33 Tanja Hennes (Ger) World 34 Madeleine Lindberg (Swe) Nürnberger 35 Akemi Morimoto (Jpn) Japan 36 Katie Brown (Aus) NSWIS 37 Susie Wood (NZl) Avanti 38 Emma James (Aus) S.A.T.S. 39 Iryna Chuzhynova (Ukr) Ukraine 40 Helen Kelly (Aus) Jayco 41 Caroline James (GBr) Great Britain 42 Emma Rickards (Aus) Freedom Machine 43 Miyoko Karami (Jpn) Japan 44 Julie Pekarkova (Cze) World 45 Rachel Heal (GBr) Great Britain 46 Amy Safe (Aus) AIS 47 Charlotte Goldsmith (GBr) Great Britain 48 Sara Symington (GBr) S.A.T.S. 49 Kirsty Robb (NZl) Avanti 50 Olivia Gollan (Aus) AIS 51 Kimberly Bruckner (USA) T-Mobile 52 Stacey Peters (USA) T-Mobile 53 Meredith Miller (USA) S.A.T.S. 54 Oxana Kashchyshyna (Ukr) Ukraine 55 Michelle Kiesanowski (NZl) Avanti 56 Alexis Rhodes (Aus) NSWIS 57 Louise Yaxley (Aus) Jayco 58 Natalie Bates (Aus) AIS 59 Melissa Holt (NZl) New Zealand 60 Kym Shirley (Aus) Nobili-Fanini 61 Lynn Gaggioli (USA) T-Mobile 62 Toni Bradshaw (NZl) Avanti 63 Narrelle Peterson (Aus) Body Torque 64 Johanna Buick (NZl) New Zealand 65 Manon Jutras (Can) S.A.T.S. 66 Jessica Phillips (USA) Nürnberger 67 Kathy Watt (Aus) Freedom Machine 0.16 68 Kirsty Bortilin (Aus) Freedom Machine 0.23 69 Karina Sorensen (Den) S.A.T.S. 70 Zoe Southwell (Aus) FRF Couriers 71 Linda Capello (Aus) Body Torque 0.27 72 Leonie Aisbett (Aus) NSWIS 0.35 73 Kate Nichols (Aus) FRF Couriers 0.39 74 Petra Rossner (Ger) Nürnberger 0.50 75 Hannah Banks (Aus) QAS 3.41 76 Nina Davies (GBr) Great Britain 77 Valentyna Karpenko (Ukr) Ukraine 78 Kateryna Krasova (Ukr) Ukraine 79 Hiroko Shimada (Jpn) Japan 80 Nadene Boyle (NZl) Avanti 81 Cristine Foster (Aus) Body Torque 82 Jennifer Findlay (Aus) QAS 4.13 83 Karen Hopkinson (Aus) Body Torque 4.23 84 Naomi Williams (Aus) AIS 5.25 85 Anna Perrin (Aus) QAS 5.49 86 Jessie Maclean (Aus) NSWIS 7.42 87 Laura Bortolozzi (Aus) FRF Couriers 7.54 88 Kerryn Charman (Aus) Body Torque 89 Desiree Schuler (Ger) World 90 Natasha Harrigan (Aus) FRF Couriers 8.26 91 Emi Onoyama (Jpn) World 11.16 92 Ayumu Otsuka (Jpn) Japan 11.55 93 Louisa Judd (Aus) Freedom Machine Sprints Sprint No 1 (8 Laps to Go) 1 Katie Mactier (Aus) Jayco 3 pts 2 Katherine Bates (Aus) NSWIS 2 3 Deirdre Barry (USA) T-Mobile 1 Sprint No 2 (4 Laps to Go) 1 Hayley Rutherford (Aus) Nobili-Fanini 3 pts 2 Sara Carrigan (Aus) QAS 2 3 Petra Rossner (Ger) Nürnberger 1 General classification after stage 2 1 Katie Mactier (Aus) Jayco 1.05.35 2 Oenone Wood (Aus) AIS 0.04 3 Katherine Bates (Aus) NSWIS 0.05 4 Louise Yaxley (Aus) Jayco 0.09 5 Sara Carrigan (Aus) QAS 0.21 6 Kathy Watt (Aus) Freedom Machine 0.22 7 Sarah Ulmer (NZl) New Zealand 0.25 8 Margaret Hemsley (Aus) Nürnberger 0.26 9 Deirdre Barry (USA) T-Mobile 0.26 10 Kristin Armstrong (USA) T-Mobile 0.27 11 Amy Safe (Aus) AIS 0.29 12 Mirjam Melchers (Ned) World 0.31 13 Manon Jutras (Can) S.A.T.S. 0.31 14 Amber Neben (USA) T-Mobile 0.34 15 Judith Arndt (Ger) Nürnberger 0.34 16 Melissa Holt (NZl) New Zealand 0.35 17 Alison Wright (Aus) Nobili-Fanini 0.35 18 Hayley Rutherford (Aus) Nobili-Fanini 0.39 19 Emma Davies (GBr) Great Britain 0.39 20 Stacey Peters (USA) T-Mobile 0.40 21 Olivia Gollan (Aus) AIS 0.40 22 Natalie Bates (Aus) AIS 0.43 23 Alexis Rhodes (Aus) NSWIS 0.44 24 Lynn Gaggioli (USA) T-Mobile 0.44 25 Lorian Graham (Aus) AIS 0.45 26 Tina Mayola (USA) Jayco 0.45 27 Sara Symington (GBr) S.A.T.S. 0.45 28 Tetyana Stiajkina (Ukr) Ukraine 0.46 29 Emma James (Aus) S.A.T.S. 0.47 30 Kimberly Bruckner (USA) T-Mobile 0.48 31 Jenny Macpherson (Aus) Body Torque 0.50 32 Miyoko Karami (Jpn) Japan 0.51 33 Rachel Heal (GBr) Great Britain 0.52 34 Johanna Buick (NZl) New Zealand 0.57 35 Frances Newstead (GBr) Great Britain 0.58 36 Miho Oki (Jpn) Japan 0.59 37 Cathy Marsal (Fra) Nobili-Fanini 1.00 38 Joanne Kiesanowski (NZl) New Zealand 1.00 39 Jessica Ridder (Aus) FRF Couriers 1.02 40 Rosalind Reekie (NZl) New Zealand 1.03 41 Michelle Hyland (NZl) Avanti 1.04 42 Meredith Miller (USA) S.A.T.S. 1.04 43 Nicole Freedman (Isr) World 1.04 44 Kirsty Robb (NZl) Avanti 1.05 45 Jessica Phillips (USA) Nürnberger 1.05 46 Helen Kelly (Aus) Jayco 1.05 47 Trixi Worrack (Ger) Nürnberger 1.06 48 Caroline James (GBr) Great Britain 1.07 49 Katie Brown (Aus) NSWIS 1.08 50 Susie Wood (NZl) Avanti 1.08 51 Madeleine Lindberg (Swe) Nürnberger 1.09 52 Emma Rickards (Aus) Freedom Machine 1.12 53 Kym Shirley (Aus) Nobili-Fanini 1.12 54 Linda Capello (Aus) Body Torque 1.13 55 Belinda Goss (Aus) Jayco 56 Christine Riakos (Aus) FRF Couriers 1.16 57 Narrelle Peterson (Aus) Body Torque 1.17 58 Akemi Morimoto (Jpn) Japan 1.17 59 Bridgett Evans (Aus) Freedom Machine 1.21 60 Rochelle Gilmore (Aus) S.A.T.S. 1.23 61 Iryna Chuzhynova (Ukr) Ukraine 1.25 62 Toni Bradshaw (NZl) Avanti 1.26 63 Tanja Hennes (Ger) World 1.29 64 Julie Pekarkova (Cze) World 65 Leonie Aisbett (Aus) NSWIS 1.31 66 Iryna Simonova (Ukr) Ukraine 1.32 67 Oxana Kashchyshyna (Ukr) Ukraine 1.44 68 Petra Rossner (Ger) Nürnberger 1.47 69 Kirsty Bortilin (Aus) Freedom Machine 1.49 70 Charlotte Goldsmith (GBr) Great Britain 1.50 71 Michelle Kiesanowski (NZl) Avanti 72 Zoe Southwell (Aus) FRF Couriers 1.56 73 Kate Nichols (Aus) FRF Couriers 2.00 74 Karina Sorensen (Den) S.A.T.S. 2.32 75 Cristine Foster (Aus) Body Torque 4.41 76 Kateryna Krasova (Ukr) Ukraine 4.41 77 Hiroko Shimada (Jpn) Japan 4.47 78 Valentyna Karpenko (Ukr) Ukraine 5.00 79 Nadene Boyle (NZl) Avanti 5.11 80 Hannah Banks (Aus) QAS 5.16 81 Nina Davies (GBr) Great Britain 5.26 82 Jennifer Findlay (Aus) QAS 5.27 83 Karen Hopkinson (Aus) Body Torque 5.43 84 Naomi Williams (Aus) AIS 6.44 85 Anna Perrin (Aus) QAS 7.12 86 Jessie Maclean (Aus) NSWIS 8.47 87 Laura Bortolozzi (Aus) FRF Couriers 9.06 88 Kerryn Charman (Aus) Body Torque 9.41 89 Desiree Schuler (Ger) World 9.50 90 Natasha Harrigan (Aus) FRF Couriers 10.46 91 Ayumu Otsuka (Jpn) Japan 13.28 92 Emi Onoyama (Jpn) World 13.54 93 Louisa Judd (Aus) Freedom Machine 14.32 Sprints classification 1 Katie Mactier (Aus) Jayco 3 pts 1 Hayley Rutherford (Aus) Nobili-Fanini 3 3 Katherine Bates (Aus) NSWIS 2 3 Sara Carrigan (Aus) QAS 2 5 Deirdre Barry (USA) T-Mobile 1 5 Petra Rossner (Ger) Nürnberger 1
