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Le Tour du Grand Montréal - 2.1
Canada, May 30-June 2, 2005
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Stage 1b - May 30: Petite Italie criterium, 50km
Wood captures win, Thorburn remains in yellow
By Leigh Hargrove
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Although thunderstorms plagued the city of Montreal for the better part of today, the first two stages of the Grand Tour du Montreal, both the morning and evening events, took place on dry streets.
Stage two's fifty-lap criterium was quick from the start, when organisers began throwing in cash primes from the third lap in. Although nothing significant got away, the speed was high after multiple attacks were launched by the German-based team Neunberger Versicherung, and the Italian-based team Nobili-Rubinetterie-Menikini Cogeas. Time bonuses and points were to be handed out at the 25th lap sprint and the finishing sprint. The pace was high throughout however, since cash primes were up for grabs every fourth lap or so.
With nineteen laps to go, Canadian Lyne Bessette (Ellicycle Sport expert Louis Garneau) launched an attack that saw her open up fifty metres on the main group within her first lap away. Bessette launched her attack after the pack had just wheeled in another rider. "They caught another rider and then they went really slow and I just got out of the corner kinda fast and I went and got a gap. I went 'oh, 15 laps to go, whatever, I'm going! I'm going!'"
With help from her teammates, Bessette remained out in front for eight laps. Ultimately, the Webcor Builders Women's Cycling Team turned up the heat.
Webcor's Betina Hold went to the front of the pack in order to wheel the Canadian in. "It's our job to defend the jersey, at some point we have to get up there and pull it back. Usually if you don't get up there fast enough, our director (Carmen D'Aluisio) will give us a little incentive!"
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When Hold pulled off the front, teammate Erinne Willock took over and chased Bessette down. "It was definitely a fast race. Lyne Bessette took that attack and was out. We were looking to see if anybody else would do the work to bring her back but no one would. Betina (Hold) helped out a lot - she was really strong and did what she could and then I just did the final lap and brought it back. Probably the scariest break that was out there. And then, Nurnberger was launching all day."
With the yellow jersey to protect, Webcor was in a defensive role, allowing Nobili-Rubinetterie to concentrate on the sprints for cash, time and points up for grabs throughout the race.
Nobili-Rubinetterie's fast Kiwi, Joanne Kiesanowski, was right up there, winning a few sprints of her own. "We were really teeing off other's teams to check their guard. It really wasn't up to us because we don't have anyone near the jersey. I knew the Webcor team and Rona had to chase it down because it was their jersey. I didn't worry too much for Lyne to come back."
Equipe Nurnberger was also content to sit back while Webcor chased, although they were quite active throughout the rest of the race. "We let it go for a little while and other teams were working to chase it back. I think we have a really strong team here and sometimes you can take chances at times, knowing that you have such a strong team."
Bessette was pulled in with 12 laps remaining in the race and right away Nurnberger Versicherung moved to the front, setting up their rider, Oenone Wood, for the win. Their efforts paid off, despite some last lap confusion, and Wood took the win. With just over one lap remaining Wood thought she was sprinting for the win, but was actually going for the last cash prime (worth $375), which she won. She quickly recovered after throwing her hands up into the air, looking around her, and realising everyone was still racing.
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Third place finisher, Rochelle Gilmore (Team S.A.T.S) noted the strength of Wood's team. "Nurnburger was pulling a really tough train for the last five laps. I felt like I was in a good position and all set up until the second last lap when Oenone thought she had won. Then it got all confusing, and everyone set up again, I set up a bit, and I found myself with half a lap to go too far back. I didn't know if we were still racing or if we weren't racing. It was confusing. It's a bit disappointing that I was too far back in the last corner and didn't quite get there."
Wood was bashful about her mistake, but ultimately pleased with her win. "They were doing an awesome lead-out, the only problem was I was the only one who didn't know when the sprint actually was and I went one too early..." she said post-race.
Wood managed to out sprint Kiesanowski for the win, putting the Nobili rider into second place. "I was on a Quark rider's leader and she started leading it out after Oenone had realised she had gone a lap too early. She got to the front and I got on her wheel. Was there mentally but didn't have it physically! I came around her where I wanted to and I thought I had it, but Oenone was too strong!
Christine Thorburn finished 20th but still managed to maintain her position in the yellow jersey. Canadian Geneviéve Jeanson (RCDA-RONA) remains in second. Wood's performance in the criterium moved her from twelfth place into third place overall. Tomorrow promises some tough racing and should provide the decisive selection after 120km.
Photography
For a thumbnail gallery of these images, click here
Images by Mitch Friedman/www.mitchophoto.com
- Grace Fleury (Quark) before the start of the criterium
- Melissa Holt (Team SATS) is ready to race
- Christine Thorburn (Webcor) sitting on the startline in the leader's jersey
- Annette Beutler (Quark) gets going
- Tara Ross (Diet Cheerwine) sitting comfortably in the bunch
- Hiroko Shimada (Velo Bella) gets out of the saddle
- Early in the Little Italy criterium
- Magen Long (ACDA-Rona) goes for it off the front
- Gessica Turato (Safi-Pasta) looking relaxed
- Olivia Gollan (Equipe Nurnberger) gets up and out
- The main bunch
- Edita Pucinskaite (Nobili Rubinetterie) corners through one of the tight parts of the course
- Maria Luisa Calle Williams (Colombian National Team)
- Subway leads the way
- Subway riders were prominent today
- Rachel Heal looks straight ahead as she corners
- Holt and Kiesanowski go through this corner together
- Lyne Bessette (Ellicyle Sport) puts in the big ones
- Betina Hold (Webcor) leads the chase
- It's helter skelter as the chase makes it's way forward
- Judith Arndt leads teammate Oenone Wood as Equipe Nurnberger pushes for the result
- Petra Rossner, Equipe Nurnberger's DS
- Daniella Fusar Poli mugs it up for the camera
- And she's mighty proud of those nails!
- Kiwi fast woman Joanne Kiesanowski before the start of the race
- Hey, you've gotta look good!
- Team Nobili Rubinetterie-Menikini Cogeas with DS Walter Ricci Petitoni
- Carmen D’Aluisio was in a race for media and directors before the girls took off
- Oenone Wood (l) and Olivia Gollan (r) Equipe Nurnberger's Aussie contingent
- Rachel Heal (Team SATS) before the race started
- The girls hit Little Italy for the second stage of day one
- Judith Arndt has a chuckle as they set out for the criterium
- Magen Long attacks the field early in the race
- French rider Marielle Aunave (Mixed team espoirs Laval) starts to push herself
- Genevieve Jeanson, fresh from her World Cup win wears the number 1 bib
- Marielle Aunave and Oenone Wood mix it up round the corner
- Anke Wichmann (Equipe Nurnberger) leans into the corner
- Kelly Benjamin and Edita Pucinskaite take a turn near the front
- It's pretty tight racing through the streets of LIttle Italy
- Cathrine Walberg (ACDA-Rona) looks for position in the pack
- Anke Wichmann and Judith Arndt, two of the Nurnberger ladies
- Oenone Wood (Equipe Nurnberger) takes victory
- The top three: Joanne Kiesanowski, Oenone Wood and Rochelle Gilmore
Results
1 Oenone Wood (Aus) Équipe Nurnberger Versicherung 1.12.06 2 Joanne Kiesanowski (NZl) Nobili Rubinetterie-Menikini Cogeas 3 Rochelle Gilmore (Aus) Safi-Pasta Zara Manhatta 4 Geneviève Jeanson (Can) ACDA-Rona 5 Annette Beutler (Swi) Quark 6 Sigrid Corneo (Ita) Nobili Rubinetterie-Menikini Cogeas 7 Melissa Holt (NZl) Team S.A.T.S 8 Daniella Fusar Poli (Ita) Nobili Rubinetterie-Menikini Cogeas 9 Julie Bélanger (Can) Diet Cheerwine 10 Dorte Lohse Rasmussen (Den) Team S.A.T.S 11 Magan Long (USA) ACDA-Rona 12 Judith Arndt (Ger) Équipe Nurnberger Versicherung 13 Audrey Lemieux (Can) Quark 14 Erinne Willock (Can) Webcor Builders Women's Cycling Team 15 Melissa Sanborn (USA) Subway 16 Jenny Trew (Can) Canadian National Team 17 Lyne Bessette (Can) Ellicyle Sport expert Louis Garneau 18 Melodie Metzger (USA) Velo Bella 19 Lisa Sweeney (Can) Ellicyle Sport expert Louis Garneau 20 Christine Thorburn (USA) Webcor Builders Women's Cycling Team 21 Maria Luisa Calle Williams (Col) Colombian National Team 22 Nicole Wangsgard (USA) Subway 23 Jacqueline Mourao (Bra) Ellicyle Sport expert Louis Garneau 24 Monica Lorena Mendes Ortiz (Col) Colombian National Team 25 Trine Hansen (Den) Team S.A.T.S 26 Marielle Aunave (Fra) Mixed team espoirs Laval 27 Grace Fleury (USA) Quark 28 Betina Hold (Can) Webcor Builders Women's Cycling Team 29 Alessandra Grassi (Ita) Safi-Pasta Zara Manhatta 30 Tara Ross (Can) Diet Cheerwine 31 Julie Hutsebault (Can) Équipe du Québec 32 Susan Palmer-Komar (Can) Colavita/Cooking Light 33 Miyoko Karami (Jpn) Safi-Pasta Zara Manhatta 34 Kathy St-Laurent (Can) Équipe du Québec 35 Cathrine Walberg (USA) ACDA-Rona 36 Kim Anderson (USA) Colavita/Cooking Light 37 Regina Schleicher (Ger) Équipe Nurnberger Versicherung 38 Naomi Cermack (Can) Colavita/Cooking Light 39 Patricia Schwager (Swi) Quark 40 Anke Wichmann (Ger) Équipe Nurnberger Versicherung 41 Geneviève Gagnon (Can) Ellicyle Sport expert Louis Garneau 42 Edita Pucinskaite (Ltu) Nobili Rubinetterie-Menikini Cogeas 43 Kirsten Robbin (Can) Canadian National Team 44 Jennifer Chapman (USA) Velo Bella 45 Helen Kelly (Aus) Quark 46 Gessica Turato (Ita) Safi-Pasta Zara Manhatta 47 Marie-Pierre Bédard (Can) Canadian National Team 48 Jennifer Stephenson (Can) Biovail 49 Madeleine Lindberg (Swe) Équipe Nurnberger Versicherung 50 Rachel Heal (GBr) Team S.A.T.S 51 Gabriella Gonzalez-Ferrat (Mex) Velo Bella 52 Joanie Caron (Can) Ellicyle Sport expert Louis Garneau 53 Suzanne Macht (Can) Canadian National Team 54 Heather Lamson (Can) Diet Cheerwine 55 Olivia Gollan (Aus) Équipe Nurnberger Versicherung 56 Millerlandy Escobar (Col) Colombian National Team 57 Stéphanie Bourbeau (Can) Équipe du Québec 58 Ana Paola Madrinan Villegas (Col) Colombian National Team 59 Lynn Gaggioli (USA) Biovail 60 Élisa Gagnon (Can) Équipe du Québec 61 Joelle Numainville (Can) Mixed team espoirs Laval 62 Sima Trapp (USA) Subway 63 Susan Weldon (USA) Subway 64 Julia Farell (Can) Diet Cheerwine 65 Olga Slyusareva (Rus) Nobili Rubinetterie-Menikini Cogeas 66 Rosanne Kent (USA) Quark 0.22 67 Stefanie Graeter (USA) Webcor Builders Women's Cycling Team 68 Hiroko Shimada (Jpn) Velo Bella 69 Caroline Montminy (Can) Équipe du Québec 0.40 70 Kelly Benjamin (USA) ACDA-Rona 1.24 71 Barbara Howe (USA) Velo Bella 2.15 72 Anna Tratnyek (Can) Canadian National Team 2.38 73 Kylie case (Can) Canadian National Team 9.41 DQ Dulce Pliego Moreno (Mex) Biovail DQ Caroline Théberge (Can) Équipe du Québec DQ Ashley Robinson (Ber) Mixed team espoirs Laval DNF Helena Coney (Can) Mixed team espoirs Laval DNS Michelle Beltran (USA) Colavita/Cooking Light DNS Amanda Shaw (Can) Biovail Teams 1 Webcor Builders Women's Cycling Team 3.48.30 2 Quark 0.03 3 Équipe Nurnberger Versicherung 0.24 4 Ellicyle Sport expert Louis Garneau 0.26 5 Team S.A.T.S 0.27 6 Subway 0.28 7 Federacion Colombiana de Ciclismo 0.40 8 Équipe du Québec 0.45 9 Nobili Rubinetterie - Menikini Cogeas 0.47 10 Diet Cheerwine 0.54 11 ACDA -Rona 0.55 12 Safi-Pasta Zara Manhattan 0.59 13 Colavita/Cooking Light 1.12 14 Velo Bella 1.13 15 Équipe Nationale du Canada 1.16 General classification after stage 1b 1 Christine Thorburn (USA) Webcor Builders Women's Cycling Team 1.16.01 2 Geneviève Jeanson (Can) ACDA-Rona 0.01 3 Oenone Wood (Aus) Équipe Nurnberger Versicherung 0.05 4 Grace Fleury (USA) Quark 0.07 5 Annette Beutler (Swi) Quark 0.09 6 Erinne Willock (Can) Webcor Builders Women's Cycling Team 0.10 7 Judith Arndt (Ger) Équipe Nurnberger Versicherung 0.13 8 Lyne Bessette (Can) Ellicyle Sport expert Louis Garneau 9 Helen Kelly (Aus) Quark 10 Melissa Holt (NZl) Team S.A.T.S 11 Sima Trapp (USA) Subway 0.14 12 Susan Palmer-Komar (Can) Colavita/Cooking Light 13 Geneviève Gagnon (Can) Ellicyle Sport expert Louis Garneau 0.15 14 Susan Weldon (USA) Subway 0.16 15 Audrey Lemieux (Can) Quark 16 Lynn Gaggioli (USA) Biovail 17 Kathy St-Laurent (Can) Équipe du Québec 0.17 18 Betina Hold (Can) Webcor Builders Women's Cycling Team 19 Maria Luisa Calle Williams (Col) Colombian National Team 0.18 20 Dorte Lohse Rasmussen (Den) Team S.A.T.S 21 Ana Paola Madrinan Villegas (Col) Colombian National Team 0.21 22 Daniella Fusar Poli (Ita) Nobili Rubinetterie-Menikini Cogeas 0.22 23 Joanne Kiesanowski (NZl) Nobili Rubinetterie-Menikini Cogeas 24 Rachel Heal (GBr) Team S.A.T.S 0.23 25 Jennifer Stephenson (Can) Biovail 26 Olivia Gollan (Aus) Équipe Nurnberger Versicherung 0.24 27 Edita Pucinskaite (Ltu) Nobili Rubinetterie-Menikini Cogeas 28 Lisa Sweeney (Can) Ellicyle Sport expert Louis Garneau 0.25 29 Madeleine Lindberg (Swe) Équipe Nurnberger Versicherung 30 Melissa Sanborn (USA) Subway 31 Élisa Gagnon (Can) Équipe du Québec 0.26 32 Tara Ross (Can) Diet Cheerwine 33 Anke Wichmann (Ger) Équipe Nurnberger Versicherung 34 Rochelle Gilmore (Aus) Safi-Pasta Zara Manhatta 0.27 35 Julie Bélanger (Can) Diet Cheerwine 36 Jenny Trew (Can) Canadian National Team 0.28 37 Gessica Turato (Ita) Safi-Pasta Zara Manhatta 38 Trine Hansen (Den) Team S.A.T.S 39 Joelle Numainville (Can) Mixed team espoirs Laval 40 Heather Lamson (Can) Diet Cheerwine 41 Millerlandy Escobar (Col) Colombian National Team 42 Julie Hutsebault (Can) Équipe du Québec 0.29 43 Joanie Caron (Can) Ellicyle Sport expert Louis Garneau 44 Miyoko Karami (Jpn) Safi-Pasta Zara Manhatta 45 Nicole Wangsgard (USA) Subway 46 Magan Long (USA) ACDA-Rona 47 Sigrid Corneo (Ita) Nobili Rubinetterie-Menikini Cogeas 0.30 48 Patricia Schwager (Swi) Quark 0.31 49 Monica Lorena Mendes Ortiz (Col) Colombian National Team 50 Jennifer Chapman (USA) Velo Bella 0.32 51 Gabriella Gonzalez-Ferrat (Mex) Velo Bella 0.34 52 Melodie Metzger (USA) Velo Bella 53 Marie-Pierre Bédard (Can) Canadian National Team 0.35 54 Alessandra Grassi (Ita) Safi-Pasta Zara Manhatta 55 Olga Slyusareva (Rus) Nobili Rubinetterie-Menikini Cogeas 0.36 56 Stéphanie Bourbeau (Can) Équipe du Québec 57 Jacqueline Mourao (Bra) Ellicyle Sport expert Louis Garneau 0.37 58 Julia Farell (Can) Diet Cheerwine 59 Regina Schleicher (Ger) Équipe Nurnberger Versicherung 60 Kirsten Robbin (Can) Canadian National Team 0.40 61 Kim Anderson (USA) Colavita/Cooking Light 0.42 62 Naomi Cermack (Can) Colavita/Cooking Light 0.43 63 Suzanne Macht (Can) Canadian National Team 0.45 64 Marielle Aunave (Fra) Mixed team espoirs Laval 0.47 65 Cathrine Walberg (USA) ACDA-Rona 0.52 66 Stefanie Graeter (USA) Webcor Builders Women's Cycling Team 0.55 67 Hiroko Shimada (Jpn) Velo Bella 0.59 68 Rosanne Kent (USA) Quark 1.02 69 Caroline Montminy (Can) Équipe du Québec 1.30 70 Kelly Benjamin (USA) ACDA-Rona 1.55 71 Barbara Howe (USA) Velo Bella 2.38 72 Anna Tratnyek (Can) Canadian National Team 2.58 73 Kylie case (Can) Canadian National Team 10.25 Points classification 1 Christine Thorburn (USA) Webcor Builders Women's Cycling Team 10 pts 2 Oenone Wood (Aus) Équipe Nurnberger Versicherung 10 3 Geneviève Jeanson (Can) ACDA-Rona 10 4 Joanne Kiesanowski (NZl) Nobili Rubinetterie-Menikini Cogeas 7 5 Grace Fleury (USA) Quark 5 6 Rochelle Gilmore (Aus) Safi-Pasta Zara Manhatta 5 7 Annette Beutler (Swi) Quark 4 8 Erinne Willock (Can) Webcor Builders Women's Cycling Team 1 Sprint classification 1 Oenone Wood (Aus) Équipe Nurnberger Versicherung 15 pts 2 Christine Thorburn (USA) Webcor Builders Women's Cycling Team 10 3 Geneviève Jeanson (Can) ACDA-Rona 10 4 Joanne Kiesanowski (NZl) Nobili Rubinetterie-Menikini Cogeas 10 5 Grace Fleury (USA) Quark 6 6 Rochelle Gilmore (Aus) Safi-Pasta Zara Manhatta 5 7 Annette Beutler (Swi) Quark 4 8 Erinne Willock (Can) Webcor Builders Women's Cycling Team 1 Team classification 1 Webcor Builders Women's Cycling Team 3.48.32 2 Quark 0.02 3 Équipe Nurnberger Versicherung 0.24 4 Ellicyle Sport expert Louis Garneau 0.25 5 Team S.A.T.S 0.27 6 Subway 0.28 7 Federacion Colombiana de Ciclismo 0.39 8 Équipe du Québec 0.45 9 Nobili Rubinetterie - Menikini Cogeas 0.47 10 Diet Cheerwine 0.54 11 ACDA -Rona 0.55 12 Safi-Pasta Zara Manhattan 0.58 13 Colavita/Cooking Light 1.11 14 Velo Bella 1.13 15 Équipe Nationale du Canada 1.16
