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TQ Paper International Two Day - NE
Ireland, October 4-5, 2003
The Stages
- Stage 1 - October 4: Boot Inn Circuit Race, 64 km
- Stage 2 - October 4: Dublin Airport ITT, 2 km
- Stage 3 - October 5: North County Dublin Road Race, 74 km
Reporting by Shane Stokes/Irishcycling.com
Stages 1 & 2 - October 4: Boot Inn Circuit Race, 64 km / Dublin Airport ITT, 2 km
Hunter on the rampage
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British rider Angela Hunter is just one stage away from repeating her 1996 win in the TQ Papers International two day after a dominant performance on the opening day of the race. The GS Strada rider was one of the most aggressive on the opening 64 kilometre circuit race, breaking clear during the wind-buffeted stage yet retaining enough strength after being reeled in by the peloton to thunder to a fine victory in the bunch sprint. Second place went to Dutchwoman Inge Klep, a stage winner in 2002, while Hibernian Team Ireland's Collette Swift was third.
Hunter defended her yellow jersey in the best possible fashion in the afternoon's 2 kilometre time trial, setting off last and eclipsing the times set by the strongest of the other riders. Riding a time trial machine kitted out with aero bars plus front and rear aero wheels, she underlined her fine condition by cleaving through the stiff headwind to finish just over ten seconds clear of Cycling Ulster's Cheryl Fisher, with the rest of the field further in arrears.
Hunter's campaign started with that strong ride this morning, showing great recovery to bounce back from the fatigue of her solo breakaway effort and win the bunch gallop. The stage was characterised by a number of relatively short-lived attacks by strong riders, who succeeded in opening up decent gaps over the main field but were then worn down by the strong winds gusting around the exposed course. Team Luciano's Ruth Gamwell was the first to establish a significant lead when she got 28 seconds on lap three, but sat up after the strong headwind saw her advantage being to drop.
Leinster - Usher Insulations rider Siobhan Jacob went clear shortly afterwards and got twenty seconds, but despite the efforts of Cycling Ulster's Cheryl Fisher to bridge the gap and add some more firepower to the effort, the main field were back on terms by the midway point of lap four. Angela Hunter quickly counterattacked and built a lead of ten seconds, only for her solo bid to end two kilometres into lap five.
A subsequent jump by RC Charlottenburg rider Liane Gaffron saw the German begin the most dangerous move of the day. She was joined by young Dutchwoman Sanne Hokke three kilometres later and the two pooled their efforts to open up a thirty-five second lead. Riding strongly together, they stayed clear for almost two laps but once again the combined strength of the main bunch proved too much. Eight kilometres into the escape Gaffron upped the pace, Hokke lost the wheel, and by the time the race started the final lap both were back in the shelter of the peloton.
One final attempt by Dutchwoman Sharon Van Essen followed. Yet once again the bunch overcame the move, setting the scene for a sprint finish and Hunter's fine victory over Inge Klep (Netherlands - Moving Ladies Groenewoud), Collette Swift (Hibernian Team Ireland), Diane Moss (Team Luciano) and the rest of the field. Also worth noting was Grace McNally's (Leinster - Usher Insulations) ninth place on the stage, a fine ride by the sixteen year old who upgraded to junior status so she could ride the race.
With the first stage done and dusted, Hunter had a break of a couple of hours before the afternoon's two kilometre time trial. The time bonus for her stage one win had left her just two seconds clear at the top, but this translated into a more commanding lead after a storming ride in the wind-blasted race against the clock. Hunter covered the distance in 3 minutes 37 seconds, the time showing the extent of the headwind, while Cycling Ulster's Cheryl Fisher was second and CC Luton rider Julie O'Hagan third.
The result means that Hunter is now fifteen seconds clear of Fisher in the overall standings with O'Hagan a further five seconds in arrears. It has been an exceptional opening day for the GS Strada rider; two stage wins, the yellow jersey and the lead in the points classification ensure that she goes into tomorrow's toughest leg of the race as the clear favourite to win. Whether she manages to do that or not depends on her ability to fend off the many expected attacks, a task made all the more difficult by a lack of team-mates.
"I was in very good form earlier this year," said a pleased Hunter this evening. "I won just about every race I entered at the start of the season. I was unfortunately ill at the national track championships, where I was trying to defend my wins in the points and scratch races. I didn't get to compete but knew I was coming back to form when I won the points race at the world masters championships."
"I wasn't sure how I would do in this event as I hadn't raced in the last three weeks, but felt good today. I have a fast sprint so could have waited until the finish of stage one, but decided to try to open up a bit of a time gap over the other riders. As it turned out, the wind was too strong and they got me back, but I had enough left to take the sprint and the yellow jersey."
Stage 3 - October 5: North County Dublin Road Race, 74 km
Hunter dominates TQ Paper International
Race leader Angela Hunter stamped her authority on the final stage of the TQ Paper International Ladies two-day today, continuing her dominant showing in the race. Hunter won both of yesterday's stages, a 64 kilometre road race and a 2 kilometre time trial, and today capped off her overall victory in great style when she sprinted home first at the end of the concluding 74 kilometre third stage. Dutchwoman Inge Klep (Netherlands - Moving Ladies Groenewoud) finished second and Ireland's Collette Swift third, a repeat of the race result from yesterday's opening stage.
Hunter went into the concluding leg of the race with a fifteen second lead and as expected, was soon put under pressure. Two kilometres after the start, Kate Rudd began what was to be twenty-five kilometres of attack and counter-attack by herself and Hibernian Ireland team-mate Marie Reilly, each acceleration ramping up the speed and causing a furious chase behind. Hunter was clearly on a good day, however; although the GS Strada rider appeared to be aided at times by girls from other UK teams, she did much of the chasing herself and ensured that the efforts by Rudd and Reilly came to naught.
On the approach to Stamullen village, Holland District Noord's Esther Kassing rode clear and opened up a ten second lead on the bunch. Pouring out the effort, she fought to build the gap on the hilly roads leading out the other side of the village, but once onto the gruelling slopes of Snowtown Hill the bunch drew inexorably closer and steadily reeled her in.
Driven by the slender climbers Nina Davis (Team Letchworth Extran Bikeshow) and Catherine Hare (Team Luciano), a six rider group then pulled clear of the splintering main field, and towards the top Davis, Hare, Hunter, Sharon Van Essen (Netherlands - Moving Ladies Groenewoud), Collette Swift and Louise Moriarty (both Hibernian Team Ireland) had a promising lead. An impressive Moriarty jumped away at the crest to take full points in the Queen of the Hills classification, then joined forces once more with the other five riders to try to stay clear.
The six sped onwards towards the climb of the Naul, preserving a twenty second advantage over the group chasing hard behind but lost some of their momentum when Davis and Hare dropped their chains on this final climb. Both riders were able to get going again but their chance had passed; they were overtaken by the chasers, who also got back on terms with the remaining four riders shortly afterwards.
Although Hunter had expended some amount of energy out front, the expect attacks from her closest rivals such as Cheryl Fisher (Cycling Ulster) never came. Instead, Fisher went to the front of this nineteen-strong leading group and drove it towards the finish, electing to preserve her second place rather than aiming for first. The decision was understandable in ways as this was her first major stage race, but given the strength she showed today and her excellent second place in yesterday's time trial, it is clear that once her confidence and experience grows she will be a serious force in cycling.
The front group stayed together all the way to the finish line, where once again the stage was decided in a bunch sprint. Unbelievably, it was Hunter again who took the honours, thundering home a length clear of Klep, Swift, Davis and Moriarty to win in real style. Three stage wins, the yellow jersey and the win in the points classification; little wonder she was pleased after the race.
"I am very happy to have done so well," she said. "I won here in 1996 but the standard and size of the field have both grown since then. I have ridden the race four times but this is the best - I am amazed at how many riders there were. In Britain we would be lucky to get a field of thirty or forty. The standard really has gone up."
"Coming over here, I was hoping to win the race but I never imagined I would win three stages. I thought I might struggle a bit in the time trial as it was just two kilometres…I like long time trials, but that seemed a bit short for me. Today's stage had a lot of attacking at the start, with the Irish girls try to get clear. I was happy once I was in the break as we were all working equally. I felt good so I didn't mind doing my share. There wasn't really any problem when we were caught - it all stayed together and I had good legs for the sprint."
Third-placed Nina Davis was also impressed by this year's race. "I thought it was a really good event and it was great to see so many people here. The organisation was superb. I felt good today and got clear in the break, but my chain came off at a bad time. I was able to get into the front group so it worked out fine in the end."
Besides the obvious satisfaction of the competitors with the race, there was another big plus for Irish cycling this weekend. A large number of Irish women took part, showing that the efforts of people such as Valerie Considine (of Cycling Ireland's women's commission) is starting to pay off. The hope is that the scene will continue to grow and that the Irish women will continue to ride well against strong foreign competition. Fisher's second place was a fine result, as was the performances of riders such as Swift (fifth overall and third on two stages), Susan O'Mara (Leinster - Usher Insulations, seventh overall) and Louise Moriarty, who won the Queen of the Mountains classification. In addition, the Leinster - Usher Insulations squad were best in the team competition.
"It was a very encouraging race," said Valerie Considine. "The turnout was great and it was a big boost to see so many Irish girls take part. Hopefully we can build on this and the women's scene will continue to grow next year."
Photos
Images by Shane Stokes/www.irishcycling.com
Stage 1 - October 4: Boot Inn circuit race, 64 km
- The Hibernian Team Ireland squad before the start of the race. L-R: Team manager Mick Usher, Gillian McDarby, Karen Bothwell, Kate Rudd, Collette Swift, Marie Reilly, Louise Moriarty and soigneur Dolores Usher
- This year's field included riders from Germany and the Netherlands
- The Holland - District Noord team wait for the race to move off
- The SS2003 TQ Paper International 2 day was the biggest ever women's race in Ireland, drawing a strong field
- Marie Reilly (Hibernian Ireland) and Sharon Van Essen (Netherlands - Moving Ladies Groenewoud) show no sign of nerves during the neutralised section
- The Hibernian Team Ireland squad controlled the race during the early stages
- Phil O'Brien is a former Irish national champion, but is now a well-respected race commissaire. He and his green Kawasaki are an essential part of Ireland's international events
- Collette Swift (Hibernian Team Ireland) leads the bunch on the Boot Inn Circuit
- Collette Swift accelerates away from the Dublin Airport corner, the rest of the field in tow
- Katharine Blum (Germany RC Charlotten burg-Berlin) leads the peloton on the circuit
- Katharine Blum is a strong climber but clearly also has a good turn of speed on the flat
- Angela Hunter (GS Strada) was in flying form earlier this year, but then lost out for a while because of illness. She is clearly back to top form, having recently won gold in the points race at the world masters track championships
- Angela Hunter stretches the field prior to her attack later in the stage
- Ruth Gamwell (Team Luciano) was the first to break the elastic and open a decent, but short-lived lead over the bunch
- Siobhan Jacob (Leinster - Usher Insulations) was next to try.
- Siobhan Jacob came to cycling from rowing, but has quickly proven herself to be one of the strongest women on the Irish scene
- The aerodynamic position of Angela Hunter (GS Strada)
- Angela Hunter was confident in her sprinting ability but felt so good during the stage that she decided to try to gain time over her rivals
- Angela Hunter was strong, but the day's strong winds were a problem on exposed sections such as this
- Liane Gaffron (RC Charlottenburg) gave it a bash after Hunter was herself hunted down.
- Liane Gaffron soldiered on alone for a while....
- Before being joined by junior rider Sanne Hokke of the Holland District Noord team. Their urgency here can be explained somewhat by the half-car, half-shark behind them
- Sanne Hokke rode well but was eventually distanced by Gaffron, before the two of them were reeled in by the main bunch
- Sharon Van Essen (Netherlands - Moving Ladies Groenewoud) made a strong attack inside the final three kilometres. She sped clear but was eventually beaten down by the strong headwind
- That paved the way for a big bunch finish which was easily won by Hunter, ahead of Inge Klep (Netherlands - Moving Ladies Groenewoud) and the aptly-named Collette Swift of Ireland
- Angela Hunter took the first yellow jersey of the race. She is flanked here by race officials Paddy Fitzsimons (L) and Ian Gallahar
- With Hunter in yellow, the honour of wearing the green jersey passed to Dutchwoman Inge Klep. To her right is compatriot Rinus de Bruin, a former international cyclist who moved to Ireland many years ago and stayed ever since
Stage 2 - October 4: Dublin Airport ITT, 2 km
- After Catherine Hare's (Team Luciano) crash in the morning stage, her start time was changed so that she could get medical attention in the local hospital after the time trial.
- Karen Bothwell of the Hibernian Team Ireland squad waits to start.
- Her team-mate Gillian McDarby looks very focussed at the line.
- Hibernian Team Ireland rider Louise Moriarty waits for the off.
- Then she accelerates away from the start line.
- Marie Reilly (Hibernian Team Ireland) before her test.
- Kate Rudd was with the Ireland squad, but wore her Orwell CC skinsuit for the test.
- Collette Swift (Hibernian Team Ireland) was third in the morning stage and looking forward to a good ride in the TT.
- Judith Helmink (Netherlands Moving Ladies Groenewoud) at the start.
- Her team-mate Inge Klep was second in the stage 1 road race. Behind her, Katherina Blum of the Germany - RC Charlottenburg-Berlin waits for her start.
- The third rider on the Dutch squad was Sharon Van Essen. She would be best of the three in the TT, placing twelfth.
- The second Dutch team in the race was the Holland - District Noord squad. Liesbeth Bakker was fifteenth in this test and this good ride would help earn her the best Junior prize at the end of the race.
- Bakker's team-mate Jessica Glasbergen was next off.
- And then Sanne Hokke got underway.
- Marleen Bluth (Germany RC Charlottenburg - Berlin) is making her racing comeback after a couple of years off the bike.
- Liane Gaffron (Germany RC Charlottenburg - Berlin) was away for much of the first stage. She had a couple of hours to recover before this afternoon time trial.
- Orla Hendron (Leinster - Usher Insulations) was, like Ireland's Kate Rudd, wearing the skinsuit of Orwell Wheelers in the time trial.
- Like Hendron, Leinster's Roisin Kennedy wore her club skinsuit. In this case, that means the colours of the Usher IRC team.
- Karen Lovatt (Team Luciano) was off soon after Kennedy. As her name suggests, she is the wife of GB international Mark Lovatt.
- Diane Moss is the strong woman of the Team Luciano squad, placing fourth on the opening road stage and fifth in this test. .
- Don't be deceived by the relaxed style. Kate Cullen (Team Letchworth Extran) was a good fourteenth in the 2 kilometre race against the clock.
- Nina Davis (Team Letchworth Extran) is the current Welsh champion and was fourth quickest.
- Linda Vene (Team Letchworth Extran) has colour-coordination worked out to a tee.
- With a name like Julie O Hagan, this CC Luton rider must have Irish roots.
- Angela Hunter (GS Strada) was warming up for well over an hour before her time trial. The race leader was taking no chances in her bid to win the race.
- Hunter brought a yellow skinsuit with her to Ireland. She must have had an inkling she was in good form...
- Hunter was relaxed before the test.
- But once the moment came, her focus was apparent.
- Angela Hunter roars away from the starter to set a winning time which was a full ten and a half seconds quicker than that recorded by Cycling Ulster's Cheryl Fisher.
Stage 3 - October 5: North County Dublin Road race, 74 km
- The first kilometres of this stage saw a series of attacks by Marie Reilly and Kate Rudd of the Hibernian Team Ireland squad, a strategy designed to weaken the race leader Angela Hunter.
- Esther Kassing (Holland - District Noord) leads the bunch.
- Kassing drags the rest of the field over one of the day's many hills.
- German rider Katharina Blum (RG Charlottenburg-Berlin) takes over at the front.
- Cheryl Fisher (Cycling Ulster) was lying second overall going into this stage. She is followed by Collette Swift (Hibernian Ireland), race leader Angela Hunter (GS Strada) and Leinster-Usher Insulation's Beth McCluskey.
- Kassing jumped clear as the race headed into the town of Stamullen, venue for last year's Irish road race championships.
- Kassing dug deep but there was no fending off the bunch....
- As the field moved onto the second part of the climb, a group of six riders detached themselves off the front.
- Team Luciano's Catherine Hare had a hard fall on the first stage, but despite an arm injury there was nothing wrong with her climbing today...
- She rode extremely strongly up the climb, setting a pace which suited race leader Angela Hunter just fine...
- Just before the top, Hibernian Team Ireland's Louise Moriarty jumped clear to take maximum points for the Queen of the Hills competition.
- The climb of the Naul saw Hare drop her chain, and so losing her place in the break.
- Seconds later, Welsh Champion Nina Davis was similarly unlucky.
- The chasing group were chasing hard to get back onto terms with Hunter and the others up front.
- They worked well together but losing the input of Hare and Davis seemed to cost them their momentum.
- Shortly afterwards, the chasing group made contact.
- Rebecca Milbourn (Evans Cycles RT) led the 19-strong front group as the race entered the final few kilometres.
- Cycling Ulster's Cheryl Fisher was second overall but nevertheless did a lot of work in the closing stages.
- Fisher is a relative newcomer to the sport and, on the basis of the strength shown this weekend, should be a big force in the future.
- Angela Hunter finished off the race in style, taking her third stage win when she sprinted home ahead of Inge Klep (Netherlands - Moving Ladies Groenewoud) and Ireland's Collette Swift.
- Ruth Gamwell (Team Luciano) led home the second group, just over a minute later.
- Never say die - those further back galloped full-out for the line.
- Inge Klep had a good race, taking two second places in bunch finishes.
- Swift had two third places and was seventh in the time trial...
- But, to say the least, three stage wins copper-fastened her hold on the green jersey.
- Welsh road race champion Nina Davis (Team Letchworth Extran) finished third overall, 30 seconds off the winning time of Hunter.
- Fisher was second, twenty seconds down.
- Hunter was delighted with her win, and was warmly applauded by race official Paddy Fitzsimons (L) and race sponsor Terry Quinlan at the prize presentation.
- Louise Moriarty (Hibernian Team Ireland) was an impressive winner of the Queen of the Hills competition.
- TQ Paper International sponsor Terry Quinlan with race winner Angela Hunter and Louise Moriarty.
- Susan O'Mara (Leinster - Usher Insulations) finished seventh overall but was also a vital part of the race organisation. Her efforts helped ensure that this year's event was the biggest women's race ever staged in Ireland.
- Tosh Lavery was the manager of the Leinster-Usher Insulations squad, which took the best team prize. He was full of praise for the event, saying that he hopes it will herald a new era in women's cycling in Ireland.
Results
Stage 1 - October 4: Boot Inn circuit race, 64 km
1 Angie Hunter (GS Strada) 1.46.07 2 Inge Klep (Netherlands - Moving Ladies Groenewoud) 3 Collette Swift (Hibernian Team Ireland) 4 Diane Moss (Team Luciano) 5 Esther Kassing (Holland - District Noord) 6 Nina Davis (Team Letchworth Extran Bikeshow) 7 Janet Tebutt (Team Letchworth Extran Bikeshow) 8 Judith Helmink (Netherlands - Moving Ladies Groenwoud) 9 Grace McNally (Leinster - Usher Insulations) 10 Cheryl Fisher (Cycling Ulster)
Stage 2 - October 4: Dublin Airport ITT, 2 km
1 Angie Hunter (GS Strada) 3.37.47 2 Cheryl Fisher (Cycling Ulster) 10.45 3 Julie O'Hagan (CC Luton) 15.76 4 Nina Davis (Team Letchworth Extran Bikeshow) 5 Diane Moss (Team Luciano) 22.51 6 Siobhan Jacob (Leinster - Usher Insulations) 23.84 7 Collette Swift (Hibernian Team Ireland) 26.95 8 Mary McKee (Cycling Ulster) 28.40 9 Susan O'Mara (Leinster - Usher Insulations) 29.58 10 Karen Lovatt (Team Luciano) 29.94 General classification after stage 2 1 Angie Hunter (GS Strada) 1.49.39 2 Cheryl Fisher (Cycling Ulster) 0.15 3 Julie O'Hagan (CC Luton) 0.21 4 Nina Davis (Team Letchworth Extran Bikeshow) 0.25 5 Diane Moss (Team Luciano) 0.27 6 Siobhan Jacob (Leinster - Usher Insulations) 0.29 7 Collette Swift (Hibernian Team Ireland) 0.31 8 Mary McKee (Cycling Ulster) 0.33 9 Susan O'Mara (Leinster - Usher Insulations) 0.35 10 Karen Lovatt (Team Luciano)
Stage 3 - October 5: Road race, 74 km
1 Angela Hunter (GS Strada) 2.09.05 2 Inge Kelp (Netherlands - Moving Ladies Groenewoud) 3 Collette Swift (Hibernian Team Ireland) 4 Nina Davis (Team Letchworth Extran Bikeshow) 5 Louise Moriarty (Hibernian Team Ireland) 6 Diane Moss (Team Luciano) 7 Catherine Hare (Team Luciano) 8 Beth McCluskey (Leinster - Usher Insulations) 9 Rebecca Milbourn (Evans Cycles RT) 10 Janet Tebutt (Team Letchworth Extran Bikeshow) Final classification after stage 3 1 Angela Hunter (GS Strada) 3.58.09 2 Cheryl Fisher (Cycling Ulster) 0.20 3 Nina Davis (Team Letchworth Extran Bikeshow) 0.30 4 Diane Moss (Team Luciano) 0.32 5 Collette Swift (Hibernian Team Ireland) 0.35 6 Inge Kelp (Netherlands - Moving Ladies Groenewoud) 0.39 7 Susan O'Mara (Leinster - Usher Insulations) 0.40 8 Karen Lovatt (Team Luciano) 9 Janet Tebutt (Team Letchworth Extran Bikeshow) 0.41 10 Sharon Van Essen (Netherlands - Moving Ladies Groenwoud) Mountains classification 1 Louise Moriarty (Hibernian Team Ireland) 10 pts 2 Sharon Van Essen (Netherlands - Moving Ladies Groenwoud) 6 3 Angela Hunter (GS Strada) 3 4 Susan O'Mara (Leinster - Usher Insulations) 2 6 Catherine Hare (Team Luciano) 1 Points classification 1 Angela Hunter (GS Strada) 30 2 Collette Swift (Hibernian Team Ireland) 20 3 Nina Davis (Team Letchworth Extran Bikeshow) 19 4 Diane Moss (Team Luciano) 18 5 Inge Kelp (Netherlands - Moving Ladies Groenewoud) 18 6 Cheryl Fisher (Cycling Ulster) 10 Junior rider classification 1 Liesbeth Bakker (Holland - District Noord) Team classification (calculated by points) 1 Leinster - Usher Insulations 236 pts 2 Team Luciano 220 3 Ireland 210
