Grande Boucle Féminine Internationale - 2.9.1

France, August 4-18, 2002

2001 Results     Stage List     Preview    Start List     Past winners

The stages

• Stage 1a - August 4: s'Hertogenbosch - s'Hertogenbosch, 92.9 km
• Stage 1b - August 4: s'Hertogenbosch - s'Hertogenbosch TTT, 15.1 km
• Stage 2 - August 5: Bruxelles - Valenciennes, 159.5 km
• Stage 3 - August 6: Charleville-Mezieres - Val de Fensch, 154.8 km
• Stage 4 - August 7: Bar le Duc - Nogent-sur-Seine, 156.2 km
• Stage 5 - August 8: Saint-Vallier - Montceau les Mines ITT, 31.2 km
• Stage 6 - August 9: Lyon - Villard de Lans, 125.4 km
• Stage 7 - August 10: Aix les Bains - Courchevel, 134 km
• Stage 8 - August 11: Courchevel - Vaujany, 113.6 km
• Stage 9a - August 13: Grenoble - Grenoble, 34.6 km
• Stage 9b - August 13: Grenoble - Lac d'Aiguebelette, 71.0 km
• Stage 10 - August 14: Montrond-les-Bains - Issoire, 141.2 km
• Stage 11 - August 15: Bellac - Civaux, 77 km
• Stage 12 - August 16: Le Mans - Chateaudun, 111.4 km
• Stage 13 - August 17: Chartres - Lisieux, 143.6 km
• Stage 14 - August 18: Paris - Paris ITT, 7.4 km

Preview

By Jeff Jones

Starting in 's-Hertogenbosch in the Netherlands on Sunday August 4, La Grande Boucle Féminine Internationale 2002 promises to be one of the toughest women's stage races on the calendar. Spanning two weeks, LGBF will feature the world's top teams in action, vying for the prestige of winning the 'women's Tour de France'.

This year marks the 11th edition of the race, which was launched in 1992 following the demise of the Tour Féminin in 1989. At this year's race there will be five past winners of LGBF, including Leontien Zijlaard-van Moorsel, Valentina Polkhanova, Diana Ziliute, Edita Pucinskaite, and the defending champion, Joane Somarriba Arrola. The main absentee will be French legend Jeannie Longo, three time winner of the old Tour Féminin.

There will be plenty of challengers for Somarriba's crown, including the Saturn squad led by Judith Arndt, with plenty of strong support including Cathy Marsal, Kim Bruckner, Anna Millward and Petra Rossner.

Alongside Zijlaard-van Moorsel in Farm Frites-Hartol is the world's number rider Mirjam Melchers, who is a strong candidate for one or more stage wins, as well as a good place on GC. Her team includes Arenda Grimberg, Madeleine Lindberg and Kirsty Robb, all strong riders.

Acca Due O look to have a number of candidates, with the Polikeviciute twins and Nicole Brandli all very capable climbers.

Finally, the US national Team T-Mobile is getting better as the season progresses, with riders such as Amber Neben, Dede Demet, Kim Anderson and Mari Holden sure to try and make an impact.

The parcours

Beginning in the Netherlands with two stages (a road race and a team time trial) in 's-Herogenbosch, La Grande Boucle Féminine Internationale passes through Belgium on stage 2 between Brussels and Valenciennes, over 159.5 km. Then follow a couple of stages in north eastern France, before the transfer down to St Vallier for the Stage 5 individual time trial, finishing in Montceau les Mines.

Then there is the relatively hard Stage 6 from Lyon to Villard de Lans, with an uphill finish, followed by the much tougher 134 km leg from Aix les Bains to Courchevel, containing the Col de la Madeleine with another uphill finish in Courchevel. Stage 8 from Courchevel to Vaujany is shorter, at 113.6 km, but takes the riders back over the Madeleine, then up the very tough Col du Glandon, before finishing at the ski station of Vaujany. After the preceding two days, this will certainly be a brutal stage.

Stage 9 is for some reason split into two: a 34.6 km Grenoble-Grenoble (via the Côte de la Comboire) in the morning followed by a 71 km stage from Grenoble to Lac d'Aiguebelette, via the cote de Portet. The final five stages are essentially flat, finishing in Paris with another individual time trial.

TV coverage

France 2 (on August 10) and France 3 (on August 18) will cover parts of the race live, while Pathé Sport will provide 60 minutes of daily coverage.

Start list

Acca Due O                       Aliverti Kookai Imm Luca Atet
 
Chantal Beltman (Ned)            Alessandra d'Ettore (Ita)
Diana Ziliute (Ltu)              Anna Ramirez (Spa)
Ghita Beltman (Ned)              Francesca Castrucci (Ita)
Jolanta Polikeviciute (Ltu)      Marianna Lorenzoni (Ita)
Nicole Brandli (Swi)             Marta Vilajosana Andreu (Spa)
Rasa Polikeviciute (Ltu)         Rosalisa Lapomarda (Ita)
Zita Urbonaite (Ltu)
 
C.A Mantes la ville 78           Deia Pragma Colnago
 
Cynthia Compain (Fra)            Eneritz Iturriaga Mazaga (Spa)
Elisabeth Chevanne Brunel (Fra)  Fany Lecourtois (Fra)
Emma James (Aus)                 Joane Somarriba Arrola (Spa)
Marcia Eicher-Vouets (Swi)       Nicole Cooke (GBr)
Miho Oki (Jpn)                   Tatiana Stiajkina (Ukr)
Sylvie Riedle (Fra)              Teodora Ruano Sanchon (Spa)
                                 Valentyna Karpenko (Ukr)
 
Edilsavino                       Equipe Nurnberger Versicherung
 
Daniela Veronesi (Ita)           Alison Wright (Aus)
Iryna Chuzhynova (Ukr)           Birgit Sollner (Ger)
Marina Khodtchenkova (Rus)       Jenny Algelid-Bengtsson (Swe)
Marta Evangelisti (Ita)          Liane Bahler (Ger)
Sara Felloni (Ita)               Sandra Rombouts (Ned)
Simona Parente (Ita)
Svetlana Boubnenkova (Rus)
 
Figurella Dream Team             French National Team
 
Edita Kubelskiene (Ltu)          Aline Camboulives (Fra)
Edita Pucinskaite (Ltu)          Isabelle Moulis (Fra)
Rhonda Quick (USA)               Karine Dalmais (Fra)
Silvia Parietti (Ita)            Magalie Finot (Fra)
Tiziana Smorgon (Ita)            Sandrine Marcuz (Fra)
Vilija Purlite (Ltu)
Zlatica Gavlakova (Svk)
 
Itera Team                       Michela Fanini
 
Cornelia Cyrus (Rus)             Anke Wichmann (Ger)
Kym Shirley (Aus)                Katie Mactier (Aus)
Lada Kozlikova (Cze)             Letizia Giardinelli (Ita)
Olga Slioussareva (Rus)          Lisbeth Simper (Den)
Svetlana Samokhvalova (Rus)      Monica Ceccon (Ita)
Valentina Polkhanova (Rus)       Regina Schleicher (Ger)
Youlia Martissova (Rus)          Shani Bloch (Isr)
 
Mixte Power Plate                Mixte Sabeco Bizkaia
 
Alessandra Cappellotto (Ita)     Agurtzane Elorriaga Derteano (Spa
Alexandra Nohles (Ger)           Baukje Doedee (Ned)
Bogumila Matusiak (Pol)          Cristin Alcalde Huertanos (Spa)
Christine Mos (Ned)              Iosune Murillo Elkano (Spa)
Francis Linthorst (Ned)          Maitane Telletxea (Spa)
Priska Doppmann (Swi)            Montserrat Alonso Bernal (Spa)
Yvonne Brunen (Ned)              Nikane Xuen Mallea Ludlon (Spa)
 
Saturn Cycling                   Team Farm Frites-Hartol
 
Anna Millward (Aus)              Anouska Van Der Zee (Ned)
Catherine Marsal (Fra)           Arenda Grimberg (Ned)
Ina Yoko Teutenberg (Ger)        Elsbeth Vink (Ned)
Judith Arndt (Ger)               Leontien Van Moorsel (Ned)
Kim Davidge (USA)                Madeleine Lindberg (Swe)
Kimberly Bruckner (USA)          Mirjam Melchers (Ned)
Petra Rossner (Ger)              Sissy Van Alebeek (Ned)
 
USA National-T Mobile            USC Chirio
 
Amber Neben (USA)                Goulnara Ivanova (Rus)
Deirdre Demet-Barry (USA)        Helga Faccin (Ita)
Kim Anderson (USA)               Penny Edwards (GBr)
Kristin Armstrong (USA)          Rosalind May-Reekie (NZl)
Mari Holden (USA)                Tetyana Andrushchenko (Ukr)
Melissa Thompson (USA)           Zinaida Stahurskaia (Blr)
Stacey Peters (USA)              Zoulfia Zabirova (Rus)
 
Vlaanderen-T Interim
 
Cindy Pieters (Bel)
Debby Mansveld (Ned)
Heidi Van De Vijver (Bel)
Laure Werner (Bel)
Susanne Ljungskog (Swe)
Vanessa Rochelle Guyton (NZl)
Veronique Belleter (Bel)

Past winners

2001
 

1 Joane Somarriba Arrola (Spa) Alfa Lum R.S.M. 
2 Fabiana Luperini (Ita) Edilsavino
3 Judith Arndt (Ger) Junkers-Noja
 
2000
 
1 Joane Somarriba Arrola (Spa) Team Alfa Lum
2 Edita Pucinskaite (Ltu) Team Alfa Lum
3 Geraldine Loewenguth (Fra) French National Team
 
1999
 
1 Diana Ziliute (Lit) Acca Due O Lorena
2 Valentina Polkhanova (Rus) Russian Team
3 Edita Pucinskaite (Lit) Acca Due O Lorena
 
1998
 
1 Edita Pucinskaite (Lit)
2 Fabiana Luperini (Ita)
3 Alessandra Cappellotto (Ita)
 
1997
 
1 Fabiana Luperini (Ita)
2 Barbara Heeb (Swi)
3 Linda Jackson (Can)
 
1996

1 Fabiana Luperini (Ita)
2 Rasa Polikeviciute (Lit)
3 Jeannie Ciprelli-Longo (Fra)
 
1995
 
1 Fabiana Luperini (Ita)
2 Jeannie Ciprelli-Longo (Fra)
3 L Zberg (Swi)
 
1994
 
1 Valentina Polkhanova (Rus)
2 Rasa Polikeviciute (Lit)
3 C. Odin (Fra)
 
1993
 
1 Leontien Van Moorsel (Ned)
2 Marion Clignet (Fra)
3 H. Van De Vijver (Bel)
 
1992
 
1 Leontien Van Moorsel (Ned)
2 Jeannie Ciprelli-Longo (Fra)
3 H. Van De Vijver (Bel)
 
1989
 
1 Jeannie Ciprelli-Longo (Fra)
2 Maria Canins (Ita)
3 I. Thompson (USA)
 
1988
 
1 Jeannie Ciprelli-Longo (Fra)
2 Maria Canins (Ita)
3 Elizabeth Hepple (Aus)
 
1987
 
1 Jeannie Ciprelli-Longo (Fra)
2 Maria Canins (Ita)
3 U. Enzenauer (FRG)
 
1986

1 Maria Canins (Ita)
2 Jeannie Ciprelli-Longo (Fra)
3 I. Thompson (USA)
 
1985
 
1 Maria Canins (Ita)
2 Jeannie Ciprelli-Longo (Fra)
3 C. Odin (Fra)
 
1984
 
1 Mary-Ann Martin (USA)
2 H. Hage (Ned)
3 D. Schumway (USA)
 
Past winners by Mario Stiehl, www.world-of-cycling.com