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19th HP Women's Challenge - 2.9.1
June 15-23, 2002
Stage 1 - June 15: Boise to Idaho City, 111 km
HP Kicks off with a Field Sprint on Day One
By Giana Roberge, Saturn cycling team
The HP Women's Challenge kicked off today at the Birds of Prey Sanctuary today. The nine-day race that tours the mountains and plains of Idaho is a showcase of the top women riders. With teams such as Lithuania, Sponsor Service, Itera, Rona and the Canadian National Team, this field appears to be deeper than in previous years.
The 111km stage one from the Birds of Prey to Idaho City took the field of 96 over their first climb of the tour. Although the peloton was expecting a race similar to that of last year's where the field was completely shattered by the wind at the bottom of the climb, this year's race played out starkly different. With the temperatures well into the 90s and the wind calm, the field arrived to the final 20 kilometre marker compact.
The Itera team and Lithuanians both tried their hand at creating a break; however, with high speeds and a nervous pack, the group was keen to bring any escapees back quickly. The only break of note was that of Saturn's Catherine Marsal. Attacking with 5km to go, Marsal nearly held off the surging field for the win, but was brought back with 500 metres to go. Her attack set up her Saturn teammate, Petra Rossner, for the win. With a lead-out from Ina Teutenberg, Rossner out-sprinted Diana Ziliute for the victory and the blue Leader's Jersey. Third was Jolanta Polikeviciute.
Tomorrow's stage of 99 kilometers brings the athletes over Banner Pass from Lowman to Stanley. With many climbers showing good form, the overall standings ought to begin to shake down with some of the climbers ascending to the top of the leader's page.
Results
1 Petra Rossner (Ger) Saturn 2.49.31 2 Diana Ziliute (Ltu) Lithuanian National 3 Jolanta Polikeviciute (Ltu) Lithuanian National 4 Sarah Ulmer (NZl) New Zealand 5 Anna Millward (Aus) Saturn 6 Judith Arndt (Ger) Saturn 7 Rachel Heal (GBr) British National 8 Svetlana Samokhvalova (Rus) Itera 9 Gina Grain (Can) Boise 10 Vera Carrara (Ita) Itera 11 Amber Neben (USA) T Mobile 12 Kimberly Bruckner (USA) Saturn 13 Modesta Vzisnauskaite (Ltu) Lithuanian National 14 Gail Longenecker (USA) Rona 15 Anita Valen (Nor) Sponsor Services 16 Heather Albert (USA) Goldy's 17 Mari Holden (USA) T Mobile 18 Genevieve Jeanson (Can) Rona 19 Monica Valen (Nor) Sponsor Services 20 Anne Samplonius (Can) Canadian National 21 Lyne Bessette (Can) Canadian National 22 Kristin Armstrong (USA) Goldy's 23 Amy Jarvis (Can) Rona 24 Roz Reekie-May (NZl) Mercy Fitness Center 25 Dotsie Cowden (USA) T Mobile 26 Ina-Yoko Teutenberg (Ger) Saturn 27 Kym Shirley (Aus) Itera 28 Katrina Berger (USA) T Mobile 29 Cybil Diguistini (Can) Canadian National 30 Susie Wood (NZl) New Zealand 31 Valentina Polkhanova (Rus) Itera 32 Joan Wilson (USA) Boise 33 Lara Ruthven (USA) T Mobile 34 Caroline Alexander (GBr) British National 35 Barbara Lancioni (Ita) Itera 36 Jenny Eyerman (USA) Boise 37 Kim Anderson (USA) T Mobile 38 Wenche Stensvold (Nor) Sponsor Services 39 Rydeen Stevens (USA) Contender/Optygen.com 40 Nicole Demars (Can) Boise 41 Erika Viliunaite (Ltu) Lithuanian National 42 Rasa Polikeviciute (Ltu) Lithuanian National 43 Stacey Peters (USA) Boise 44 Brooke Babbitt (USA) Goldy's 45 Solrun Flataas (Nor) Sponsor Services 46 Andrea Hannos (Can) Rona 47 Leah Goldstein (Can) Boise 48 Melissa Holt (NZl) Rona 49 Alison Littlefield (USA) Contender/Optygen.com 50 Pia Sundstedt (Fin) Sponsor Services 51 Jorunn Kvaloe (Nor) Sponsor Services 52 Sue Palmer-Komar (Can) Canadian National 53 Sarah Konrad (USA) Mercy Fitness Center 54 Manon Jutras (Can) Rona 55 Sandy Espeseth (Can) Canadian National 56 Sara Symington (GBr) British National 0.19 57 Catherine Marsal (Fra) Saturn 0.24 58 Jenny Tobin (USA) Richard's/NIFC 2.11 59 Karen Dodge (USA) Contender/Optygen.com 60 Mary Ann Fleckenstein (USA) Goldy's 61 Emma Davies (GBr) British National 62 Robyn Wong (NZl) New Zealand 63 Nicky Solomon (NZl) New Zealand 64 Silvia Valsecchi (Ita) Itera 65 Christy Kopasz (USA) Richard's/NIFC 66 Liza Rachetto (USA) Intermountain Orthopedic 67 Melanie Sears (GBr) British National 68 Lisa Magness (USA) Intermountain Orthopedic 69 Maria Molino de Ortiz (Gua) Mercy Fitness Center 70 Priska Doppmann (Swi) Goldy's 71 Mary McLaurin (USA) Mercy Fitness Center 72 Zita Urbonaite (Ltu) Lithuanian National 3.27 73 Johanna Buick (NZl) New Zealand 74 Lorien Lightfield (USA) Richard's/NIFC 5.07 75 Sima Trapp (USA) Goldy's 76 Mary Kneeland (USA) LSV/Trek/VW 11.53 77 Emily Westbrook (USA) Richard's/NIFC 78 Melissa Sanborn (USA) Intermountain Orthopedic 79 Susan Hefler (USA) LSV/Trek/VW 80 Patty Davis (USA) LSV/Trek/VW 81 Toni Bradshaw (NZl) New Zealand 82 Megan Elliott (USA) Mercy Fitness Center 83 Naomi Gollogly (USA) LSV/Trek/VW 84 Meredith Miller (USA) Intermountain Orthopedic 15.49 85 Janelle Smith (USA) Richard's/NIFC 18.34 86 Kasey Rose (USA) Richard's/NIFC 19.41 87 Gabriela Castaneda (Gua) Mercy Fitness Center 88 Brenda Black (USA) Intermountain Orthopedic 89 Maatje Benassi (Ned) Contender/Optygen.com 24.19 90 Crystal Yap (USA) Intermountain Orthopedic Points 1 Petra Rossner (Ger) Saturn 20 pts 2 Diana Ziliute (Ltu) Lithuanian National 17 3 Jolanta Polikeviciute (Ltu) Lithuanian National 13 4 Sarah Ulmer (NZl) New Zealand 11 5 Anna Millward (Aus) Saturn 9 6 Judith Arndt (Ger) Saturn 7 Mountain Points 1 Genevieve Jeanson (Can) Rona 10 pts 2 Heather Albert (USA) Goldy's 7 3 Kristin Armstrong (USA) Goldy's 5 4 Jolanta Polikeviciute (Ltu) Lithuanian National 3 5 Valentina Polkhanova (Rus) Itera 2 6 Diana Ziliute (Ltu) Lithuanian National 1 Sprint Points 1 Sarah Ulmer (NZl) New Zealand 10 pts 2 Heather Albert (USA) Goldy's 7 3 Melissa Holt (NZl) Rona 5 4 Sandy Espeseth (Can) Canadian National 3 5 Jolanta Polikeviciute (Ltu) Lithuanian National 2 6 Andrea Hannos (Can) Rona 1 General classification after stage 1 1 Petra Rossner (Ger) Saturn 2.49.21 2 Diana Ziliute (Ltu) Lithuanian National 0.04 3 Jolanta Polikeviciute (Ltu) Lithuanian National 0.06 4 Heather Albert (USA) Goldy's 5 Sarah Ulmer (NZl) New Zealand 0.07 6 Genevieve Jeanson (Can) Rona 7 Kristin Armstrong (USA) Goldy's 0.09 8 Melissa Holt (NZl) Rona 9 Anna Millward (Aus) Saturn 0.10 10 Judith Arndt (Ger) Saturn 11 Rachel Heal (GBr) British National 12 Svetlana Samokhvalova (Rus) Itera 13 Gina Grain (Can) Boise 14 Vera Carrara (Ita) Itera 15 Amber Neben (USA) T Mobile 16 Kimberly Bruckner (USA) Saturn 17 Modesta Vzisnauskaite (Ltu) Lithuanian National 18 Gail Longenecker (USA) Rona 19 Anita Valen (Nor) Sponsor Services 20 Mari Holden (USA) T Mobile 21 Monica Valen (Nor) Sponsor Services 22 Anne Samplonius (Can) Canadian National 23 Lyne Bessette (Can) Canadian National 24 Amy Jarvis (Can) Rona 25 Roz Reekie-May (NZl) Mercy Fitness Center 26 Dotsie Cowden (USA) T Mobile 27 Ina-Yoko Teutenberg (Ger) Saturn 28 Kym Shirley (Aus) Itera 29 Katrina Berger (USA) T Mobile 30 Cybil Diguistini (Can) Canadian National 31 Susie Wood (NZl) New Zealand 32 Valentina Polkhanova (Rus) Itera 33 Joan Wilson (USA) Boise 34 Lara Ruthven (USA) T Mobile 35 Caroline Alexander (GBr) British National 36 Barbara Lancioni (Ita) Itera 37 Jenny Eyerman (USA) Boise 38 Kim Anderson (USA) T Mobile 39 Wenche Stensvold (Nor) Sponsor Services 40 Rydeen Stevens (USA) Contender/Optygen.com 41 Nicole Demars (Can) Boise 42 Erika Viliunaite (Ltu) Lithuanian National 43 Rasa Polikeviciute (Ltu) Lithuanian National 44 Stacey Peters (USA) Boise 45 Brooke Babbitt (USA) Goldy's 46 Solrun Flataas (Nor) Sponsor Services 47 Andrea Hannos (Can) Rona 48 Leah Goldstein (Can) Boise 49 Alison Littlefield (USA) Contender/Optygen.com 50 Pia Sundstedt (Fin) Sponsor Services 51 Jorunn Kvaloe (Nor) Sponsor Services 52 Sue Palmer-Komar (Can) Canadian National 53 Sarah Konrad (USA) Mercy Fitness Center 54 Manon Jutras (Can) Rona 55 Sandy Espeseth (Can) Canadian National 56 Sara Symington (GBr) British National 0.29 57 Catherine Marsal (Fra) Saturn 0.34 58 Jenny Tobin (USA) Richard's/NIFC 2.21 59 Karen Dodge (USA) Contender/Optygen.com 60 Mary Ann Fleckenstein (USA) Goldy's 61 Emma Davies (GBr) British National 62 Robyn Wong (NZl) New Zealand 63 Nicky Solomon (NZl) New Zealand 64 Silvia Valsecchi (Ita) Itera 65 Christy Kopasz (USA) Richard's/NIFC 66 Liza Rachetto (USA) Intermountain Orthopedic 67 Melanie Sears (GBr) British National 68 Lisa Magness (USA) Intermountain Orthopedic 69 Maria Molino de Ortiz (Gua) Mercy Fitness Center 70 Priska Doppmann (Swi) Goldy's 71 Mary McLaurin (USA) Mercy Fitness Center 72 Zita Urbonaite (Ltu) Lithuanian National 3.37 73 Johanna Buick (NZl) New Zealand 74 Lorien Lightfield (USA) Richard's/NIFC 5.17 75 Sima Trapp (USA) Goldy's 76 Mary Kneeland (USA) LSV/Trek/VW 12.03 77 Emily Westbrook (USA) Richard's/NIFC 78 Melissa Sanborn (USA) Intermountain Orthopedic 79 Susan Hefler (USA) LSV/Trek/VW 80 Patty Davis (USA) LSV/Trek/VW 81 Toni Bradshaw (NZl) New Zealand 82 Megan Elliott (USA) Mercy Fitness Center 83 Naomi Gollogly (USA) LSV/Trek/VW 84 Meredith Miller (USA) Intermountain Orthopedic 15.59 85 Janelle Smith (USA) Richard's/NIFC 18.44 86 Kasey Rose (USA) Richard's/NIFC 19.51 87 Gabriela Castaneda (Gua) Mercy Fitness Center 88 Brenda Black (USA) Intermountain Orthopedic 89 Maatje Benassi (Ned) Contender/Optygen.com 24.29 90 Crystal Yap (USA) Intermountain Orthopedic Points classification 1 Sarah Ulmer (NZl) New Zealand 21 pts 2 Petra Rossner (Ger) Saturn 20 3 Jolanta Polikeviciute (Ltu) Lithuanian National 18 4 Diana Ziliute (Ltu) Lithuanian National 17 5 Heather Albert (USA) Goldy's 14 6 Genevieve Jeanson (Can) Rona 10 7 Anna Millward (Aus) Saturn 9 8 Judith Arndt (Ger) Saturn 7 9 Kristin Armstrong (USA) Goldy's 5 10 Melissa Holt (NZl) Rona 5 11 Sandy Espeseth (Can) Canadian National 3 12 Valentina Polkhanova (Rus) Itera 2 13 Andrea Hannos (Can) Rona 1 Courtesy of www.womenschallenge.com
