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1st GP Feminas Castilla y Leon (CDM)
Spain, April 21, 2002
Women's World Cup hits Spain
By Jeff Jones
The GP Feminas Castilla y Leon is the first round of the women's World Cup to be raced in Spain. Serving as the fifth round of the nine race series, the GP Castilla y Leon comes just four days after La Fleche Wallonne in Belgium, won by Italian climber Fabiana Luperini.
The course for this race is significantly flatter, although it does contain three climbs per 35 kilometre lap, each around 1 km long and 5% gradient. The riders have to cover three laps, followed by a 6 km finishing circuit in the outskirts of the town of Valladolid. The race also finishes with an uphill sprint, again 1 kilometre long at 5%.
With Dutchwoman Mirjam Melchers (Farm Frites Hartol) moving into the outright lead in the World Cup, Saturn's Petra Rossner will be aiming to claw back her advantage. Melchers leads the German by 8 points, and should find this course to her liking. Saturn will have to be vigilant not to let any breaks get away, as Rossner needs those points.
Priska Doppmann (Swiss National Team) has also been riding consistently in the World Cup, finishing third in Fleche Wallonne and moving herself to fifth on the WC table. She prefers the climbs but is also strong in a breakaway, and course in Spain has enough in it for the non-sprinters.
Nicole Cooke (Deia-Pragma-Colnago) also rode a good race last Wednesday for fifth place. She is one of the brightest young stars of women's cycling and could post another good result here in Spain.
Other danger riders include Diana Ziliute and Chantal Beltman (Acca Due O), Judith Arndt and Lyne Bessette (Saturn), Leontien Zijlaard-Van Moorsel (Farm Frites Hartol), Trixi Worrack (Germany) and Caroline Alexander (Great Britain).
