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Sea Otter Classic - 2.3
Monterey, California, USA, April 9 - 12, 2003
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Stage 2 - April 10: Laguna Seca Time trial, 12 miles
Jeanson and O'Neill take a minute
By Kristy Scrymgeour
Rona-Esker's Genevieve Jeanson built on her early season success this morning by winning the Women's Fort Ord Time Trial, while Australian time trial specialist Nathan O'Neill (Saturn) continued the strong form he showed against the clock at Redlands last week - and his team continued to dominate, taking the three tops spots once again.
Women: Jeanson strongest again
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Genevieve Jeanson stormed to victory in the time trial with a time of 30:23. Her second stage win in as many days came by a margin of one minute over second place finisher Kimberly Bruckner (T-Mobile).
The time trial, shortened from last year, traveled 12 miles over a tough, undulating course with dead roads. As Saturn's Chris Horner said, "it is made for a rider with pure strength". The course included a 2.3 mile climb toward the end of the course which seemed to be the make or break segment of the stage. "The last 6km were a killer, a really tough uphill, where I think everybody blew," said Sandy Espeseth (Victory Brewing). Lyne Bessette also thought the climb was "the key to this course. I made a little mistake there, but today was the first time I've felt good in a time trial this year".
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The first rider to descend onto the fast Laguna Seca Raceway finish section was Grace Fleury (Genesis) who opened the event by passing the three riders in front of her in a time of 35:45, a respectable effort but a time that would eventually be surpassed by the field's top competitors.
All eyes were on the 14 riders who finished in the front group in Wednesday's road race and who, if anyone, was going to take Jeanson out of the leader's jersey.
However, it was Jeanson who was the strongest today, keeping the jersey safely on her back, but not without a challenge still to come.
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Behind Bruckner, in third place, was Saturn's Manon Jutras who came in at 31:54 followed by her fellow Canadian and teammate Lyne Bessette who just edged out Amber Neben (T-Mobile) for fourth place. Victory Brewing also put in a strong showing and go into tomorrow's stage with three riders still in the top ten.
Jeanson was very happy defending her title in this event. "I didn't feel that good, but when I saw the cars in front of me I thought I mustn't be doing too bad. Of course I don't think I ever feel good in a time trial." Jeanson will depend on her team's support over the next few days. Her teammate Magalie LeFloch noted, "I didn't go fast today, because I know I have to work hard tomorrow and the day after".
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T-Mobile are excited about going into tomorrow's stage holding the team classification jersey, according to Kristin Armstrong. The question will be, can any of these strong teams figure out a plan to beat Jeanson? According to Espeseth, "she's quite the puzzle." Saturn is determined to give it a shot though. "There is no doubt that we are going to give it everything," said Jutras.
The familiar scenario of Jeanson on top with Saturn and T-Mobile rounding out the top five has again presented itself and sets the stage for a fierce battle over the next couple of days.
Men: O'Neill-led Saturn trio tops podium again
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The men's race also provided a familiar sight with Saturn sweeping the top three spots. Its trio of Nathan O'Neill, Tom Danielson and Horner annihilated the field. Only US Postal's David Zabriskie came within a minute of the three Saturn men.
O'Neill dominated the race, putting in 1:15 over his teammate Danielson. It's a case of deja-vu after last week's time trial at the Redlands Classic featured the same three riders in the top three places. "If there was a course ever written for me, I reckon that was it," said O'Neill. "It just had all the characterstics of everything I love. It had short steep hills all the way through it and a long drag at the finish. I felt good all the way through the race, but after I had caught a couple of other guys I thought I should dig deeper and I just kept going deeper and deeper and deeper and I never really found the bottom. Sometimes you just have days like that!"
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Defending champion Zabriskie, who broke the course record last year, was not as fortunate this year. "This is my first TT of the year, I felt okay, I was dragging a little bit at the top. I don't necessarily think there is a big difference between the way I feel this year compared to last year. Its just a different group of guys."
Prime Alliance rider Matt Decanio had a few things to say about Saturn's domination over the last couple of weeks. "I have done 12 days of racing in 15 days. I think our team's morale is kind of low cause we're getting schooled by Saturn, we're just going to have to regroup before the next race and try to get it together. The whole Saturn team are riding unbelievably, they should be in the Giro d'Italia or something."
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The Saturn team is very confident that they have the strength to keep the leader's jersey, having three riders at the top of GC. Horner was impressed by his teammates' performance and emphasized his confidence that Saturn will come out on top. "The course was ideal for someone like O'Neill, who just has so much power. It was a good course for Danielson and I too, but we're just not the time trial specialists that O'Neill is. I would say it's sewed up, a done deal. Maybe they can force us to ride, but without an accident I don't think we can be moved."
Photography
Images by Bob Wilson/Bob Wilson Photography
- Nicole Freedman (Basis) grits her teeth as she struggles with the ascent
- With 30 seconds between riders passing on the hill was common
- A rider from Team Veloclips tackles the climb
- Manon Jutras (Saturn) and support car
- Kim Bruckner (T-Mobile) seems to have recovered from Redlands with a solid second place
- Genevieve Jeanson (Rona-Esker) was once again unbeatable on the climb
- The women's podium featuring Genevieve Jeanson (Rona-Esker) in her usual top spot
- Team Marco Polo - traveling round the world to race
- Nathan O'Neill (Saturn) kept digging and never got to the bottom of his reserves
- Dave Zabriskie (US Postal Service) pants his way to fourth place
- On your left!
- The TV guys get up close with Robbie Ventura (US Postal)
- Kurt Hackler (CDS/WCS) looks like he's almost out of air at the top
- I have you now, Bond!
- Are we there yet? Almost.
- Tom Danielson (Saturn) showing the effort for a good time
- Matt Dubberley (Sierra Nevada) is faster in a sprint than a climb
- Being passed by one of Saturn's mountain goats is no disgrace
- Lower the blast shield! A Navigators rider gets space-age.
- Chris Horner (Saturn) approaches the finish on the final climb
- The men's podium was once again the Saturn trio of O'Neill, Danielson and Horner
Results
Women 1 Geneviève Jeanson (Can) Equipe Cycliste Rona-Esker 30.23.534 2 Kimberly Bruckner (USA) Team T-Mobile USA 1.00.004 3 Manon Jutras (Can) Saturn Cycling Team 1.30.875 4 Lyne Bessette (Can) Saturn Cycling Team 1.34.581 5 Amber Neben (USA) Team T-Mobile USA 1.35.452 6 Nicole Demars (Can) Victory Brewing/Amoroso's 2.05.708 7 Leah Goldstein (Can) Victory Brewing/Amoroso's 2.10.466 8 Dede Barry (USA) Team T-Mobile USA 2.23.712 9 Susan Palmer-Komar (Can) Genesis-Scuba 2.24.466 10 Sandy Espeseth (Can) Victory Brewing/Amoroso's 2.42.223 General classification after Stage 2 1 Geneviève Jeanson (Can) Equipe Cycliste Rona-Esker 2.21.35 2 Kimberly Bruckner (USA) Team T-Mobile USA 1.10 3 Lyne Bessette (Can) Saturn Cycling Team 1.41 4 Amber Neben (USA) Team T-Mobile USA 1.45 5 Manon Jutras (Can) Saturn Cycling Team 1.49 6 Nicole Demars (Can) Victory Brewing/Amoroso's 2.16 7 Leah Goldstein (Can) Victory Brewing/Amoroso's 2.21 8 Dede Barry (USA) Team T-Mobile USA 2.28 9 Susan Palmer-Komar (Can) Genesis-Scuba 2.35 10 Sandy Espeseth (Can) Victory Brewing/Amoroso's 2.52 Men 1 Nathan O'Neill (Aus) Saturn Cycling Team 26.01.841 2 Tom Danielson (USA) Saturn Cycling Team 1.14.196 3 Chris Horner (USA) Saturn Cycling Team 1.15.179 4 Dave Zabriskie (USA) US Postal Service 1.20.170 5 Jonathan Vaughters (USA) Prime Alliance 2.28.858 6 Eric Wohlberg (Can) Saturn Cycling Team 2.32.569 7 John Lieswyn (USA) 7Up/Maxxis 2.36.525 8 Steve Larsen (USA) Webcor 2.46.839 9 Mariano Friedick (USA) Jelly Belly 2.50.680 10 Matt Decanio (USA) Prime Alliance 2.52.086
