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Le Tour du Grand Montréal - 2.9.1
Canada, June 2-4, 2003
Main Page Results Previous Stage
Stage 3 - June 5: Ville De Terrebonne, 80 km
T-Mobile Pull Off the Win
By Kristy Scrymgeour
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Former World Champion Diana Ziliute (Acca Due O Pasta) won today's stage of the Tour du Grand Montreal as she came off a brilliantly executed team lead out to win the bunch sprint over Regina Schleicher (German National Team) and Australian Rochelle Gilmore (Ausra Gruodis-Safi). In the overall standings it was T-Mobile who came out on top with Amber Neben taking her first tour win of the season.
The final stage was held in the quaint Quebecois town of Terrebonne, whose streets were lined with the ever enthusiastic crowd of this area dining in street-side café's and restaurants as they watched the race. With the sun shining once again, the riders set out on the first lap of their eight-lap, 80km race in anticipation of a very aggressive couple of hours. With Lyne Bessette only 2 seconds behind Neben in the General Classification, the race was certainly not over, and time bonus sprints throughout the race would be just as important as the finish, every second making a difference.
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In her usual style, Quebec rider Anne Samplonius started the day with an early attack, and there and then T- Mobile showed that they were ready to vigorously defend their lead as they brought back the break and continued to set a fast pace at the front of the peloton. The first sprint came after two laps with Rona-Esker rider Magalie Le Floch proving too strong, taking the time sprint from Neben and Bessette. In coming second, Neben gained another second on Bessette and just a little more assurance towards her overall win.
Attacks continued to follow but were immediately covered by T-Mobile as they controlled the race with determination. On the small power hill half way around the course another battle was being fought for the Mountain jersey which Genevieve Jeanson was determined to win. She took the points on both climbs from Saturn's Bessette and managed to win the mountain jersey at the end of the day.
Not so lucky was Gina Grain (Victory Brewing) who was leading the sprint jersey classification before the stage and had her team ready to defend her lead. Grain crashed just after the first sprint and despite the help of her team could not get back into the race, forfeiting her chance of taking home the jersey. "It was sad" Grain told Cyclingnews after the race. "I had just come second in the sprint which made me equal first for the jersey. It was my fault though. I must have looked around to see what was going on behind me and somebody crashed right into the back of me. I feel fine, just a bit stiff and sore. Hopefully I will be good for Philly (Liberty Classic) on Sunday."
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The last lap was the all important lap for the overall GC. If Bessette was able to get in position to take the stage win, she would gain 10 seconds on Neben and take the tour win, but T-Mobile was not about to let that happen. To make things even better for T-Mobile, Acca Due 0 Pasta were also insistent that the stage win was going to be nobody's but their own. They put together a beautiful lead-out train to maneuver Ziliute into perfect position around the technical finishing corners. As the peloton came around the last corner with 200m to go it was all yellow and grey with Ziliute throwing her hands in the air for her fourth big win of the season. German sprinter Scleicher took second from Gilmore who was racing on the same team as Ziliute in this race as the two teams made a composite.
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Overall tour winner, Neben talked with Cyclingnews over dinner after the race "I am so proud of my team. The girls all worked so hard and it was a good day for all of us." When asked whether the close race made her nervous, Neben replied "No, not nervous, just excited. I knew the team was capable of making it work and we were all ready to give it everything. We wanted to control the race from the beginning, but we also had the advantage of having a few girls high up in GC, so if it happened that they could go with a break that was good for us too."
This weekend the women's peloton will head down to Philadelphia where they will join the men in the Wachovia Series. The women race on Sunday in the Liberty Classic which is a 100km race around a 25km hilly circuit taking in the famous Manayunk wall.
Photography
Images by Kristy Scrymgeour/Cyclingnews.com
- Nicole Cooke happy to have no broken bones
- Mavic to the rescue for Samplonius before the race.
- Ready for the start
- T-Mobile ready to defend the yellow jersey
- Manon Jutras leads the climb on lap 5
- The peloton at the top of the climb
- The Victory Brewing team chasing back on for Grain
- The peloton flies around the first corner with one lap to go
- Diana Ziliute (Acca Due O Pasta) takes the win
- A happy Acca Due o Pasta team after the race
- The top three: Rochelle Gilmore (Ausra Gruodis), Diana Ziliute and Regina Schleicher (German National Team)
- Celebrations
- Genevieve Jeanson (Rona) in the Mountain Jersey
- Sue Palmer Komar (Genesis Scuba) in the 30+ jersey
- Race winner Amber Neben (T-Mobile) with race president Daniel Mannibal
- Lyne Bessette (Saturn) thanks the huge crowds after the race
- T-Mobile DS Mike and the team celebrate the win
Results
1 Diana Ziliute (Ltu) Acca Due O Pasta 1.57.32 2 Regina Schleicher (Ger) German National Team 3 Rochelle Gilmore (Aus) Ausra Gruodis - Safi 4 Giorgia Bronzini (Ita) Ausra Gruodis - Safi 5 Annette Beutler (Swi) Swiss Cycling Team 6 Katia Longhin (Ita) Acca Due O Pasta 7 Lyne Bessette (Can) Saturn Cycling Team 8 Amber Neben (USA) T-Mobile 9 Liane Bahler (Ger) German National Team 10 Catherine Marsal (Fra) Rona - Esker 11 Karen Bockel (Ger) Rona - Esker 12 Geneviève Jeanson (Can) Rona - Esker 0.04 13 Anne Samplonius (Can) Équipe Québec 14 Barbara Heeb (Swi) Swiss Cycling Team 15 Magali Le Floch (Fra) Rona - Esker 16 Miho Oki (Jpn) Japan National 17 Isabella Wieser (Aut) Charly Lietzsport 18 Deirdre Demet-Barry (USA) T-Mobile 19 Amy More (Can) Saturn Cycling Team 20 Bettina Kuhn (Swi) Swiss Cycling Team 21 Julie Hutsebaut (Can) Équipe Nationale du Canada 22 Rachel Heal (GBr) Great Britain National Team 23 Diana Rast (Swi) Swiss Cycling Team 24 Theresa Senff (Ger) German National Team 25 Claudia Stumpf (Ger) German National Team 26 Sarah Düster (Ger) German National Team 27 Sarah Grab (Swi) Swiss Cycling Team 28 Meredith Miller (USA) S.A.T.S. 29 Sabine Batz (Ger) Charly Lietzsport 30 Susan Palmer-Komar (Can) Genesis Scuba/FFCC 31 Petra Pilz (Aut) Charly Lietzsport 32 Audrey Lemieux (Can) Équipe Nationale du Canada 33 Candice Blickem (USA) Genesis Scuba/FFCC 34 Kimberly Bruckner (USA) T-Mobile 35 Leah Goldstein (Isr) Victory Brewing/Amoroso's 36 Heather Albert (USA) Basis Women's Cycling Team 37 Charlotte Goldsmith (GBr) Great Britain National Team 38 Chantal Beltman (Ned) Acca Due O Pasta 39 Anne Wagner (Den) S.A.T.S. 40 Christina Peick-Anderson (Den) S.A.T.S. 41 Sara Waller (GBr) Great Britain National Team 42 Trine Hansen (Den) S.A.T.S. 43 Ayumu Otsuka (Jpn) Japan National 44 Jessica Hulser (USA) S.A.T.S. 45 Kristin Armstrong (USA) T-Mobile 46 Tina Liebig (Ger) German National Team 47 Erinne Willock (Can) Rona - Esker 48 Kimberly Anderson (USA) T-Mobile 49 Maggie Shirley (USA) Genesis Scuba/FFCC 50 Hiroko Shimada (Jpn) Japan National 51 Manon Jutras (Can) Saturn Cycling Team 52 Karin Wieser (Aut) Charly Lietzsport 53 Jessica Phillips (USA) Saturn Cycling Team 54 Grace Fleury (USA) Genesis Scuba/FFCC 55 Ann-Marie Miller (USA) Verizon Wireless-Cervélo 56 Catherine Bearce (USA) Basis Women's Cycling Team 57 Stacey Peters (USA) T-Mobile 0.23 58 Nicole Freedman (USA) Basis Women's Cycling Team 1.19 59 Gina Grain (Can) Victory Brewing/Amoroso's 6.13 60 Melissa Holt (NZl) Rona - Esker 61 Nicole Demars (Can) Victory Brewing/Amoroso's 62 Geneviève Leblanc (Can) Équipe Nationale du Canada 16.27 63 Francesca Pellegrini (Ita) Ausra Gruodis - Safi 18.36 64 Claudia Meyer (Ger) Charly Lietzsport 21.28 65 Barbara Brzezicki (Can) Team Ontario 66 Julia Bradley (Can) Team Ontario 25.28 67 Lauren Gaffney (USA) Basis Women's Cycling Team DNF Sophie St-Jacques (Can) Victory Brewing/Amoroso's DNF Lauren Franges (USA) Victory Brewing/Amoroso's DNF Frances Newstead (GBr) Great Britain National Team DNF Erin Carter (Can) Équipe Nationale du Canada DNF Caroline L'heureux (Can) Équipe Québec DNF Élisa Gagnon (Can) Équipe Québec DNS Yvonne Ilton (USA) Verizon Wireless-Cervélo DNS Iona Wynter (Jam) Genesis Scuba/FFCC DNS Katie Mactier (Aus) Saturn Cycling Team DNS Penny Edwards (GBr) Great Britain National Team Final general classificaton 1 Amber Neben (USA) T-Mobile 6.07.10 2 Lyne Bessette (Can) Saturn Cycling Team 0.03 3 Magali Le Floch (Fra) Rona - Esker 0.16 4 Diana Ziliute (Ltu) Acca Due O Pasta 0.19 5 Geneviève Jeanson (Can) Rona - Esker 0.38 6 Manon Jutras (Can) Saturn Cycling Team 0.42 7 Deirdre Demet-Barry (USA) T-Mobile 0.48 8 Susan Palmer-Komar (Can) Genesis Scuba/FFCC 0.50 9 Kimberly Bruckner (USA) T-Mobile 0.51 10 Amy More (Can) Saturn Cycling Team 0.52 11 Kristin Armstrong (USA) T-Mobile 0.53 12 Leah Goldstein (Isr) Victory Brewing/Amoroso's 0.56 13 Kimberly Anderson (USA) T-Mobile 14 Katia Longhin (Ita) Acca Due O Pasta 0.57 15 Liane Bahler (Ger) German National Team 0.58 16 Barbara Heeb (Swi) Swiss Cycling Team 1.00 17 Sarah Grab (Swi) Swiss Cycling Team 18 Miho Oki (Jpn) Japan National 1.01 19 Heather Albert (USA) Basis Women's Cycling Team 1.03 20 Meredith Miller (USA) S.A.T.S. 1.05 21 Rachel Heal (GBr) Great Britain National Team 1.06 22 Trine Hansen (Den) S.A.T.S. 1.07 23 Theresa Senff (Ger) German National Team 24 Tina Liebig (Ger) German National Team 25 Regina Schleicher (Ger) German National Team 1.09 26 Chantal Beltman (Ned) Acca Due O Pasta 1.34 27 Claudia Stumpf (Ger) German National Team 1.43 28 Karen Bockel (Ger) Rona - Esker 1.59 29 Annette Beutler (Swi) Swiss Cycling Team 2.10 30 Isabella Wieser (Aut) Charly Lietzsport 2.18 31 Bettina Kuhn (Swi) Swiss Cycling Team 2.25 32 Stacey Peters (USA) T-Mobile 2.32 33 Christina Peick-Anderson (Den) S.A.T.S. 3.26 34 Grace Fleury (USA) Genesis Scuba/FFCC 3.52 35 Sarah Düster (Ger) German National Team 4.36 36 Erinne Willock (Can) Rona - Esker 5.54 37 Ayumu Otsuka (Jpn) Japan National 5.57 38 Anne Wagner (Den) S.A.T.S. 6.22 39 Candice Blickem (USA) Genesis Scuba/FFCC 6.25 40 Catherine Marsal (Fra) Rona - Esker 41 Audrey Lemieux (Can) Équipe Nationale du Canada 6.35 42 Giorgia Bronzini (Ita) Ausra Gruodis - Safi 6.36 43 Sabine Batz (Ger) Charly Lietzsport 6.39 44 Julie Hutsebaut (Can) Équipe Nationale du Canada 6.42 45 Charlotte Goldsmith (GBr) Great Britain National Team 6.46 46 Nicole Demars (Can) Victory Brewing/Amoroso's 7.07 47 Nicole Freedman (USA) Basis Women's Cycling Team 7.49 48 Anne Samplonius (Can) Équipe Québec 8.00 49 Jessica Phillips (USA) Saturn Cycling Team 8.06 50 Maggie Shirley (USA) Genesis Scuba/FFCC 8.36 51 Hiroko Shimada (Jpn) Japan National 8.49 52 Gina Grain (Can) Victory Brewing/Amoroso's 12.38 53 Catherine Bearce (USA) Basis Women's Cycling Team 12.52 54 Petra Pilz (Aut) Charly Lietzsport 18.47 55 Jessica Hulser (USA) S.A.T.S. 27.58 56 Diana Rast (Swi) Swiss Cycling Team 28.02 57 Sara Waller (GBr) Great Britain National Team 28.08 58 Ann-Marie Miller (USA) Verizon Wireless-Cervélo 30.19 59 Karin Wieser (Aut) Charly Lietzsport 30.20 60 Rochelle Gilmore (Aus) Ausra Gruodis - Safi 33.46 61 Geneviève Leblanc (Can) Équipe Nationale du Canada 33.52 62 Melissa Holt (NZl) Rona - Esker 34.03 63 Claudia Meyer (Ger) Charly Lietzsport 38.15 64 Francesca Pellegrini (Ita) Ausra Gruodis - Safi 54.55 65 Julia Bradley (Can) Team Ontario 55.29 66 Barbara Brzezicki (Can) Team Ontario 55.35 67 Lauren Gaffney (USA) Basis Women's Cycling Team 57.25 Mountains classification 1 Geneviève Jeanson (Can) Rona - Esker 27 2 Lyne Bessette (Can) Saturn Cycling Team 12 3 Manon Jutras (Can) Saturn Cycling Team 7 4 Barbara Heeb (Swi) Swiss Cycling Team 7 5 Nicole Cooke (GBr) Ausra Gruodis - Safi 6 6 Amber Neben (USA) T-Mobile 3 7 Magali Le Floch (Fra) Rona - Esker 2 8 Susan Palmer-Komar (Can) Genesis Scuba/FFCC 1 9 Sarah Düster (Ger) German National Team 1 Points classification 1 Diana Ziliute (Ltu) Acca Due O Pasta 33 2 Gina Grain (Can) Victory Brewing/Amoroso's 18 3 Magali Le Floch (Fra) Rona - Esker 15 4 Amber Neben (USA) T-Mobile 10 5 Lyne Bessette (Can) Saturn Cycling Team 8 6 Regina Schleicher (Ger) German National Team 8 7 Annette Beutler (Swi) Swiss Cycling Team 7 8 Miho Oki (Jpn) Japan National 6 9 Anne Wagner (Den) S.A.T.S. 5 10 Manon Jutras (Can) Saturn Cycling Team 5 11 Rochelle Gilmore (Aus) Ausra Gruodis - Safi 5 12 Erin Carter (Can) Équipe Nationale du Canada 5 13 Katia Longhin (Ita) Acca Due O Pasta 5 14 Nicole Demars (Can) Victory Brewing/Amoroso's 4 15 Susan Palmer-Komar (Can) Genesis Scuba/FFCC 3 16 Giorgia Bronzini (Ita) Ausra Gruodis - Safi 3 17 Isabella Wieser (Aut) Charly Lietzsport 2 18 Anne Samplonius (Can) Équipe Québec 1 Teams classification 1 Saturn Cycling Team 18.23.05 2 T-Mobile 0.12 3 Rona - Esker 1.18 4 German National Team 1.32 5 S.A.T.S. 1.36 6 ACCA DUE O PASTA 1.39 7 Swiss Cycling Team 2.41 8 Great Britain National Team 7.11 9 Genesis Scuba/FFCC 8.49 10 Japan National 14.16 11 Victory Brewing/Amoroso's 19.10 12 Basis Women's Cycling Team 20.09 13 Charly Lietzsport 23.50 14 Équipe Nationale du Canada 36.19 15 Ausra Gruodis - Safi 1.31.06
