T-Mobile International - 1.3

San Francisco, USA, September 14, 2003

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Welcome to the live coverage of the T-Mobile International, presented by BMC Software. A women's event will be held here today for the first time and the race has drawn quality riders from all over the world including 2003 World Cup winner, Nicole Cooke (Ausra Gruodis Safi), former World Champion Diana Ziliute (Acca Due O Pasta) and Judith Arndt (Nurnberger). Competing against them from the home front will be 18 teams US and Canadian teams with talent such as winner of yesterday's race Sue Palmer Komar (Genesis Scuba), Katie Mactier and the Saturn team, Sandy Espeseth (Victory Brewing Amoroso), the successful Diet Rite team and of course the sponsor team, T-Mobile.

The women will race 49.6 miles around the grueling course on the hills of downtown San Francisco starting and finishing at the Embarcadero. Watch out for some aggressive riding and some definite attrition.

7:30am - 49.6 miles to go

The women are off on beautiful day in San Francisco. The sun is out and the temperature is perfect for racing which is a blessing after yesterdays heat. The women are now on the two, 2.6 mile start laps and T-Mobile have hit the front to begin the race.

7:39am - 47 miles to go

Ina Teutenberg (Saturn) has attacked already as the peloton head out onto the 5 mile lap that they will complete before starting the main laps. Acca Due O Pasta are chasing with Zita Urbonaite sitting on the front and Teutenberg is looking good.

7:45am

Teutenberg has been caught as the riders head up one of the steep climbs and a Team Basis rider has countered but has again also been caught and the field are all back together.

7:50am - 42 miles to go

The peloton are coming back through the finish line to start the first of the four main laps. They are all together and Saturn are on the front of the field but just cruising for the moment.

7:59

Teutenberg has attacked again and has been chased by Kristin Armstrong (T-Mobile) and Katia Longhin (Acca Due O Pasta). Two other riders have joined them, Madeleine Lindberg (Nurnberger) and Magen Long of World Diff.com. The group have about 30 seconds on the bunch.

8:07am

The break are heading up the very steep Fillmore Rd now and Teutenberg has ridden away from them on this hill, the other four are chasing and can just see her through the San Francisco fog. Armstrong is now back with her, as is Longhin.

8:11am

The break is now two with Teutenberg and Armstrong working together. Longhin has also been dropped but is now rejoining them as the road descends a little. Teutenberg and Armstrong are looking strong as they head back onto the Embarcadero.

8:16am - 31 miles to go

The gap is now 40 seconds from the front three to the peloton as the riders come through the finish line for three laps to go. On the peloton is the Acca Due O Pasta team who are trying to bring back the break despite having a rider in the break. Longhin is sitting on the break waiting for the rest of the team to bring back the break for their lead rider, Diana Ziluite.

8:22am

Some riders are already being pulled off the course as they are too far behind. There are strict 5% cut of rules here do to the fact that the men's race starts after the women's and must start on time for the TV coverage.

Armstrong and Teutenberg are still working well together with Longhin sitting on. The time hap is at 44 seconds.

8:25am

The gap is now coming down fairly quickly, now at 33 seconds as the break heads past the marina.

8:32am

Acca Due and Ausra are now chasing hard as the gap is coming down fast. Nicole Cooke (Ausra Grodis) has attacked hard out of the bunch on Fillmore St , Ziliute (Acca Due) is just hanging on to her wheel, as is Dede Demet (T-Mobile). They are catching the break and they have totally blown the peloton apart.

8:38am

Ziliute has crashed and doesn't look like she will be able to get back into the race. It looks like she may have overlapped wheels and come down. Very unfortunate to have one of the favourites out of the race.

8:46am

Five riders are now up in the lead by 1 minute. In the break are Nicole Cooke, Dede Barry, Judith Arndt (Nurnberger), Modesta Vzesniauskaite (Ausra Grodis) and Mari Holden (T-Mobile).

8:54

The gap seems to be coming down and it is now 13 seconds.

The break has now been caught as the riders go along Chestnut street and there is a group of 14 riders pulling clear of the rest of the peloton.

9:03

The bunch is now all together with one and a half laps to go. News is that Ziliute fell badly on her knee and has been taken to hospital.

9:13am - 10 miles to go

Riders have now summited Fillmore for the second last time and a new break is up the road. In the break in Cooke, Barry, Anderson, Heather Albert (Team Basis), Judith Arndt, Katie Mactier (Saturn) and Christine Thornburne (Vaniqa Red 5 Racing). The gap is small, less than 10 seconds.

With only one lap to go it will be an interesting finale and very different to expected. Eight riders are in the break with the peloton, consisting of about 35 riders, is 10 seconds behind.

9:22am

The break has now been caught and the bunch is all together with about 5 miles to go.

9:29am

The race is now heading towards Fillmore St for the final time. They are now on the hill and Nicole Cooke has attacked hard again.

Cooke has a big gap with Barry the closest behind her, but it's Cooke alone with half a lap to go. Cooke said in the press conference on friday that this was the hardest course she has seen on the women's calendar. Knowing that Cooke loves a tough course, this course is perfect for her.

Cooke now had about 12 seconds on Dede Barry who has a big gap on chasers.

9:38am

Cooke still in the lead and powering. Barry in second with a group of about five riders chasing. Cooke is now in the final meters of the race and has 8 seconds to Barry.

9:41am

Barry has been caught and is in a group of four who chase Cooke. In the group are two Saturn riders.

Cooke has won the race by only a few seconds. Mactier takes second place.

9:41am

Barry has been caught and is in a group of four who chase Cooke. In the group are two Saturn riders.

Cooke has won the race by only a few seconds. Mactier takes second place.

Cooke was very excited after the race saying that the crowds on the side of the hill were "awesome. There was so much noise and it was just really exciting. It was such a hard course and I think it is great for women's cycling that we have this race now. I think T-Mobile have to be thanked for putting on such a great race. I hear it is going to be a world cup next year which is fantastic."

Of the race, Cooke said, "By the second time up the hill my lungs were burning already, this course was just so hard."

Top 3
1 Nicole Cooke (Ausra Grodis Safi)
2 Katie Mactier (Saturn)
3 Judith Arndt (Nurnberger)

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