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7th Primavera Rosa - CDM
Italy, March 19, 2005
Main Page Results World Cup standings after round 3
Trixi tricks 'em
By Anthony Tan in San Remo
Today in San Remo, Equipe Nürnberger rider Trixi Worrack won the third round of the 2005 women's World Cup in the most audacious possible style. Initially driving a lead-out train for team sprinter Regina Schleicher, the explosive Worrack went so fast and hard around one of the final corners, she gapped what was left of field, and did just enough to hold off a fast-finishing bunch led home by Great Britain's Nicole Cooke (Safi-Pasta Zara Manhattan) and Worrack's teammate Oenone Wood.
As she looked over her shoulder one last time coming onto the Via Roma, the colourful but all-powerful German screamed with delight as she crossed the line, legs akimbo, arms pumped, and fists clenched. "I knew I was in good shape, but I just wanted to help the team, we didn't care who won," said Worrack to Cyclingnews on the team's strategy for the day. "I had worked a bit in the race, so I was not sure [it would be me].
"We were trying to do a lead-out, and suddenly I was alone, with only 400 metres to go. I thought if they started to sprint [early], they would catch me for sure; the finish was a bit uphill, but it was just enough!"
Worrack attributed much of the credit to her team, who were four-strong in a select group of 15, and is only too happy to return the favour to her teammate Wood in the not too distant future, who holds onto her World Cup leader's jersey.
"I've gone to a professional team this year, and they're really focusing on all the World Cups, so that works out perfectly to try and keep the jersey," said Wood. "I love racing, and that's why I come here."
Asked if she's got a particular World Cup in mind, the venerable pocket-rocket from Down Under didn't take long to answer: "I'd really like to win Flèche Wallonne - I'd love to finish first at the top of the Mur de Huy; that hill is so awful, I'd like to beat it one year!" she declared with enthusiasm.
One rider who didn't have the benefit of an all-powerful team was Mirjam Melchers, but the experienced Dutchwoman declared to Cyclingnews she and her Buitenpoort-Flexpoint team will only get stronger.
"They also had a bit of luck," responded Melchers when asked if Nürnberger was simply too strong. "One girl [Worrack] got a little bit in front the last two corners, and the other girls let it go, of course. We were coming close, but there were not enough seconds.
"But it's the first big race, it was very nervous - this race is always like that, a lot of corners, high speed - but the atmosphere is nice, and that is why everybody comes. The whole peloton's warming up, and the Primavera is a difficult race - it's a hard finale, but you also need luck. I think the team did a good job today - there's more coming."
How it unfolded
Mild temps in Varazze combined with a frisky peloton and a flattish parcours set the scene for a fast start to La Primavera Rosa, and the outcome was just that. However, with the field following the last 118 kilometres of the 294 kilometre-long men's race, nothing was going to happen until the climbs of the Cipressa and Poggio inside the final 30 km.
Shortly before the Cipressa, World Cup leader Oenone Wood crashed at the worst possible moment, but with undying loyalty, her teammate and friend Olivia Gollan brought her back to the fold. Unsurprisingly, the Cipressa was climbed very fast indeed, although it wasn't until over the top that three riders escaped. But as the peloton upped the urgency on the descent, multiple crashes followed, including one of the riders in the leading trio, P.M.B. Fenixs rider Valentina Polkhanova.
Nürnberger's Judith Arndt and eventual winner Trixi Worrack led a controlled chase to bring the remaining duo back to the bunch before the start of the Poggio, before teammate Wood regained her position and strength to nullify any attacks on the climb, paying special attention to Mirjam Melchers (Buitenpoort-Flexpoint) and Nicole Brändli (Team Bigla).
"If it doesn't happen before the Poggio, it's too late," said Melchers to Cyclingnews when asked about her tactics on the final climb. "It's too short and not steep enough, so if you have the legs, you must try on the Cipressa. But I think everybody was a little bit scared on the downhill after the Cipressa; there were not many [riders] who wanted to take risks [on the Poggio]."
Once over Il Poggio, the remnants of the peloton appeared all set for a bunch gallop to decide the day, and Nürnberger, who were playing the numbers game with four out of 15 riders up front, began their version of the 'Blue Train' inside the final few kilometres.
But then, with just two corners remaining, Worrack found herself off the front as she caned it round the bends with 500 metres to go, and with her teammates blocking, little miss Trixi powered down the Via Roma to take one of the most prestigious victories in her career.
Results - 118 km
1 Trixi Worrack (Ger) Equipe Nurnberger Versicherung 3.04.00 (38.478 km/h) 2 Nicole Cooke (GBr) Safi-Pasta Zara Manhattan 0.01 3 Oenone Wood (Aus) Equipe Nurnberger Versicherung 4 Regina Schleicher (Ger) Equipe Nurnberger Versicherung 5 Mirjam Melchers (Ned) Buitenpoort-Flexpoint Team 6 Modesta Vzesniauskaite (Ltu) Nobili Rubinetterie-Menikini Cogeas 7 Nicole Brandli (Swi) Team Bigla 8 Anita Valen (Nor) Vlaanderen-Caprisonne-Tinterim 9 Luisa Tamanini (Ita) Team Bianchi-Aliverti 10 Susanne Ljungskog (Swe) Buitenpoort-Flexpoint Team 11 Andrea Graus (Aut) Elk Haus-Tirolnoe 12 Madeleine Sandig (Ger) German National Team 13 Miho Oki (Jpn) Usc Chirio Forno D'asolo 14 Sigrid Corneo (Ita) Nobili Rubinetterie-Menikini Cogeas 15 Barbara Lancioni (Ita) S.S Lazio Ciclismo Team Ladispoli 16 Evy Van Damme (Bel) Vlaanderen-Caprisonne-Tinterim 17 Anna Zugno (Ita) Safi-Pasta Zara Manhattan 18 Dorthe Lohse (Den) Team S.A.T.S. 19 Tatiana Guderzo (Ita) Top Girl Fassa Bortolo Hausbrandt Coffe' 20 Natalyna Kachalka (Ukr) A.S. Team F.R.W 0.08 21 Judith Arndt (Ger) Equipe Nurnberger Versicherung 0.16 22 Loes Gunnewijk (Ned) Vrienden Van Het Platteland 0.21 23 Edita Pucinskaite (Ltu) Nobili Rubinetterie-Menikini Cogeas 24 Tatiana Shiskova (Rus) P.M.B. Feenixs 25 Marta Vilajosana (Spa) S.S Lazio Ciclismo Team Ladispoli 0.45 26 Marianna Lorenzoni (Ita) A.S. Team F.R.W 27 Karin Thurig (Swi) Univega Pro Cycling Team 28 Patricia Schwager (Swi) Swiss National Team 29 Rachel Heal (GBr) Team S.A.T.S. 1.11 30 Silva Clemilda Fernandes (Bra) Usc Chirio Forno D'asolo 1.16 31 Silvia Parietti (Ita) S.S Lazio Ciclismo Team Ladispoli 32 Nina Ovcharenco (Ukr) A.S. Team F.R.W 33 Theresa Senff (Ger) Van Bemmelen-Aa Drink 34 Lada Kozlikova (Cze) Buitenpoort-Flexpoint Team 35 Sandrine Marcuz (Fra) Team S.A.T.S. 36 Corine Hierckens (Bel) Belgian National Team 37 Sofie Goor (Bel) Vlaanderen-Caprisonne-Tinterim 38 Fabiana Luperini (Ita) A.S. Team F.R.W 39 Josephine Groenveld (Ned) Van Bemmelen-Aa Drink 1.19 40 Katia Longhin (Ita) S.C. Michela Fanini Record Rox 3.17 41 Claudia Stumpf (Ger) German National Team 42 Anke Wichmann (Ger) Equipe Nurnberger Versicherung 43 Kathryn Fernandez Souza (Bra) Usc Chirio Forno D'asolo 44 Edwige Pitel (Fra) Univega Pro Cycling Team 3.19 45 Daniela Fusarpoli (Ita) Nobili Rubinetterie-Menikini Cogeas 46 Eneritz Iturriaga (Spa) Spanish National Team 47 Priska Doppmann (Swi) Univega Pro Cycling Team 48 Suzanne De Goede (Ned) Van Bemmelen-Aa Drink 49 Monia Baccaille (Ita) Saccarelli Emu Marsciano 50 Sarah Grab (Swi) Univega Pro Cycling Team 51 Chantal Beltman (Ned) Vrienden Van Het Platteland 52 Trine Hansen (Den) Team S.A.T.S. 53 Giorgia Bronzini (Ita) Usc Chirio Forno D'asolo 54 Olivia Gollan (Aus) Equipe Nurnberger Versicherung 55 Amber Neben (USA) Buitenpoort-Flexpoint Team 3.44 56 Sabrina Bernardi (Ita) Top Girl Fassa Bortolo Hausbrandt Coffe' 4.45 57 Lise Christensen (Den) Team S.A.T.S. 58 Bianca Knopfle (Ger) German National Team 59 Veronica Leal Balderas (Mex) Saccarelli Emu Marsciano 60 Monika Schachl (Aut) Elk Haus-Tirolnoe 61 Meredith Miller Rasnussen (USA) Team S.A.T.S. 62 Paola Pezzo (Ita) Saccarelli Emu Marsciano 63 Rochelle Gilmore (Aus) Safi-Pasta Zara Manhattan 5.32 64 Monica Holler (Swe) Elk Haus-Tirolnoe 65 Ludivine Henrion (Bel) Belgian National Team 66 Kristy Miggels (Ned) Vrienden Van Het Platteland 67 Karin Wieser (Aut) Elk Haus-Tirolnoe 68 Veerle Ingels (Bel) Vlaanderen-Caprisonne-Tinterim 69 Alessandra Grassi (Ita) Safi-Pasta Zara Manhattan 70 Bettina Kuhn (Swi) Swiss National Team 71 Minke Van Dongen (Ned) Vrienden Van Het Platteland 72 Kelly Campbell Rook (USA) S.C. Michela Fanini Record Rox 73 Aukie De Koning (Ned) Vrienden Van Het Platteland 74 Milena Pirola (Ita) Nobili Rubinetterie-Menikini Cogeas 75 Alessandra Borchi (Ita) S.C. Michela Fanini Record Rox 76 Charlotte Goldsmith (GBr) Vlaanderen-Caprisonne-Tinterim 77 Jennifer Hohl (Swi) Swiss National Team 78 Ann Katrin Hellstern (Ger) German National Team 79 Julia Martissova (Rus) P.M.B. Feenixs 80 Anna Farina (Ita) Saccarelli Emu Marsciano 81 Laure Werner (Bel) Vlaanderen-Caprisonne-Tinterim 82 Isabella Wieser (Aut) Elk Haus-Tirolnoe 83 Cristina Alcalde Huertanos (Spa) Bizkaia-Panda Software-Durango 84 Maria Lucilene Silva (Bra) Saccarelli Emu Marsciano 85 Iosune Murillo Elkano (Spa) Bizkaia-Panda Software-Durango 86 Nicole Kaser (Swi) Swiss National Team 87 Veronica Andrasson (Swe) Team Bianchi-Aliverti 88 Francesca Castrucci (Ita) Usc Chirio Forno D'asolo 89 Camilla Larsson (Swe) Buitenpoort-Flexpoint Team 90 Tanja Hennes (Ger) Buitenpoort-Flexpoint Team 91 Letizia Giardinelli (Ita) S.C. Michela Fanini Record Rox 92 Silvia Valsecchi (Ita) Nobili Rubinetterie-Menikini Cogeas 93 Costanza Martinelli (Ita) S.S Lazio Ciclismo Team Ladispoli 94 Claudia Hecht (Ger) German National Team 95 Lidia Arcangeli (Ita) Team Bigla 96 Zita Urbonaite (Ltu) Safi-Pasta Zara Manhattan 97 Silva Janildes Fernandes (Bra) Team Bigla 98 Sandra Missbach (Ger) Van Bemmelen-Aa Drink 99 Leticia Gil Parra (Spa) Spanish National Team 100 Kathryn Watt (Aus) Usc Chirio Forno D'asolo 101 Sharon Van Essen (Ned) Vrienden Van Het Platteland 102 Martina Corazza (Ita) A.S. Team F.R.W 103 Sissy Van Alebeek (Ned) Van Bemmelen-Aa Drink 104 Emanuela Citracca (Ita) S.S Lazio Ciclismo Team Ladispoli 6.13 105 Ketty Manfrin (Ita) A.S. Team F.R.W 6.22 106 Ilse Geldhof (Bel) Belgian National Team 6.32 107 Anna Dal Ferro (Ita) Top Girl Fassa Bortolo Hausbrandt Coffe' 7.27 108 Chiara Nadalutti (Ita) Top Girl Fassa Bortolo Hausbrandt Coffe' 109 Malgorzata Wysocka (Pol) S.C. Michela Fanini Record Rox 8.36 110 Ljesbet De Vocht (Bel) Belgian National Team 111 Claudia Marietta (Den) S.C. Michela Fanini Record Rox 9.11 Outside time limit (Hors Delai) HD Lourdes Garcia Navas (Spa) Spanish National Team HD Naiara Telletxea Lopez (Spa) Bizkaia-Panda Software-Durango HD Patricia Perez Jimenez (Spa) Spanish National Team HD Svetlana Pauliukaite (Ltu) Team Bianchi-Aliverti HD Lien Verhaeghe (Bel) Belgian National Team HD Natacha Maes (Bel) Belgian National Team HD Vanessa Saccomani (Ita) P.M.B. Feenixs HD Francesca Tognali (Ita) Saccarelli Emu Marsciano HD Sarah Duster (Ger) German National Team HD Melanie Tunesi (Swi) Team Bigla HD Tania Belvederesi (Ita) Top Girl Fassa Bortolo Hausbrandt Coffe' HD Azucena Sancez Benito (Spa) Spanish National Team HD Arantzazu Azpiroz (Spa) Spanish National Team HD Agurtzane Elorrijaga (Spa) Bizkaia-Panda Software-Durango HD Indre Januleviciute (Ltu) Team Bianchi-Aliverti HD Iris Swahlen (Swi) Swiss National Team HD Kornelia Groenveld (Ned) Van Bemmelen-Aa Drink HD Patricia Henpel (Ger) Elk Haus-Tirolnoe HD Lidia Visentin (Ita) Top Girl Fassa Bortolo Hausbrandt Coffe' HD Ramune Lipinskaite (Ltu) Team Bianchi-Aliverti DNF Sabrina Emmasi (Ita) Team Bigla DNF Maitane Telletxea Lopez (Spa) Bizkaia-Panda Software-Durango DNF Svetlana Bubnenkova (Rus) P.M.B. Feenixs DNF Gunn-Rita Dahle (Nor) Safi-Pasta Zara Manhattan DNF Sonia Rocca (Ita) P.M.B. Feenixs DNF Hayley Rutherford (Aus) Team Bianchi-Aliverti DNF Diana Rast (Swi) Univega Pro Cycling Team
World Cup standings after round 3
1 Oenone Wood (Aus) Equipe Nürnberger Versicherung 85 pts 2 Trixi Worrack (Ger) Equipe Nürnberger Versicherung 80 3 Suzanne De Goede (Ned) Van Bemmelen - AA Drink 78 4 Rochelle Gilmore (Aus) Safi - Pasta Zara Manhattan 75 5 Susanne Ljungskog (Swe) Buitenpoort - Flexpoint 53 6 Linda Villumsen Serup (Den) Buitenpoort - Flexpoint 52 7 Mirjam Melchers (Ned) Buitenpoort - Flexpoint 51
