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4th Geelong World Cup - CDM

Australia, February 26, 2006

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Teutenberg wins Geelong World Cup

By John Michael Flynn in Geelong

Ina Teutenberg (T-Mobile)
Photo ©: John Michael Flynn
(Click for larger image)

A sprint finish on the Geelong waterfront provided the perfect setting for T-Mobile sprinter Ina Teutenberg to win the opening round of the U.C.I. women's road cycling World Cup this afternoon.

The ten-time German champion continued the form she had shown earlier this week at the Geelong Tour, storming home in the bunch sprint, led out by Judith Arndt and the T-Mobile train. It was a dramatic climax to the opening round of the U.C.I. World Cup series, with a bold move by Nürnberger's Oenone Wood on the final climb of the 119 kilometre race almost producing a result.

Wood timed her surprise jump on the eighth lap of the Geelong circuit almost to perfection, however T-Mobile and several other teams responded, to hose down the attack with two kilometres to go.

"Oenone did an amazing attack on the last lap, I mean she was just amazing going up the hill," Teutenberg told Cyclingnews as the post-race celebrations began.

"It was just a little windy on the downhill and Univega and Judith (Arndt) pretty much rode her in until we got to the ocean road. Kate (Bates) just went a little too early and I could jump on her the last two hundred metres."

A ferocious attack
Photo ©: John Veage
(Click for larger image)

Today's World Cup victory was Teutenberg's fourth podium for the week, after the German sprinter recorded results of second, third and first during the three stages of the Geelong Women's Tour.

Wood, the reigning World Cup series champion was left to lament what might have been for Nürnberger. "Our team plan was to have me go on that last hill and have Kate waiting there for the sprint," said Wood to Cyclingnews.

"Today she got boxed in and she had to sprint from four hundred metres so didn't have enough to come around Ina today. Could have worked, could have been the other way."

Olympic champion Sara Carrigan (Q.A.S.) was involved in a crash in the opening kilometre of today's race, but climbed back into the saddle and showed promising pre Commonwealth Games form, launching an attack on the penultimate lap which was also reeled in.

Minor placings in today's sprint finish went to Japan's Miho Oki (Nobili Rubinetterie) and Wood's team-mate Kate Bates (Nürnberger).

How it unfolded

The peloton strung out
Photo ©: John Veage
(Click for larger image)

Overcast and warm conditions greeted the largest and highest quality women's peloton yet to assemble in Australia for a U.C.I. World Cup event. It was made up of 134 cyclists from 24 teams and there was drama early on when Olympic Champion Sara Carrigan was brought down in a crash shortly after the race start.

The Queenslander managed to pick herself up off the deck and keep going, but Bernadette Schober of the ACR-2XU team was slightly worse off, taken to hospital after sustaining facial injuries. "I had a crash in the first kilometre of the race and I was worse for wear but adrenaline kicked in and everything was good after that," said the Olympic champion.

"Someone went over a witches hat and it just flung into my bike and had nowhere to go and down I came. Broke my helmet and I just had to fix up my front wheel which was twisted, my shoulder and my hip's a little bit sore, I'm stoked how I came out of it."

A crash in the opening kilometre
Photo ©: John Veage
(Click for larger image)

T-Mobile also suffered an early setback when Canadian Lyne Bessette, who was injured in a crash during the final stage of the Geelong Tour withdrew from the race, suffering the on-going effects of concussion.

Otherwise, the opening laps of the first World Cup race for 2006 were largely uneventful, as the high profile teams including Nürnberger, T-Mobile, Team New Zealand and the U.S.A. National team sized each other up.

The first significant move came at the 80 minute mark of the race when team New Zealand's Marina Duvnjak took off up the road. She was soon joined by a promising looking breakaway group which included Oenone Wood, the rapidly improving Australian Kate Nichols (N.S.W.I.S.), Geelong Tour stage winner Christiane Soeder (Univega) and Miho Oki (Nobili Rubinetterie)

The four riders appeared to be working together effectively, but were finally brought back to the bunch in the finishing chute, with two laps (30 kilometres) of the race remaining. Priska Dopman mounted another attack on behalf of the aggressive Univega team on the penultimate lap and looked to have established a sizeable lead when she surged ahead of the bunch on the climb. But as had been the case with previous attacks, Dopman was reeled in as the bunch built up speed on the downhill section of the course.

Attacks by Carrigan and Wood

What would cycling do
Photo ©: John Veage
(Click for larger image)

An attack soon followed from Olympic Champion Sara Carrigan and the brief establishment of a breakaway group which also included T-Mobile's Kimberly Bruckner-Balwin, Nürnberger's Trix Worrack and New Zealand's Susie Wood.

"It just has to be the right combination of girls," Carrigan said of her effort. "We had a good number of girls there, we had a T-Mobile girl and a Nürnberger girl and myself. Looked like a good break but the bunch swallowed us up, it wasn't to be."

It was Oenone Wood's attack on the last climb which looked to have victory written all over it, but when the World Cup Champion was also reeled in with two kilometres to go, a sprint finish was on.

The sprint finish

Ina Teutenberg (T-Mobile)
Photo ©: John Veage
(Click for larger image)

With Nürnberger pinning their sprint hopes on Kate Bates, and with Rochelle Gilmore looming, Team U.S.A. also had plans of getting home their in-form sprinter Tina Mayola-Pic.

"Our goal was to get Tina into that last corner today and I think we did a great job," Kristin Armstrong said of the buildup to the finish. She (Pic) was really close to being on the podium and I think that all our expectations were met for the week."

It was Teutenberg who had all the legs in the long finishing straight and who drew the accolades from her rivals. The 31 year old German, who has been in Australia preparing for this race since October, blasted her opponents away with another perfectly judged sprint.

"She was definitely the strongest, no doubt," said 2005 Geelong World Cup winner Rochelle Gilmore, who finished fifth. I would describe her as one of the fastest in the world and in any given situation she can be there at the finish."

Gilmore, who had endured a difficult preparation for the World Cup event after crashing during the third stage of the Geelong Tour, unable to produce her trademark burst of speed. "I had the perfect position with a k to go I, just didn't have the punch in the legs today."

Sara Carrigan (Q.A.S.)
Photo ©: John Veage
(Click for larger image)

Kate Bates was another who watched as T-Mobile's Teutenberg launched her sprint at the two hundred metre mark. The Australian road race champion was unable to go with the German and had to settle for third.

"Ina came past me like I was standing still," Bates recalled of the magenta breeze which blew past her. So she's the best bike rider out there today and we can only be happy that we've put all our cards on the table."

Japan's Miho Oki looked every bit as pleased as The German after crossing the finish line in second place. The Nobili Rubinetterie cyclist rode an aggressive race in the opening round of the World Cup and is now aiming for loftier goals.

"My team did a good job. Ina was so so strong, just too fast, but I was very good," Oki told Cyclingnews post-race, before signaling her next intention. I want a podium in Europe."

One up on the boys - but watch out for Nürnberger

Give us a wave, Ina!
Photo ©: John Veage
(Click for larger image)

Nobody had more reason to celebrate at the Geelong World Cup than Ina Teutenberg, whose Australian mission was well and truly accomplished today with her second win for the season. And better still, the pressure is firmly on the T-Mobile men's team to lift their game, even though they too are in winning form.

"Winning the first World Cup it doesn't go any better," a smiling Teutenberg said. "The team can relax now a little bit until we go back to Europe, we're one up on the boys (T-Mobile men's team) because they won today, so we had to put one on them again.

The Nürnberger team meantime will head to next weekend's second race of the World Cup series in New Zealand with a new set of goals for 2006. Two-time World Cup champion Oenone Wood made it abundantly clear with today's breakaway effort that she plans to go for race victories this year, even if it comes at the expense of the overall championship.

"I want to have a really good go of this season and be more aggressive in racing and this is just the start of it," Wood said of her plans. One hundred per cent go for the win, that's how our team wants to race this year, we want to win races."

Photography

For a thumbnail gallery of these images, click here

Images by John Veage/Cycling Australia

Images by John Flynn/Cyclingnews.com

Results

1 Ina Teutenberg (Ger) T-Mobile                                   3.08.51
2 Miho Oki (Jpn) Nobili Rubinetterie Menikini Cogeas                     
3 Katherine Bates (Aus) Equipe Nürnberger Versicherung                   
4 Tina Mayola-Pic (USA) USA Cycling Team                                 
5 Rochelle Gilmore (Aus) SAFI - Pasta Zara Manhattan                     
6 Gina Grain (Can) Giant PRO Cycling Team                                
7 Annette Beutler (Swi) ELK Haus NÖ                                      
8 Nicole Cooke (GBr) Univega Pro Cycling Team                            
9 Tamara Boyd (NZl) Bike New Zealand                                     
10 Joanne Kiesanowski (NZl) Univega Pro Cycling Team                     
11 Monia Baccaille (Ita) Italian National Team                           
12 Svetlana Bubnenkova (Rus) Russian National Team                       
13 Hayley Brown (Aus) Chase Sydney - Smart - Mercedes Benz               
14 Giorgia Bronzini (Ita) A S Team FRW                                   
15 Emma Rickards (Aus) Univega Pro Cycling Team                          
16 Sigrid Corneo (Ita) Nobili Rubinetterie Menikini Cogeas               
17 Susanne Ljungskog (Swe) Team Cheerwine/Bicisport                      
18 Larissa Kleinmann (Ger) German National Team                          
19 Kate Nichols (Aus) New South Wales Institute of Sport                 
20 Catherine Sell (NZl) Team New Zealand                                 
21 Charlotte Goldsmith (GBr) SAFI - Pasta Zara Manhattan                 
22 Leonie Aisbett (Aus) Chase Sydney - Smart - Mercedes Benz             
23 Elodie Tuoffet (Fra) Nobili Rubinetterie Menikini Cogeas              
24 Olga Slyusareva (Rus) Russian National Team                           
25 Sally Cowman (Aus) New South Wales Institute of Sport                 
26 Sarah Duester (Ger) Univega Pro Cycling Team                          
27 Kori Seehafer (USA) USA Cycling Team                                  
28 Edwige Pitel (Fra) Japan Businessman Cycling Federation               
29 Susie Wood (NZl) Bike New Zealand                                     
30 Kate Mercer (Aus) Queensland Academy of Sport                         
31 Olivia Gollan (Aus) Nobili Rubinetterie Menikini Cogeas               
32 Kristen Armstrong (USA) USA Cycling Team                       0.00.07
33 Lang Meng (Chn) Giant PRO Cycling Team                                
34 Nikke Egyed (Aus) Queensland Academy of Sport                         
35 Jemma O'Brien (Aus) Key Building - South Coast Academy of Sport       
36 Amy Hunt (GBr) SAFI - Pasta Zara Manhattan                            
37 Masami Mashimo (Jpn) Japanese National Team                           
38 Michelle Hyland (NZl) Bike New Zealand                                
39 Natalie Bates (Aus) New South Wales Institute of Sport                
40 Vicki Eustace (Aus) Key Building - South Coast Academy of Sport       
41 Oenone Wood (Aus) Equipe Nürnberger Versicherung                      
42 Trixi Worrack (Ger) Equipe Nürnberger Versicherung             0.00.11
43 Judith Arndt (Ger) T-Mobile                                           
44 Priska Doppmann (Swi) Univega Pro Cycling Team                        
45 Sara Carrigan (Aus) Queensland Academy of Sport                     
46 Toni Bradshaw (NZl) Bike New Zealand                                  
47 Eva Lutz (Aus) Equipe Nürnberger Versicherung                         
48 Sarah Ulmer (NZl) Bike New Zealand                             0.00.31
49 Mellisa Holt (NZl) Bike New Zealand                            0.00.44
50 Yan Xia Jiang (Chn) Giant PRO Cycling Team                     0.01.04
51 Natalia Boyarskaya (Rus) Russian National Team                        
52 Isabella Wieser (Aut) ELK Haus NÖ                                     
53 Youko Okuda (Jpn) Japanese National Team                              
54 Elke Gebhardt (Ger) German National Team                              
55 Marlen Johrend (Ger) German National Team                             
56 Brei Gudsell (NZl) Team New Zealand                                   
57 Maryam Rogers (Aus) ACR-2XU                                           
58 Helen Kelly (Aus) Team Cheerwine/Bicisport                            
59 Ryoko Yamaguchi (Jpn) Japan Businessman Cycling Federation            
60 Claire Baxter (Aus) ACR-2XU                                           
61 Hannah Banks (Aus) Australian National Team                           
62 Dale Tye (NZl) Team New Zealand                                       
63 Belinda Diprose (Aus) Key Building - South Coast Academy of Sport     
64 Kimberly Bruckner Baldwin (USA) T-Mobile                              
65 Alexis Rhodes (Aus) Australian National Team                          
66 Martina Corazza (Ita) A S Team FRW                                    
67 Lauren Franges (USA) USA Cycling Team                                 
68 Magali Le Floch (Fra) T-Mobile                                        
69 Amy Moore (Can) T-Mobile                                              
70 Amanda Spratt (Aus) Australian National Team                   0.02.04
71 Patricia Schwager (Swi) ELK Haus NÖ                                   
72 Eleonora Soldo (Ita) Italian National Team                     0.08.12
73 Rie Katayama (Jpn) Japan Businessman Cycling Federation               
74 Rachel O'Connor (Aus) Key Building - South Coast Academy of Sport     
75 Emma Mackie (Aus) Australian National Team                            
76 Jeny Trew (Can) Team Cheerwine/Bicisport                              
77 Tatiana Antoschina (Rus) Russian National Team                        
78 Trudy Van Der Straaten (Aus) Team Cheerwine/Bicisport                 
79 Akemi Morimoto (Jpn) Japanese National Team                           
80 Kettj Manfrin (Ita) A S Team FRW                                      
81 Anoushka Edwards (Aus) Queensland Academy of Sport                    
82 Gessica Turato (Ita) Italian National Team                            
83 Sima Trapp (USA) USA Cycling Team                                     
84 Kanako Nishi (Jpn) Japanese National Team                             
85 Lauren Koedyk (NZl) Chase Sydney - Smart - Mercedes Benz              
86 Masumi Sakai (Jpn) Japan Businessman Cycling Federation               
87 Min Gad (Chn) Giant PRO Cycling Team                                  
89 Laura Pisaneschi (Ita) A S Team FRW                                   
90 Xiong Ying Ruan (Chn) Giant PRO Cycling Team                          
91 Jessie Maclean (Aus) Chase Sydney - Smart - Mercedes Benz             
92 Toireasa Gallagher (Aus) New South Wales Institute of Sport    0.08.15
93 Ayako Toyooka (Jpn) Japanese National Team                            
94 Ombretta Ugolini (Ita) A S Team FRW                                   
95 Silvia Valseccai (Ita) Nobili Rubinetterie Menikini Cogeas            
96 Emi Wachi (Jpn) Japan Businessman Cycling Federation                  
96 Louise Kerr (Aus) Queensland Academy of Sport                         
97 Candice Sullivan (Aus) Australian National Team                       
98 Kate Charge (Aus) New South Wales Institute of Sport                  
99 Emma James (Aus) Chase Sydney - Smart - Mercedes Benz                 
100 Anna Sutton (Aus) Landlink Cycling                            0.08.19
101 Marina Duvnjak (NZl) Team New Zealand                         0.08.24
102 Claudia Stumpf (Ger) German National Team                     0.08.25
103 Rosara Joseph (NZl) Team New Zealand                                 
104 Takao Nagayama (Jpn) Japan Businessman Cycling Federation            
105 Carla Ryan (Aus) Landlink                         
DNF Anke Wichmann (Ger) Equipe Nürnberger Versicherung                   
DNF Christiane Soeder (Aut) Univega Pro Cycling Team                     
DNF Lyne Bessette (Can) T-Mobile                                         
DNF Marta Vilajosana (Spa) Nobili Rubinetterie Menikini Cogeas           
DNF Naomi William (Aus) SAFI - Pasta Zara Manhattan                      
DNF Kerryn Charman (Aus) SAFI - Pasta Zara Manhattan                     
DNF Barbel Jungmeier (Aut) ELK Haus NÖ                                   
DNF Alisha Lion (USA) ELK Haus NÖ                                        
DNF Yun Mei Wu (Chn) Giant PRO Cycling Team                              
DNF Jenny Macpherson (Aus) Australian National Team                      
DNF Vera Carrara (Ita) Italian National Team                             
DNF Annalisa Cucinotta (Ita) Italian National Team                       
DNF Lisa Gatto (Ita) Italian National Team                               
DNF Meredith Miller (USA) USA Cycling Team                               
DNF Irina Zemlyanskaya (Rus) Russian National Team                       
DNF Kara Northcott (NZl) Team New Zealand                                
DNF Nicole Magner (Aus) Queensland Academy of Sport                      
DNF Bridie O'Donnell (Aus) ACR-2XU                                       
DNF Kirsty Bortolin (Aus) ACR-2XU                                        
DNF Kelly Benjamin (USA) Team Cheerwine/Bicisport                        
DNF Kerry Cohen (Aus) Team Cheerwine/Bicisport                           
DNF Erin Chamberlen (Aus) Chase Sydney - Smart - Mercedes Benz           
DNF Alicia Evans (Aus) Landlink Cycling                                  
DNF Sophie Ruderman (GBr) ACR-2XU                                        
DNS Bianca Knopfle (Ger) German National Team                            
DNS Hiroko Shimada (Jpn) Japanese National Team                          
DNS Katrina Hair (GBr) Landlink Cycling                                  
DNS Kate Cullen (GBr) Landlink Cycling                                   
DNS Belinda Goss (Aus) Landlink Cycling
 
144 starters
105 finishers