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Le Tour du Grand Montréal - 2.1
Canada, June 2-5, 2008
Main Page Results Overall standings Next Stage
Stage 1 - June 2: Châteauguay Road Race, 85.5km
Schleicher off to a winning start
By Kirsten Robbins in Montréal
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Former world champion Regina Schleicher (Equipe Nürnberger) started the Tour du Grand Montréal in similar fashion to the previous year, outsprinting the bunch for her second consecutive victory in the opening stage. Schleicher jumped her competitors with 200 metres to go, winning the dash to the line ahead of Oenone Wood (High Road) and Rochelle Gilmore (Menikini-Selle Italia).
"The race really got hard after the first sprint and then a lot of riders were aggressive and trying to make a break away," said Schleicher of the world-class field in attendance. "But my team-mates were represented in everything so that was great. I was really hoping for a field sprint today.
"It was a much better race than last year," added the German, remembering her 2007 win on a circuit littered with technical turns. "I don't remember how many corners there were last year, maybe 40 or more, but it was a lot. The course was very straight forward today and most of the aggression was happening through the start finish."
Schleicher assumes the overall lead, three seconds ahead of Equipe Nürnberger team-mate Suzanne De Goede who accumulated seven bonus seconds in the intermediate sprints and enough points to place her in the green jersey of points competition leader.
"I won one sprint and got third in two of them," said De Goede. "But I think it made some good action for the viewers here today. We were trying to get a win and were saving Regina for the finish. To take the sprints for the seconds is also good for the overall, so by going for the sprints it turned out to be very good for the finish."
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Second placed Oenone Wood acknowledged her team's efforts to control a race which typically sees GC contenders separated by just a handful of seconds. "Kate Bates was going for the intermediate sprints because we are mindful of the overall," said Wood.
"I think this race often comes down to bonus seconds and we had that all under control today. The girls were also very aggressive in the race and it was up to me to sprint for the finish well."
Rochelle Gilmore proved to be on good form by placing third two days after achieving her goal of finishing the notoriously epic Montreal World Cup. "I didn't feel great in the race today, maybe because I had worked really hard in the World Cup and that was a good day," said Gilmore who sent her teammates on the attack during the stage.
"So I think I struggled a little bit in the race today. I wanted to take some pressure off of myself and get a rider in the break but it all came back to a sprint. I left it a little too late to kick in the sprint. I felt like I was coming in fast at the finish but I left it a little too late."
How it unfolded
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Sunny skies welcomed the 103 women for the start of the 85-kilometre stage in downtown Châteauguay. The women completed 15 laps of a 5.7-kilometer circuit, a considerable change from the previous year's highly technical longer route.
The three intermediate sprint competitions contributed to the 42 km/h average speed as well as the flood of futile flyers. One after another each team launched a rider out to dangle for a few seconds until the strong winds and natural momentum of the circuit made for an impossible getaway.
Menikini-Selle Italia, Webcor-Builders, Team Canada and High Road were amongst the stand-out aggressors in the field, on the hunt for a breakaway opportunity. With the field intact at one lap to go, Nürnberger set up their lead out train but were quickly overtaken by High Road in the last kilometre.
Iraida Garcia had tested her sprint mid-race and the Cuban speedster started her effort with 400 metres to go, gaining several bike lengths on the field. However, the early jump was not enough to hold off Schleicher, Wood and Gilmore, but Garcia did salvage a credible fourth place.
Photography
For a thumbnail gallery of these images, click here
Images by Mitch Friedman/www.mitchophoto.com
- Felicia Gomez (Aaron’s) gets ready to race.
- Kori Seehafer Kelly (Menikini-Selle Italia Master Colors) gets help with her radio from Walter Ricci.
- Meredith Miller (Aaron’s) signs in for the first stage.
- Rochelle Gilmore (Menikini-Selle Italia Master Colors) leads the start with Oenone Wood (High Road).
- Estelle Patou (ESGL 93 GSD Gestion)
- UNIQA’s Daniela Pintarelli is the Austrian national champion.
- Helen Kelly of TIBCO overtakes a rider.
- Tanja Hennes (Specialized Designs for Women) finished 12th on the opening stage.
- TIBCO rider Victoria Bastide makes a move on Lorian Graham (Australian National Team).
- Oenone Wood (High Road), Christine Thorburn (Webcor), a hidden Anne Samplonius (Canada), and Rochelle Gilmore (Menikini-Selle Italia).
- Judith Arndt (High Road) waits for the start.
- Podium (L-R): Oenone Wood (High Road), Regina Schleicher (Equipe Nürnberger Versicher), and Rochelle Gilmore (Menikini-Selle Italia Master Colors)
- High Road's Judith Arndt took an easy day after the weekend's UCI Montreal World Cup.
- High Road's Mara Abbott finished 84th on the opening stage.
- The pack from the back heading down towards the start/finish line
- Menikini-Selle Italia Master Color rider Kori Seehafer pulls the pack in the down pour of rain.
- Chantal Beltman (High Road) leads the way.
- The pack comes down the main straight with two laps to go.
- Regina Schleicher (Equipe Nürnberger Versicher) gets the win over High Road's Oenone Wood and Menikini-Selle Italia rider Rochelle Gilmore.
Images by CJ Farquharson/WomensCycling.net
- Suzanne De Goede (Equipe Nürnberger Versicher) smiles before the start.
- Rochelle Gilmore's (Menikini Selle Italia) face gave nothing away before the start.
- The bunch cornering early in the race, before the rain.
- Helen Kelly (Team Tibco) passes through the start in the early laps.
- Team High Road's Mara Abbott and Kate Bates together in the bunch, with some Menikini-Selle Italia Master colour riders in the background.
- Jessica Burns (Equipe Cascades) finished over 15 minutes down.
- Television interest in the race is high in Montreal, Canada.
- Larissa Kleinmann (Equipe Nürnberger Versicher) and a rider from Vienne Futuroscope.
- Susan Palmer-Kolmar (Advil-Chapstick) concentrates on the road ahead.
- It rained heavily in the middle of the race, thunder was heard rumbling too.
- Meredith Miller (Aaron's) during the rainstorm.
- Lorena Foresi (Menikini-Selle Italia Master colour) is highlighted in the rain.
- Concern on the corner in the bunch.
- Victoria Bastide (Team Tibco) is caught in the late evening sun.
- Kim Anderson (Team High Road) with her head down, trying to create a gap.
- Lauren Franges (Team Tibco) leads Suzanne De Goede (Equipe Nürnberger Versicher) in the closing laps.
- Podium (L-R): Oenone Wood (High Road), Regina Schleicher (Equipe Nürnberger Versicher), and Rochelle Gilmore (Menikini-Selle Italia Master Colors)
- The riders wait for the all-clear on the street circuit before officials will start the race.
- Neutral service seems to skim along the road in Chateauguay, Canada.
- The bunch sprint approaches the finish line on the finish line.
- Victory is sweet for Regina Schleicher (Equipe Nürnberger Versicher) as she beats Oenone Wood (High Road) and Rochelle Gilmore (Menikini-Selle Italia Master Colors).
- The successful Nurnberger team riders ride from the finish to their team car.
- Regina Schleicher and Suzanne De Goede (Equipe Nürnberger Versicher) share a joke whilst waiting for the podium.
- Tanja Hennes (Team Specialized Designs for Women) is happy with her jersey
- Regina Schleicher (Equipe Nürnberger Versicher) will start the second stage in the leader's yellow jersey.
- Suzanne De Goede (Equipe Nürnberger Versicher) waves after receiving her green jersey.
Results
1 Regina Schleicher (Ger) Equipe Nürnberger Versicher 1.59.41 2 Oenone Wood (Aus) High Road Women 3 Rochelle Gilmore (Aus) Menikini-Selle Italia Master colour 4 Iraida Garcia (Cub) Cuban National Team 5 Nathalie Lamborelle (Lux) UNIQA 6 Lorian Graham (Aus) Australian National Team 7 Tanja Hennes (Ger) Specialized Designs for Women 8 Alex Wrubleski (Can) Webcor Builders 9 Yeima Torres (Cub) Cuban National Team 10 Christine Majerus (Lux) ESGL 93 GSD Gestion 11 Mirjam Hauser-Senn (Swi) Specialized Designs for Women 12 Fanny Riberot (Fra) Team Pro Feminin Les Carroz 13 Lauren Franges (USA) Team TIBCO 14 Karin Aune (Swe) UNIQA 15 Kori Kelley Seehafer (USA) Menikini-Selle Italia Master colour 16 Aude Pollet (Fra) Team Pro Feminin Les Carroz 17 Yong Li Liu (Chn) Giant Pro Cycling 18 Sophie Creux (Fra) ESGL 93 GSD Gestion 19 Joelle Numainville (Can) ESGL 93 GSD Gestion 20 Li Ping Zhang (Chn) Giant Pro Cycling 21 Jenny Trew (Can) Canadian National Team 22 Bettina Hold (Can) Canadian National Team 23 Fiona Dutriaux (Fra) Vienne Futuroscope 24 Elizaveta Bochkarova (Ukr) Ukrainian National Team 25 Suzanne De Goede (Ned) Equipe Nürnberger Versicher 26 Anne Samplonius (Can) Canadian National Team 27 Julie Bellerose (Can) Equipe Cascades 28 Fei Wang (Chn) Giant Pro Cycling 29 Dalila Rodriguez (Cub) Cuban National Team 30 Erinne Willock (Can) Webcor Builders 31 Foresilorena (Ita) Menikini-Selle Italia Master colour 32 Julie Beveridge (Can) Aaron's Professional Cycling 33 Lang Meng (Chn) Giant Pro Cycling 34 Louise Moriarty (Irl) Specialized Carrefour Multis 35 Emmanuelle Merlot (Fra) Vienne Futuroscope 36 Karol-Ann Canuel (Can) Specialized Carrefour Multis 37 Leigh Hobson (Can) Canadian National Team 38 Olena Andruk (Ukr) Ukrainian National Team 39 Larissa Kleinmann (Ger) Equipe Nürnberger Versicher 40 Meredith Miller (USA) Aaron's Professional Cycling 41 Janel Holcomb (USA) Webcor Builders 42 Nikki Egyed (Aus) Australian National Team 43 Carissa Wilkes (NZl) Team Pro Feminin Les Carroz 44 Modesta Vzesniauskaite (Ltu) Equipe Nürnberger Versicher 45 Sarah Grab (Swi) Specialized Designs for Women 46 Audrey Cordon (Fra) Vienne Futuroscope 47 Moriah Jo Macgregor (Can) Canadian National Team 48 Katherine Bates (Aus) High Road Women 49 Daniela Pintarelli (Aut) UNIQA 50 Audrey Lemieux (Can) Specialized Carrefour Multis 51 Monika Schachl (Aut) UNIQA 52 Yeugeniya Vysotska (Ukr) Ukrainian National Team 53 Judith Arndt (Ger) High Road Women 54 Veronique Labonte (Can) Equipe Cascades 55 Christine Thorburn (USA) Webcor Builders 56 Yoanka Gonzalez (Cub) Cuban National Team 57 Kateryna Krasova (Ukr) Ukrainian National Team 58 Kimberly Anderson (USA) High Road Women 59 Tiffany Cromwell (Aus) Australian National Team 60 Joanie Caron (Can) Equipe Cascades 61 Trine Schmidt (Den) Menikini-Selle Italia Master colour 62 Helen Kelly (Aus) Team TIBCO 63 Julie Dheruelle (Fra) Vienne Futuroscope 64 Svitlana Galyuk (Ukr) Ukrainian National Team 65 Brooke Miller (USA) Team TIBCO 66 Marie Lindberg (Swe) Equipe Nürnberger Versicher 67 Kristen Lasasso (USA) Specialized Designs for Women 68 Rachel Heal (GBr) Team TIBCO 69 Kristin Sanders (USA) Aaron's Professional Cycling 70 Sara Carrigan (Aus) Australian National Team 71 Felicia Gomez (Can) Aaron's Professional Cycling 72 Eugenie Mermillod (Fra) Team Pro Feminin Les Carroz 73 Susan Palmer-Komar (Can) Advil-Chapstick 74 Alyssa Mellon (Can) Ultralink 75 Mary Zider (USA) Advil-Chapstick 76 Bernadette Schober (Aut) UNIQA 77 Victoria Bastide (Swe) Team TIBCO 78 Chantal Beltman (Ned) High Road Women 79 Mathilde Hupin (Can) Specialized Carrefour Multis 80 Alison Testroete (Can) Aaron's Professional Cycling 81 Min Gao (Chn) Giant Pro Cycling 82 Sufen Ma (Chn) Giant Pro Cycling 83 Thomas Béatrice (Fra) ESGL 93 GSD Gestion 84 Mara Abbott (USA) High Road Women 85 Julie Marceau (Can) Specialized Carrefour Multis 86 Yumari Gonzalez (Cub) Cuban National Team 87 Emma Pooley (GBr) Specialized Designs for Women 88 Elisa Gagnon (Can) Advil-Chapstick 89 Nathalie Bates (Aus) Menikini-Selle Italia Master colour 90 Jocelyn Loane (Aus) Australian National Team 91 Brei Gudsell (NZl) Team Pro Feminin Les Carroz 92 Julia Farell (Can) Ultralink 0.23 93 Clara Hughes (Can) Specialized Carrefour Multis 4.53 94 Jen Stephenson (Can) Ultralink 95 Andrea Knecht (Swi) Specialized Designs for Women 8.43 96 Anne Guzman (Dom) Equipe Cascades 11.22 97 Johanne Cyr (Can) Equipe Cascades 14.56 98 Estelle Patou (Fra) ESGL 93 GSD Gestion 99 Jessica Burns (Can) Equipe Cascades 15.38 100 Sarah Coney (Can) Ultralink 18.32 DNF Allison Lampi (Can) Ultralink DNF Kirsten Robbins (Can) Advil-Chapstick DNF Carmen McNellis (USA) Aaron's Professional Cycling General Classification after Stage 1 1 Regina Schleicher (Ger) Equipe Nürnberger Versicher 1.59.31 2 Suzanne De Goede (Ned) Equipe Nürnberger Versicher 0.03 3 Oenone Wood (Aus) High Road Women 0.04 4 Katherine Bates (Aus) High Road Women 0.05 5 Rochelle Gilmore (Aus) Menikini-Selle Italia Master colour 0.06 6 Larissa Kleinmann (Ger) Equipe Nürnberger Versicher 0.07 7 Brooke Miller (USA) Team TIBCO 0.08 8 Lauren Franges (USA) Team TIBCO 0.09 9 Iraida Garcia (Cub) Cuban National Team 0.10 10 Nathalie Lamborelle (Lux) UNIQA 11 Lorian Graham (Aus) Australian National Team 12 Tanja Hennes (Ger) Specialized Designs for Women 13 Alex Wrubleski (Can) Webcor Builders 14 Yeima Torres (Cub) Cuban National Team 15 Christine Majerus (Lux) ESGL 93 GSD Gestion 16 Mirjam Hauser-Senn (Swi) Specialized Designs for Women 17 Fanny Riberot (Fra) Team Pro Feminin Les Carroz 18 Karin Aune (Swe) UNIQA 19 Kori Kelley Seehafer (USA) Menikini-Selle Italia Master colour 20 Aude Pollet (Fra) Team Pro Feminin Les Carroz 21 Yong Li Liu (Chn) Giant Pro Cycling 22 Sophie Creux (Fra) ESGL 93 GSD Gestion 23 Joelle Numainville (Can) ESGL 93 GSD Gestion 24 Li Ping Zhang (Chn) Giant Pro Cycling 25 Jenny Trew (Can) Canadian National Team 26 Bettina Hold (Can) Canadian National Team 27 Fiona Dutriaux (Fra) Vienne Futuroscope 28 Elizaveta Bochkarova (Ukr) Ukrainian National Team 29 Anne Samplonius (Can) Canadian National Team 30 Julie Bellerose (Can) Equipe Cascades 31 Fei Wang (Chn) Giant Pro Cycling 32 Dalila Rodriguez (Cub) Cuban National Team 33 Erinne Willock (Can) Webcor Builders 34 Foresilorena (Ita) Menikini-Selle Italia Master colour 35 Julie Beveridge (Can) Aaron's Professional Cycling 36 Lang Meng (Chn) Giant Pro Cycling 37 Louise Moriarty (Irl) Specialized Carrefour Multis 38 Emmanuelle Merlot (Fra) Vienne Futuroscope 39 Karol-Ann Canuel (Can) Specialized Carrefour Multis 40 Leigh Hobson (Can) Canadian National Team 41 Olena Andruk (Ukr) Ukrainian National Team 42 Meredith Miller (USA) Aaron's Professional Cycling 43 Janel Holcomb (USA) Webcor Builders 44 Nikki Egyed (Aus) Australian National Team 45 Carissa Wilkes (NZl) Team Pro Feminin Les Carroz 46 Modesta Vzesniauskaite (Ltu) Equipe Nürnberger Versicher 47 Audrey Cordon (Fra) Vienne Futuroscope 48 Sarah Grab (Swi) Specialized Designs for Women 49 Moriah Jo Macgregor (Can) Canadian National Team 50 Daniela Pintarelli (Aut) UNIQA 51 Audrey Lemieux (Can) Specialized Carrefour Multis 52 Monika Schachl (Aut) UNIQA 53 Yeugeniya Vysotska (Ukr) Ukrainian National Team 54 Judith Arndt (Ger) High Road Women 55 Veronique Labonte (Can) Equipe Cascades 56 Christine Thorburn (USA) Webcor Builders 57 Yoanka Gonzalez (Cub) Cuban National Team 58 Kateryna Krasova (Ukr) Ukrainian National Team 59 Kimberly Anderson (USA) High Road Women 60 Tiffany Cromwell (Aus) Australian National Team 61 Joanie Caron (Can) Equipe Cascades 62 Trine Schmidt (Den) Menikini-Selle Italia Master colour 63 Helen Kelly (Aus) Team TIBCO 64 Julie Dheruelle (Fra) Vienne Futuroscope 65 Svitlana Galyuk (Ukr) Ukrainian National Team 66 Marie Lindberg (Swe) Equipe Nürnberger Versicher 67 Kristen Lasasso (USA) Specialized Designs for Women 68 Rachel Heal (GBr) Team TIBCO 69 Kristin Sanders (USA) Aaron's Professional Cycling 70 Sara Carrigan (Aus) Australian National Team 71 Felicia Gomez (Can) Aaron's Professional Cycling 72 Eugenie Mermillod (Fra) Team Pro Feminin Les Carroz 73 Susan Palmer-Komar (Can) Advil-Chapstick 74 Alyssa Mellon (Can) Ultralink 75 Mary Zider (USA) Advil-Chapstick 76 Bernadette Schober (Aut) UNIQA 77 Victoria Bastide (Swe) Team TIBCO 78 Chantal Beltman (Ned) High Road Women 79 Mathilde Hupin (Can) Specialized Carrefour Multis 80 Alison Testroete (Can) Aaron's Professional Cycling 81 Min Gao (Chn) Giant Pro Cycling 82 Sufen Ma (Chn) Giant Pro Cycling 83 Thomas Béatrice (Fra) ESGL 93 GSD Gestion 84 Mara Abbott (USA) High Road Women 85 Julie Marceau (Can) Specialized Carrefour Multis 86 Yumari Gonzalez (Cub) Cuban National Team 87 Emma Pooley (GBr) Specialized Designs for Women 88 Elisa Gagnon (Can) Advil-Chapstick 89 Nathalie Bates (Aus) Menikini-Selle Italia Master colour 90 Jocelyn Loane (Aus) Australian National Team 91 Brei Gudsell (NZl) Team Pro Feminin Les Carroz 92 Julia Farell (Can) Ultralink 0.33 93 Clara Hughes (Can) Specialized Carrefour Multis 5.03 94 Jen Stephenson (Can) Ultralink 95 Andrea Knecht (Swi) Specialized Designs for Women 8.53 96 Anne Guzman (Dom) Equipe Cascades 11.32 97 Johanne Cyr (Can) Equipe Cascades 15.06 98 Estelle Patou (Fra) ESGL 93 GSD Gestion 99 Jessica Burns (Can) Equipe Cascades 15.48 100 Sarah Coney (Can) Ultralink 18.42 Sprint Classification 1 Suzanne De Goede (Ned) Equipe Nürnberger Versicher 10 pts 2 Regina Schleicher (Ger) Equipe Nürnberger Versicher 10 3 Katherine Bates (Aus) High Road Women 8 4 Oenone Wood (Aus) High Road Women 7 5 Rochelle Gilmore (Aus) Menikini-Selle Italia Master colour 5 6 Larissa Kleinmann (Ger) Equipe Nürnberger Versicher 5 7 Iraida Garcia (Cub) Cuban National Team 3 8 Brooke Miller (USA) Team TIBCO 2 9 Lauren Franges (USA) Team TIBCO 1 10 Nathalie Lamborelle (Lux) UNIQA 1 Teams Classification 1 Cuban National Team 5.59.03 2 ESGL 93 GSD Gestion 3 Menikini-Selle Italia Master colours 4 Specialized Designs for Women 5 Equipe Nürnberger Versicher 6 Giant Pro Cycling 7 UNIQA 8 Canadian National Team 9 Team Pro Feminin Les Carro 10 Webcor Builders 11 Vienne Futuroscope 12 High Road Women 13 Australian National Team 14 Ukrainian National Team 15 Specialized Carrefour Multis 16 Team TIBCO 17 Aaron's Professional Cycling 18 Equipe Cascades 19 Advil-Chapstick 20 Ultralink 5.16
