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Geelong Women's Tour - 2.9.2
Australia, February 23-25, 2003
Preview
The top five ranked female cyclists from last year's World Cup are expected to race in the Geelong World Cup on March 2 and the Geelong Women's Tour, which leads into it on February 23-25.
2003 World Cup champion Petra Rossner will lead the way, captaining her new Nürnberger outfit. Rossner has been based in Sydney in the lead up to the event, racing at Heffron Park in Maroubra.
Last year's runner up, Mirjam Melchers, will also be back in Australia hoping to start her season on a strong note. In addition, Germany's Regina Schleicher, Swiss Priska Doppmann and Australian Rochelle Gilmore will all be present in Geelong.
The five will form part of a large contingent of international cyclists currently preparing in Geelong for both races. The Power Plate Bik professional team has already arrived there for training, hoping to get acquainted with the terrain before the first race starts on Sunday, February 23.
Heading the team is 2003 BMC Software Australian Women's Road Cyclist of the Year, Sara Carrigan (22) and recent winner of the Geelong Bay Series and the individual pursuit in the Track World Cup in Moscow, Katherine Bates (20). The team also includes New Zealand's Kirsty Robb (23), Norwegian rider Anita Valen (34), and Dutch pair Andrea Bosman (23) and Sharon van Essen (21).
The American T-Mobile team arrived in Victoria last week from New South Wales, where they competed in the Cooma-Snowy Women's Cycle Classic over the weekend. The team includes Sydney Olympic silver medallist and 2001 world road time trial champion Mari Holden (31), and Kimberley Bruckner (32), winner of the 2001 Tour de Snowy and the current US road time trial champion.
The Geelong World Cup will get underway at 1.00pm on Sunday March 2nd. The riders will contest 18 laps of a testing circuit with the start/finish on the Eastern Beach foreshore. Racing action will be broadcast to a big screen near the finish line to keep spectators up to date. The Geelong Women's Tour (2.9.2) will be staged in and around Geelong and the picturesque Bellarine Peninsula and You Yangs Regional Park.
Photos
Pre-race course inspection
Images by James Victor
- A.I.S. Australia L to R: Amy Safe, Natalie Bates, Jennifer Manefield, Olivia Gollan, Oenone Wood, Emma James
- A.I.S. Australia L to R: Amy Safe, Natalie Bates, Emma James, Jennifer Manefield, Olivia Gollan, Oenone Wood
- A.I.S. Australian team led by Oenone Wood and Emma James, inspecting the Stage 1 course around the Geelong Botanical Gardens.
- A.I.S. Australia team riders, Olivia Gollan, Natalie Bates and Oenone Wood training on the stage 1 circuit
- A.I.S. Australia Amy Safe and Natalie Bates preparing for their inspection of the stage 1 course around the Geelong Botanical Gardens
- Equipe Nurnberger-Versicherung L to R: Judith Arndt, Petra Rossner, Margaret Hemsley, Madeleine Lindberg, Conny Cyrus
The Stages
- Stage 1 - February 23: Eastern Beach Criterium, 30km
- Stage 2 - February 24: Drysdale Road Circuit, 84km
- Stage 3 - February 25: Lara to Lara (via You Yangs & Bacchus Marsh), 129km
Start list
Nurnberger Versicherung T-Mobile
1 Petra Rossner (Ger) 11 Kim Andersen (USA)
2 Judith Arndt (Ger) 12 Kristen Armstrong (USA)
3 Margaret Hemsley (Aus) 13 Kimberley Bruckner (USA)
4 Madeleine Lindberg (Swe) 14 Katrina Grove (USA)
5 Cornelia Cyrus (Ger) 15 Mari Holden (USA)
16 Stacey Peters (USA)
Road Racer-Guerciotto Cycling Team Power-Plate-BIK
21 Sigrid Corneo (Ita) 31 Sara Carrigan (Aus)
22 Barbara Cazzaniga (Ita) 32 Katherine Bates (Aus)
23 Kym Shirley (Aus) 33 Kirsty Robb (NZl)
24 Hayley Rutherford (Aus) 34 Andrea Bosman (Ned)
25 Alison Wright (Aus) 35 Sharon Van Essen (Ned)
36 Anita Valen (Nor)
Team Grace World Team
41 Meredith Miller (USA) 51 Miriam Melchers (Ned)
42 Trine Hansen (Den) 52 Sari Saarelainen (Fin)
43 Karina Louise Sorensen (Den) 53 Priska Doppmann (Swi)
44 Christina Peick-Andersen (Den) 54 Robyn Wong (NZl)
45 Hiroko Shimada (Jpn) 55 Miyoko Karami (Jpn)
56 Nishi Kanako (Jpn)
AIS Australia Japan National Team
61 Natalie Bates (Aus) 71 Miho Oki (Jpn)
62 Olivia Gollan (Aus) 72 Ayumu Otsuka (Jpn)
63 Emma James (Aus) 73 Mayuko Konomi (Jpn)
64 Jennifer Manefield (Aus) 74 Tamamo Nakamura (Jpn)
65 Amy Safe (Aus)
66 Oenone Wood (Aus)
New Zealand National Team Victorian Women's Partnership Team
81 Rosalind Reekie-May (NZl) 91 Zoe Southwell (Aus)
82 Melisa Holt (NZl) 92 Kerryn Charman (Aus)
83 Annalisa Farrell (NZl) 93 Alexandra Reinehr (Aus)
84 Suzie Wood (NZl) 94 Vanessa Crawford (Aus)
85 Penny Warring (NZl) 95 Cristine Foster (Aus)
86 Tammy Boyd (NZl) 96 Jenny MacPherson (Aus)
ACTAS - Cyclecooma.com.au Victorian Cycling VIS
101 Mary Grigson (Aus) 111 Katie Mactier (Aus)
102 Belinda Goss (Aus) 112 Elizabeth Williams (Aus)
103 Alexis Rhodes (Aus) 113 Regina Schleicher (Ger)
104 Jessica Ridder (Aus) 114 Emma Rickards (Aus)
105 Emily Williams (Aus) 115 Dellys Franke (Aus)
106 Karen Hopkinson (Aus) 116 Narelle Petersen (Aus)
Alchemy Team FRF Couriers NSWIS
121 Louise Yaxley (Aus) 131 Rochelle Gilmore (Aus)
122 Wendy Walker (Aus) 132 Katie Brown (Aus)
123 Lorian Graham (Aus) 133 Natasha Harrigan (Aus)
124 Sally Cowman (Aus) 134 Christine Riakos (Aus)
125 Rebecca McConnell (Aus) 135 Jodie Till (Aus)
126 Nadene Boyle (NZl) 136 Renee Fortunato (Aus)
