Results
1999 Stage 6 winner: Anna Wilson
RESULTS
Stage 5 - March 7: Adaminaby - Jindabyne, 83.6 kms
By Jeff Jones
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The halfway stage of the Tour de Snowy was certainly a transition stage, although it would still be quite tough for some who had suffered on the day before. The road from Adaminaby (the home of the Big Trout) to the lakeside town of Jindabyne was undulating, with an overall downward grade. However, if the conditions were right there could be enough in it for the stronger teams to put pressure on the race leader, Geneviève Jeanson and her Canadian team.
In a marked difference from yesterday, the weather was considerably cooler and wet, although there was not too much wind. It would certainly be hard for most to have to adapt to the conditions. Tracey Gaudry commented before the stage that "we will make it hard for her [Jeanson] today. The cold will help me, as I've got a bit more meat on me, and if it's windy out in the open then more so. I've also got my go-fast red booties on, so that will help," she said, obviously still in good spirits despite losing the lead yesterday.
It was also a perfect day for the Dutch team, who are one of the strongest in the race, especially on the flatter terrain. Team coach, Jean-Paul van Poppel was brief, and to the point: "We like it. It's the same as the weather back home. We'll see what the others do."
The riders moved off from the Big Trout, commencing the stage with a 30 kilometer steady uphill, which did not make for an attacking start for the majority of the peloton. However, the Dutch were having none of it, and sent a rider up the road at kilometer 7. This caused a reaction, and the pace picked up. By kilometer 19, a group of eight riders had established a gap on the bunch - Jacinta Coleman (NZ), Susy Pryde (NZ, Saturn), Maeielle van Scheppingen (Pays Bas-Holland), Kim Smith (USA, Timex), Natalie Bates (Aus, NSWIS), Naomi Williams (Aus, Jayco-VIS), Hayley Rutherford (Aus, AIS) and Anne Samplonius (Canada) along to mark.
Williams was not long for the break though, and went back to the bunch. The lead had quickly grown towards three minutes, where it stabilised. At one point, however Anne Samplonius was blown off the road by an overzealous helicopter pilot, who was seemingly unaaware of the danger in filming riders up close! She was unhurt, and quickly rejoined the group, who had established a steady tempo driven by Pryde, Coleman and Smith.
The sprint in Berridale at 55 kilometers was uncontested by the break, with Smith rolling across first. However, there was action behind, as a group of five were attempting to bridge up to the leaders. The five were Sanna Lehtimaki (Fin, Timex), Annabelle Vowels (Aus, Velobelles), Geraldine Denham (Aus, Jayco), Alison Wright (Aus, AIS), and none other than stage 1 winner, Mirjam Melchers (Pays Bas). They were a minute and a half behind at Berridale, but rapidly closed the gap as the front riders were content to keep things steady.
On the category three climb at 62 kilometers, Melchers poured on the pace to try and catch the leaders. She succeeded on the descent, and now the break was up to eight. It increased to nine as Alison Wright managed to sneak across through the convoy. The predominantly downhill run into Jindabyne then saw a number of attacks splitting the leaders, with a strong move from Kim Smith acting as a perfect springboard for Melchers to make her final move with 3 kilometers to go.
The rest were too tired to respond, and Mirjam Melchers finished with five seconds in hand over the remnants of the break. The group was led home by 19-year old Hayley Rutherford from Susy Pryde in a 75 km/h downhill sprint. Fittingly, the main bunch were led home by Melchers' teammate, Mirella van Melis in 13th spot.
No change in the GC, except that Coleman and Melchers moved themselves up into 6th and 8th respectively. Possibly Timex played their cards incorrectly if their aim was to try and tire Jeanson out for tomorrow. According to AIS coach James Victor, Timex and the Dutch teams were basically shutting down the peloton which made it easy for Jeanson to mark Gaudry. Victor was trying to get things stirred up, despite the fact that his rider Rutherford was up the road: "She was looking after herself, but we wanted to get things happening back in the group. It was too easy for Jeanson," he said.
Melchers was understandably very satisfied with her second stage victory, and there are still more chances for her. The conditions were quite important: "It was very cold [15 celsius] and wet. Totally different from yesterday. I had the legs but needed the chance to attack. When the Timex rider went, it was the best opportunity for me and I went for it," she said.
Susy Pryde was quite happy after the race, despite being kept out in the cold for the odd interview: "It was really cold and there was poor visibility. I was trying to gee the bunch up to be jovial, and encourage everyone to work. Unfortunately, it was pretty disjointed and it made for a long day. I was happy to get to the finish."
Tracey Gaudry was still quietly confident though that she and her team can do something to the Canadian's lead in the next four stages. Tomorrow consists of two 35 kilometer races - one all uphill to Thredbo from Jindabyne, and the second a tough circuit race around Thredbo.
The next few days will be important for many riders, not only for this race, but the upcoming World Cup in Canberra. Most who are out of the GC race will be trying to save their legs for this race, although Melchers said that "if you have good legs, then you must keep going, especially as there's only a few days in between." She will be a favourite, as will Anna Wilson who had a relatively quiet day in the bunch.
1 Mirjam Melchers (Ned) Pays Bas-Holland 2.28.01 (33.89 km/h) 2 Hayley Rutherford (Aus) AIS-ACTAS 0.05 3 Susy Pryde (NZl) Saturn 4 Kim Smith (USA) Timex 5 Jacinta Coleman (NZl) New Zealand 6 Anne Samplonius (Can) Canada 7 Marielle Van Scheppingen (Ned) Pays Bas-Holland 0.13 8 Alison Wright (Aus) AIS-ACTAS 0.21 9 Natalie Bates (Aus) Bicisport-NSWIS 10 Geraldine Denham (Aus) Jayco-VIS 0.42 11 Sanna Lehtimaki (Fin) Timex 0.46 12 Annabelle Vowels (Aus) Velobelles 1.01 13 Mirella Van Melis (Ned) Pays Bas-Holland 2.29 14 Rosalind Reekie-May (NZl) New Zealand 15 Mari Holden (USA) Timex 16 Geneviève Jeanson (Can) Canada 17 Arenda Grimberg (Ned) Pays Bas-Holland 18 Angela Hillenga (Ned) Pays Bas-Holland 19 Chantal Beltman (Ned) Pays Bas-Holland 20 Kym Shirley (Aus) AIS-ACTAS 21 Tracey Gaudry (Aus) Timex 22 Dede Demet (USA) Saturn 23 Margaret Hemsley (Aus) Bicisport-NSWIS 24 Katie Mactier (Aus) Jayco-VIS 25 Erin Carter (Can) Canada 26 Juanita Feldhahn (Aus) AIS-ACTAS 27 Jessica Amy (Aus) Jayco-VIS 28 Karen Kurreck (USA) Canada 29 Anna Bayliss (Aus) Southern Regional Team 30 Sandy Espeseth (Can) Canada 31 Kristy Scrymgeour (Aus) AIS-ACTAS 32 Anna Wilson (Aus) Saturn 33 Lucy Vignes (Aus) Sydney Water 34 Priska Doppman (Swi) Master Team/Carpe Diem 35 Sarah Ulmer (NZl) New Zealand 36 Vanessa Cheatley (NZl) New Zealand 37 Elizabeth Tadich (Aus) Jayco-VIS 38 Honi Geysen (Aus) Southern Regional Team 39 Sara Carrigan (Aus) AIS-ACTAS 40 Fanny Lavierrie (NZl) Team 2001 41 Marcia Eicher Vouets (Swi) Master Team/Carpe Diem 42 Ayumi Ootsuka (Jpn) Japan 43 Akemi Morimoto (Jpn) Japan 44 Belinda Probert (Aus) Bicisport-NSWIS 45 Rebecca Cleveland (Aus) Southern Regional Team 46 Ghita Beltman (Ned) Pays Bas-Holland 47 Mika Ogishima (Jpn) Northern Regional Team 48 Miho Oki (Jpn) Japan 49 Naomi Williams (Aus) Jayco-VIS 50 Jodie Vaassen (Aus) Velobelles 51 Tracey Bowyer (Aus) Velobelles 52 Katia Longhin (Ita) Master Team/Carpe Diem 53 Bridget Evans (Aus) Master Team/Carpe Diem 54 Annalisa Farrell (NZl) New Zealand 55 Sigrid Corneo (Ita) Master Team/Carpe Diem 56 Nadia Frischknecht (Aus) Sydney Water 57 Emma James (Aus) Sydney Water 58 Fiona Scarff (Aus) Velobelles 59 Odessa Gunn (Can) Timex 60 Karen Sumpton (Aus) Southern Regional Team 61 Julie Hooper (Aus) Southern Regional Team 62 Kirsty Robb (NZl) Team 2001 63 Bianca Netzler (Sam) Northern Regional Team 64 Dellys Franke (Aus) Jayco-VIS 65 Natalie Beetson (NZl) Team 2001 66 Kerry Ellen Hellmuth (USA) Master Team/Carpe Diem 2.47 67 Erin Veenstra-Mirabella (USA) Timex 2.51 68 Susan Hefler (USA) Canada 2.54 69 Benita Douglas (NZl) Team 2001 3.03 70 Kanako Nishi (Jpn) Northern Regional Team 4.15 71 Alexandra Ka Wah Yeung (HKg) Bicisport-NSWIS 4.51 72 Sophie Freshwater (Aus) Saturn 5.08 Points 1 Mirjam Melchers (Ned) Pays Bas-Holland 5 pts 2 Hayley Rutherford (Aus) AIS-ACTAS 3 3 Susy Pryde (NZl) Saturn 2 4 Kim Smith (USA) Timex 1 Sprints Berridale - 55.3 km 1 Kim Smith (USA) Timex 5 pts 2 Jacinta Coleman (NZl) New Zealand 3 3 Susy Pryde (NZl) Saturn 2 4 Natalie Bates (Aus) Bicisport-NSWIS 1 Mountain primes: Category 3 - 62.7 km 1 Jacinta Coleman (NZl) New Zealand 4 pts 2 Susy Pryde (NZl) Saturn 3 3 Kim Smith (USA) Timex 2 4 Hayley Rutherford (Aus) AIS-ACTAS 1 General classification: 1 Geneviève Jeanson (Can) Canada 8.34.21 (32.20 km/h) 2 Tracey Gaudry (Aus) Timex 1.34 3 Kym Shirley (Aus) AIS-ACTAS 7.05 4 Mari Holden (USA) Timex 7.14 5 Anna Wilson (Aus) Saturn 8.04 6 Jacinta Coleman (NZl) New Zealand 8.34 7 Dede Demet (USA) Saturn 9.22 8 Mirjam Melchers (Ned) Pays Bas-Holland 10.18 9 Rosalind Reekie-May (NZl) New Zealand 10.52 10Juanita Feldhahn (Aus) AIS-ACTAS 11.22 11 Susy Pryde (NZl) Saturn 13.02 12 Sandy Espeseth (Can) Canada 16.38 13 Chantal Beltman (Ned) Pays Bas-Holland 16.42 14 Alison Wright (Aus) AIS-ACTAS 17.09 15 Kim Smith (USA) Timex 19.25 16 Marcia Eicher Vouets (Swi) Master Team/Carpe Diem 20.42 17 Anna Bayliss (Aus) Southern Regional Team 20.52 18 Sara Carrigan (Aus) AIS-ACTAS 21.02 19 Margaret Hemsley (Aus) Bicisport-NSWIS 21,11 20 Julie Hooper (Aus) Southern Regional Team 21.23 21 Priska Doppman (Swi) Master Team/Carpe Diem 21.38 22 Karen Kurreck (USA) Canada 23.22 23 Nadia Frischknecht (Aus) Sydney Water 23.44 24 Erin Carter (Can) Canada 23.46 25 Sarah Ulmer (NZl) New Zealand 24.36 26 Marielle Van Scheppingen (Ned) Pays Bas-Holland 24.55 27 Erin Veenstra-Mirabella (USA) Timex 25.50 28 Emma James (Aus) Sydney Water 26.10 29 Karen Sumpton (Aus) Southern Regional Team 26.22 30 Katie Mactier (Aus) Jayco-VIS 27.28 31 Sanna Lehtimaki (Fin) Timex 28.13 32 Katia Longhin (Ita) Master Team/Carpe Diem 28.36 33 Hayley Rutherford (Aus) AIS-ACTAS 28.37 34 Ghita Beltman (Ned) Pays Bas-Holland 29.25 35 Benita Douglas (NZl) Team 2001 29.33 36 Mika Ogishima (Jpn) Northern Regional Team 29.43 37 Jodie Vaassen (Aus) Velobelles 30.04 38 Arenda Grimberg (Ned) Pays Bas-Holland 30.12 39 Annalisa Farrell (NZl) New Zealand 30.46 40 Anne Samplonius (Can) Canada 31.35 41 Annabelle Vowels (Aus) Velobelles 32.38 42 Elizabeth Tadich (Aus) Jayco-VIS 32.55 43 Vanessa Cheatley (NZl) New Zealand 33.07 44 Natalie Bates (Aus) Bicisport-NSWIS 33.28 45 Kirsty Robb (NZl) Team 2001 33.53 46 Kerry Ellen Hellmuth (USA) Master Team/Carpe Diem 34.28 47 Geraldine Denham (Aus) Jayco-VIS 34.47 48 Ayumi Ootsuka (Jpn) Japan 34.54 49 Akemi Morimoto (Jpn) Japan 35.32 50 Belinda Probert (Aus) Bicisport-NSWIS 37.05 51 Fiona Scarff (Aus) Velobelles 37.16 52 Odessa Gunn (Can) Timex 37.28 53 Angela Hillenga (Ned) Pays Bas-Holland 38.47 54 Dellys Franke (Aus) Jayco-VIS 40.35 55 Lucy Vignes (Aus) Sydney Water 40.58 56 Bianca Netzler (Sam) Northern Regional Team 41.08 57 Jessica Amy (Aus) Jayco-VIS 41.09 58 Honi Geysen (Aus) Southern Regional Team 42.53 59 Sophie Freshwater (Aus) Saturn 43.20 60 Rebecca Cleveland (Aus) Southern Regional Team 45.41 61 Susan Hefler (USA) Canada 46.45 62 Sigrid Corneo (Ita) Master Team/Carpe Diem 47.12 63 Mirella Van Melis (Ned) Pays Bas-Holland 47.42 64 Tracey Bowyer (Aus) Velobelles 48.38 65 Naomi Williams (Aus) Jayco-VIS 48.50 66 Kristy Scrymgeour (Aus) AIS-ACTAS 49.13 67 Miho Oki (Jpn) Japan 52.53 68 Natalie Beetson (NZl) Team 2001 56.48 69 Kanako Nishi (Jpn) Northern Regional Team 59.21 70 Fanny Lavierrie (NZl) Team 2001 1.02.24 71 Bridget Evans (Aus) Master Team/Carpe Diem 1.13.33 72 Alexandra Ka Wah Yeung (HKg) Bicisport-NSWIS 1.42.46 Points classification: 1 Mirjam Melchers (Ned) Pays Bas-Holland 10 pts 2 Anna Wilson (Aus) Saturn 8 3 Kim Smith (USA) Timex 6 4 Mari Holden (USA) Timex 5 5 Geneviève Jeanson (Can) Canada 5 6 Susy Pryde (NZl) Saturn 4 7 Tracey Gaudry (Aus) Timex 3 8 Jacinta Coleman (NZl) New Zealand 3 9 Sarah Ulmer (NZl) New Zealand 3 10 Hayley Rutherford (Aus) AIS-ACTAS 3 11 Kym Shirley (Aus) AIS-ACTAS 2 12 Natalie Bates (Aus) Bicisport-NSWIS 1 13 Sara Carrigan (Aus) AIS-ACTAS 1 14 Alison Wright (Aus) AIS-ACTAS 1 Queen of the mountains classification: 1 Geneviève Jeanson (Can) Canada 20 pts 2 Tracey Gaudry (Aus) Timex 18 3 Mari Holden (USA) Timex 8 4 Kym Shirley (Aus) AIS-ACTAS 7 5 Jacinta Coleman (NZl) New Zealand 4 6 Anna Wilson (Aus) Saturn 3 7 Susy Pryde (NZl) Saturn 3 8 Kim Smith (USA) Timex 2 9 Dede Demet (USA) Saturn 2 10 Mirjam Melchers (Ned) Pays Bas-Holland 2 11 Juanita Feldhahn (Aus) AIS-ACTAS 2 12 Hayley Rutherford (Aus) AIS-ACTAS 1