Results
1999 Stage 6 winner: Anna Wilson
RESULTS
Stage 6 - March 8: Jindabyne - Thredbo, 35.9 kms
By Jeff Jones
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Another short stage, but all uphill as the riders had to climb some 400 meters from Jindabyne to the Alpine Ski village of Thredbo. Once again, the conditions were wet and cold, making for a hard day despite the fact that there would only be an hour or so of racing. Race leader, Geneviève Jeanson would probably not relish the conditions, but the terrain was to her liking. The climb was not too steep, but it was up and that's what counts.
The Dutch team decided that they would get a head start to the hotel at Threbo, and put the hammer down from the beginning. However, once the riders turned up the first incline, it was clear who was boss. Jeanson's distinctive red shorts and leaders jersey were seen at the head of the bunch, closely marked by Tracey Gaudry in her green and yellow Timex colours. The first climb was short, but it was enough to put several riders out the back, including half the Dutch squad. Just 4 kilometers into the stage, and already the legs of Geneviève were stretching the "elastic band" to the back of the peloton.
In the valley that followed, there was a partial regrouping before the day's only categorised climb at 17 kilometers (category 2). Timex had attempted to put pressure on in betwen, sending Erin Veenstra and Kim Smith up the road, but they could not gain more than a few hundred meters. There were points and seconds to be had on the climb, and both Gaudry and Jeanson could gain by being first to the top. Predictably, it was Jeanson who crested first, followed by Gaudry, Kim Shirley (AIS), Jacinta Coleman (NZ), and Anna Wilson (Saturn). A little group were close behind, and managed to regain them on the descent that followed.
This 3 kilometer downhill offered Gaudry the opportunity to attack, as she is a better descender than Jeanson and it was wet to boot. Instead however, it was Saturn's Anna Wilson who took the initiative, emerging with a 15 second gap at the bottom. The fifteen strong lead group, that also contained fourth placed Mari Holden did not want to let her get too far, especially as a 20 second stage bonus could put Wilson in front of Holden if she maintained a reasonable lead. Other riders in the group included Karen Kurreck (Canada), Kim Smith (Timex), Mirjam Melchers (Pays Bas), Juanita Feldhahn (AIS), Rosalind Reekie-May (NZ) and Susy Pryde (Saturn).
Wilson was caught after about 5 kilometers on her own, and Feldhahn tried her hand. A promising gap, but the leaders were still edgy enough to give chase and she was captured with 5 kilometers to go. A series of attacks followed on the gradual uphill undulations into Thredbo - each time Guadry went though, Jeanson was straight onto her. It was no problem for the diminuitive Canadian to mark her rival.
The sprint into Thredbo was led out by Gaudry, who was determined to snare a bonus from Jeanson. But, the Canadian had the last say and overtook Gaudry on the line, although it was close. Of course, this was only for second and third place, as Saturn's Anna Wilson powered around these two to take another stage win, this time in the wet and misty conditions of Thredbo Alpine Village.
"Everyone thought this would be a hard stage," said Wilson afterwards. "Tracey was a bit nervous today, and didn't attack as much as we thought. After the first hill, no-one was able to attack Geneviève Jeanson, so I had the stage in mind."
"It was a good sprint after being led out by Tracey, but I had the 11 turning and I knew I could win," she smiled. "I'll go and get ready for this afternoon's circuit race now. Saturn will be really aggressive, and it should suit us. Hopefully I can win another stage."
We shall see, with another 35 kilometer stage in the wet. It will be 8 laps of a 4.4 kilometer circuit, with a couple of climbs each lap. Certainly no easier than the morning's stage.
1 Anna Wilson (Aus) Saturn 1.05.16 (33.00 km/h) 2 Geneviève Jeanson (Can) Canada 3 Tracey Gaudry (Aus) Timex 4 Kym Shirley (Aus) AIS-ACTAS 5 Jacinta Coleman (NZl) New Zealand 6 Priska Doppman (Swi) Master Team/Carpe Diem 7 Mirjam Melchers (Ned) Pays Bas-Holland 8 Juanita Feldhahn (Aus) AIS-ACTAS 9 Karen Kurreck (USA) Canada 10 Rosalind Reekie-May (NZl) New Zealand 11 Chantal Beltman (Ned) Pays Bas-Holland 12 Susy Pryde (NZl) Saturn 13 Sarah Ulmer (NZl) New Zealand 14 Mari Holden (USA) Timex 15 Kim Smith (USA) Timex 16 Arenda Grimberg (Ned) Pays Bas-Holland 2.48 17 Marielle Van Scheppingen (Ned) Pays Bas-Holland 18 Alison Wright (Aus) AIS-ACTAS 19 Sara Carrigan (Aus) AIS-ACTAS 20 Katie Mactier (Aus) Jayco-VIS 21 Lucy Vignes (Aus) Sydney Water 22 Honi Geysen (Aus) Southern Regional Team 23 Julie Hooper (Aus) Southern Regional Team 24 Kristy Scrymgeour (Aus) AIS-ACTAS 25 Benita Douglas (NZl) Team 2001 26 Marcia Eicher Vouets (Swi) Master Team/Carpe Diem 27 Annabelle Vowels (Aus) Velobelles 28 Emma James (Aus) Sydney Water 29 Elizabeth Tadich (Aus) Jayco-VIS 30 Annalisa Farrell (NZl) New Zealand 31 Natalie Bates (Aus) Bicisport-NSWIS 32 Sandy Espeseth (Can) Canada 33 Vanessa Cheatley (NZl) New Zealand 34 Jodie Vaassen (Aus) Velobelles 35 Fiona Scarff (Aus) Velobelles 36 Sanna Lehtimaki (Fin) Timex 37 Dede Demet (USA) Saturn 38 Erin Veenstra-Mirabella (USA) Timex 39 Erin Carter (Can) Canada 40 Katia Longhin (Ita) Master Team/Carpe Diem 41 Anne Samplonius (Can) Canada 42 Kirsty Robb (NZl) Team 2001 43 Karen Sumpton (Aus) Southern Regional Team 44 Jessica Amy (Aus) Jayco-VIS 3.46 45 Sigrid Corneo (Ita) Master Team/Carpe Diem 6.16 46 Mirella Van Melis (Ned) Pays Bas-Holland 47 Margaret Hemsley (Aus) Bicisport-NSWIS 6.20 48 Akemi Morimoto (Jpn) Japan 6.31 49 Mika Ogishima (Jpn) Northern Regional Team 50 Ayumi Ootsuka (Jpn) Japan 51 Nadia Frischknecht (Aus) Sydney Water 52 Odessa Gunn (Can) Timex 53 Fanny Lavierrie (NZl) Team 2001 54 Kerry Ellen Hellmuth (USA) Master Team/Carpe Diem 55 Anna Bayliss (Aus) Southern Regional Team 56 Rebecca Cleveland (Aus) Southern Regional Team 57 Naomi Williams (Aus) Jayco-VIS 58 Geraldine Denham (Aus) Jayco-VIS 59 Natalie Beetson (NZl) Team 2001 60 Hayley Rutherford (Aus) AIS-ACTAS 61 Ghita Beltman (Ned) Pays Bas-Holland 62 Sophie Freshwater (Aus) Saturn 63 Angela Hillenga (Ned) Pays Bas-Holland 9.08 64 Belinda Probert (Aus) Bicisport-NSWIS 9.44 65 Miho Oki (Jpn) Japan 12.25 66 Tracey Bowyer (Aus) Velobelles 13.19 67 Bridget Evans (Aus) Master Team/Carpe Diem 13.23 68 Susan Hefler (USA) Canada 69 Bianca Netzler (Sam) Northern Regional Team 70 Dellys Franke (Aus) Jayco-VIS 18.27 71 Alexandra Ka Wah Yeung (HKg) Bicisport-NSWIS 72 Kanako Nishi (Jpn) Northern Regional Team Stage points: 1 Anna Wilson (Aus) Saturn 5 pts 2 Geneviève Jeanson (Can) Canada 3 3 Tracey Gaudry (Aus) Timex 2 4 Kym Shirley (Aus) AIS-ACTAS 1 Mountain prime: Ivo's Farm, category 2 - 17.1 km 1 Geneviève Jeanson (Can) Canada 6 pts 2 Tracey Gaudry (Aus) Timex 4 3 Kym Shirley (Aus) AIS-ACTAS 3 4 Jacinta Coleman (NZl) New Zealand 2 5 Anna Wilson (Aus) Saturn 1 General classification after stage 6: 1 Geneviève Jeanson (Can) Canada 9.39.16 2 Tracey Gaudry (Aus) Timex 1.41 3 Kym Shirley (Aus) AIS-ACTAS 7.18 4 Mari Holden (USA) Timex 7.35 5 Anna Wilson (Aus) Saturn 8.04 6 Jacinta Coleman (NZl) New Zealand 8.53 7 Mirjam Melchers (Ned) Pays Bas-Holland 10.39 8 Rosalind Reekie-May (NZl) New Zealand 11.13 9 Juanita Feldhahn (Aus) AIS-ACTAS 11.43 10 Dede Demet (USA) Saturn 12.31 11 Susy Pryde (NZl) Saturn 13.23 12 Chantal Beltman (Ned) Pays Bas-Holland 17.03 13 Kim Smith (USA) Timex 19.46 14 Sandy Espeseth (Can) Canada 19.47 15 Alison Wright (Aus) AIS-ACTAS 20.18 16 Priska Doppman (Swi) Master Team/Carpe Diem 21.59 17 Karen Kurreck (USA) Canada 23.43 18 Marcia Eicher Vouets (Swi) Master Team/Carpe Diem 23.51 19 Sara Carrigan (Aus) AIS-ACTAS 24.11 20 Julie Hooper (Aus) Southern Regional Team 24.32 21 Sarah Ulmer (NZl) New Zealand 24.57 22 Erin Carter (Can) Canada 26.55 23 Anna Bayliss (Aus) Southern Regional Team 27.44 24 Margaret Hemsley (Aus) Bicisport-NSWIS 27.52 25 Marielle Van Scheppingen (Ned) Pays Bas-Holland 28.04 26 Erin Veenstra-Mirabella (USA) Timex 28.59 27 Emma James (Aus) Sydney Water 29.19 28 Karen Sumpton (Aus) Southern Regional Team 29.31 29 Nadia Frischknecht (Aus) Sydney Water 30.36 30 Katie Mactier (Aus) Jayco-VIS 30.37 31 Sanna Lehtimaki (Fin) Timex 31.22 32 Katia Longhin (Ita) Master Team/Carpe Diem 31.45 33 Benita Douglas (NZl) Team 2001 32.42 34 Jodie Vaassen (Aus) Velobelles 33.13 35 Arenda Grimberg (Ned) Pays Bas-Holland 33.21 36 Annalisa Farrell (NZl) New Zealand 33.55 37 Anne Samplonius (Can) Canada 34.44 38 Hayley Rutherford (Aus) AIS-ACTAS 35.29 39 Annabelle Vowels (Aus) Velobelles 35.47 40 Elizabeth Tadich (Aus) Jayco-VIS 36.04 41 Vanessa Cheatley (NZl) New Zealand 36.16 42 Ghita Beltman (Ned) Pays Bas-Holland 36.17 43 Mika Ogishima (Jpn) Northern Regional Team 36.35 44 Natalie Bates (Aus) Bicisport-NSWIS 36.37 45 Kirsty Robb (NZl) Team 2001 37.02 46 Fiona Scarff (Aus) Velobelles 40.25 47 Kerry Ellen Hellmuth (USA) Master Team/Carpe Diem 41.20 48 Geraldine Denham (Aus) Jayco-VIS 41.39 49 Ayumi Ootsuka (Jpn) Japan 41.46 50 Akemi Morimoto (Jpn) Japan 32.24 51 Lucy Vignes (Aus) Sydney Water 44.07 52 Odessa Gunn (Can) Timex 44.20 53 Jessica Amy (Aus) Jayco-VIS 45.16 54 Honi Geysen (Aus) Southern Regional Team 46.02 55 Belinda Probert (Aus) Bicisport-NSWIS 47.10 56 Angela Hillenga (Ned) Pays Bas-Holland 48.16 57 Sophie Freshwater (Aus) Saturn 50.12 58 Kristy Scrymgeour (Aus) AIS-ACTAS 52.22 59 Rebecca Cleveland (Aus) Southern Regional Team 52.33 60 Sigrid Corneo (Ita) Master Team/Carpe Diem 53.49 61 Mirella Van Melis (Ned) Pays Bas-Holland 54.19 62 Bianca Netzler (Sam) Northern Regional Team 54.52 63 Naomi Williams (Aus) Jayco-VIS 55.42 64 Dellys Franke (Aus) Jayco-VIS 59.23 65 Susan Hefler (USA) Canada 1.00.29 66 Tracey Bowyer (Aus) Velobelles 1.02.18 67 Natalie Beetson (NZl) Team 2001 1.03.40 68 Miho Oki (Jpn) Japan 1.05.39 69 Fanny Lavierrie (NZl) Team 2001 1.09.16 70 Kanako Nishi (Jpn) Northern Regional Team 1.18.09 71 Bridget Evans (Aus) Master Team/Carpe Diem 1.27.17 72 Alexandra Ka Wah Yeung (HKg) Bicisport-NSWIS 2.01.34 Points classification: 1 Anna Wilson (Aus) Saturn 13 pts 2 Mirjam Melchers (Ned) Pays Bas-Holland 10 3 Geneviève Jeanson (Can) Canada 8 4 Kim Smith (USA) Timex 6 5 Tracey Gaudry (Aus) Timex 5 6 Mari Holden (USA) Timex 5 7 Susy Pryde (NZl) Saturn 4 8 Jacinta Coleman (NZl) New Zealand 3 9 Sarah Ulmer (NZl) New Zealand 3 10 Kym Shirley (Aus) AIS-ACTAS 3 11 Hayley Rutherford (Aus) AIS-ACTAS 3 12 Natalie Bates (Aus) Bicisport-NSWIS 1 13 Sara Carrigan (Aus) AIS-ACTAS 1 14 Alison Wright (Aus) AIS-ACTAS 1 Mountains classification: 1 Geneviève Jeanson (Can) Canada 26 pts 2 Tracey Gaudry (Aus) Timex 22 3 Kym Shirley (Aus) AIS-ACTAS 10 4 Mari Holden (USA) Timex 8 5 Jacinta Coleman (NZl) New Zealand 6 6 Anna Wilson (Aus) Saturn 4 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