Stage 4 - June 2: Mont-St-Hilaire, 114.55km

Fusar Poli takes finale after Sanborn initiates three-rider escape

By Leigh Hargrove

Daniella Fusar Poli (Nobili Rubinetterie)
Photo ©: Mitch Friedman

The international women's field in Montreal completed their five-day stage race in utter style today when an active and exciting race kept spectators guessing who would come across the line first.

Yellow jersey Oenone Wood (Nürnberger Versicherung) started today's final stage a mere ten seconds ahead of second place GC rider Annette Beutler (Quark) and only eighteen seconds ahead of third placed rider Dorte Lohse Rasmussen (Team S.A.T.S.). With three time bonus sprints lined up for this race, (on laps 1, 2, and 5) Wood was in danger of losing precious seconds to the Quark rider.

At the end of lap one, Équipe Nürnberger Versicherung showed how prepared they were to protect the leader's jersey by taking all top three positions in the first sprint for time bonuses. None of the top five GC contenders were able to contest the strong powerhouse team, including Beutler.

The pancake flat loop ended with a kilometre long climb that split the field into two distinct groups. The descent on the backside however brought the pack back together again.

Midway through the second lap a crash took down fourth place GC contender, Erinne Willock (Webcor Builders) and six other riders. Willock was fortunate to come out with only a few cuts and bruises but was able to get back on her bike again. Teammates Stephanie Graeter and Betina Hold hung back to help pull Willock back to the pack.

ACDA-RONA attacked the field at the point and the pace was high on the backside of the second lap, aided by a tailwind. Willock however, chased, and was able to catch back on by the end of the second lap.

Wood took third place points in the second time bonus sprint which would ultimately secure the overall win for her as long as she finished with the main top 4 GC riders. Rasmussen took second place points which gave her two extra seconds, putting her only six seconds behind Beutler in GC.

During the third lap, 60 km into the race, Subway rider Melissa Sanborn attacked the pack and opened up a 23 second gap fairly quickly. "My teammates were covering moves and finishing moves," she told Cyclingnews. "Then it was my turn to go. I jumped very hard, and went as went hard as I could. Quickly established a 20-30 second gap, Anne (Samplonius, team director) just told me to keep it steady, and I kept it steady."

The pack didn't respond except for Team S.A.T.S. rider Melissa Holt. She was able to open up a gap on the field, before the second climb, in order to chase Sanborn down. Before the third lap was over Sanborn had increased her gap to just under one minute.

QOM points were up for grabs at the end of the third lap and back in the pack, Beutler was aggressively pursuing the mountain jersey. She took the points at the top of the third climb bringing her closer to the goal. On the descent after the climb, at the beginning of the fourth lap, Nobili-Rubinetterie Daniella Fusar Poli attacked the main group and was quickly up the road with a significant gap.

70 kilometres into the race, Fusar Poli caught Holt and the two worked well together to chase down the gutsy Subway rider. At this point Sanborn's gap had opened up to two minutes with the two rider chase group one minute down.

The pack followed and race leader Wood seemed comfortable to let the attacks go on the final stage. "I guess a lot of riders were looking for an opportunity to get away in a break today," said Wood. "That worked out well for us. Earlier on there were a few breaks that went down the road which one of our riders was in. We would have liked to have a chance at another stage victory. It didn't get away and the one that eventually stuck actually worked in our favour too because it allowed us to keep the jersey!"

With 35 kilometres remaining in the race, the two-rider chase group caught Sanborn and the three continued to maintain their gap.

Midway through the fourth lap a group of two riders followed by another four women rolled off the front of the pack and formed a new chase group. That chase group included Canadian riders Lisa Sweeney (Ellicycle Sport expert Louis Garneau) and Kirsten Robbins (Canadian National Team), two RONA riders Magen Long and Kelly Benjamin, Subway rider Nicole Wangsgard, and Vela Bella rider Melodie Metzger.

The six riders initially didn't work well together but eventually things were smoothed out and the chase went up the road. With the three lead riders two and half minutes up, the chase was able to get one minute on the main field.

With just over one lap remaining the chase group was ultimately reeled in by the main field. Robbins was sure the chasing break would last. "At one point we had a minute and a half on the field, thought we were golden. But, then we reached the climb, and got to the top of the climb, Annette Beutler had made contact with my wheel."

Meanwhile, going into the fifth and final lap the three lead riders were still a minute and a half up on the field. There were several attacks that went off the front but the main pack seemed content to keep things together.

The uphill sprint at the finish saw the Italian rider Fusar Poli attack with 200m to go and take the win from the two other break riders. Fusar Poli was excited about her win in today's stage. "It was very difficult because I didn't know when I should start my sprint," she said. "I waited and I waited, and then at 200 meters it got a little flat, and immediately I thought to start my sprint and put my wheel on the other wheels of the other girls. Then I heard Go Daniella! Go Daniella! I won and I am very, very happy."

Sanborn initially attacked with two hundred and fifty meters to go but was unable to hold it against the Italian rider. Third place went to Team S.A.T.S. rider Melissa Holt. The pack followed two and half minutes later and Oenone Wood took the field sprint.

Last year the talented rider rode with the Australian National team here in Montreal and finished 25th. This year she returned with one of strongest women's team in the world, Nürnberger Versicherung. The change has affected her. "It gives you so much confidence. You ride with all the girls on the team, everyone is so strong. I think here's such a good feeling on the team. Everybody is willing to work for whatever rider is the best on GC. Or whoever is most likely to win a particular stage. Everyone is committed to that. It's a good feeling."

Still stiff from yesterday's crash, Wood was able to keep the leader's yellow jersey and take the overall win. She also claimed both leader's jerseys for the points and sprinters categories. The current World Cup leader will be heading to Philadelphia this weekend to compete at the Wachovia Classic - a race she has never done before but looks forward to.

Thirteen seconds down after today's time bonuses, Quark rider Annette Beutler secured the mountain jersey and second place overall in today's final stage.

Team S.A.T.S. rider Dorte Lohse Rasmussen was pleased with how the dynamics of the race worked out today and was content with third place overall. "I was just happy to keep my third place. So I had to keep an eye on Erinne Willock. So that was what I was hoping for, was to keep my third position. I knew that I would never be allowed to get away in a break. Never! Nürnberger or Quark would pull me in. We hoped that one of the others could get in a breakaway and then we did!" The Danish rider recently took a leave of absence from work in order to race full-time.

Canadian Willock finished with the main pack today and held on for fourth place overall.

Stage 3 - June 1: Terrebonne circuit race, 80km

Beutler wins from break; Wood back in lead

Sprint confusion may shape race outcome

By Leigh Hargrove

Annette Beutler (Quark)
Photo ©: Mitch Friedman

With local favorite Genevieve Jeanson in the yellow jersey, spectators were not pleased when a four-rider group peeled off the front of the women's field - and stayed away in the fourth race/third stage of the Grand Tour du Montreal.

Team Quark rider Annette Beutler was in that break and took the stage win with a brilliant sprint through the town of Terrebonne. Nurnberger Versicherung's World Cup leader, Oenone Wood, was second, followed by Team S.A.T.S rider Dorte Lahse Rasmussen. Canadian Erinne Willock (Webcor Builders) was fourth.

How it unfolded

The winning break took off at the top of the only major climb in the race during the third lap of the eight-lap race.

Rasmussen recalls the attack that didn't look back. "I couldn't really tell who was attacking, but I think it was the girl that won (Beutler), followed by Webcor. I followed. I just thought I had to be in that breakaway because I knew I had Oenone on my rear wheel. Four riders, four teams, I knew that we might get away. I was suffering!"

The break worked well together, with all four riders aware of the available time bonuses up for grabs throughout the race.

Genevieve Jeanson (Rona)
Photo ©: Mitch Friedman

Back in the field, ACDA-RONA chased hard to protect the yellow jersey. "They just were letting Rona do all the work. At one point they (ACDA-RONA) pretty much gave up chasing with four laps to go. Then the smaller teams started attacking." Team S.A.T.S rider, Rachael Heal, noted the field's hesitancy to chase. "I think everybody was quite tired after yesterday's race."

The break stayed together right until the end when Beutler launched her attack in the final two hundred meters, right on the last corner of the race. Wood tried to catch her wheel but just didn't have the legs. Rasmussen was third, Willock fourth.

Subway rider, Melissa Sanborn won the pack sprint by attacking the pack with a kilometer to go. The field, over three minutes down on the break, was slow to chase her down. "I jumped and it was a little bit longer that I thought! I went down that hill pretty fast, and then I almost took myself out on the right hand turn, at the bottom of the hill! Then Nurnberger was on the front, it was all pretty hard, and they were leading. They were hot on my trail. I just kept it going and hoped that I'd hold them off!" The gutsy rider did hold them off and walked away with a fifth place for the day.

The break
Photo ©: Mitch Friedman

Following the stage there was a lot of tension regarding a radio announcement that was made earlier in the race that confused both directors and racers. There was a mistake made when the caravan radio announced the stage sprint laps, which were in complete conflict with the race bible information.

Nurnberger Versicherung team director, Petra Rossner, tried to explain to the media exactly what happened. "First on the radio they said that there would be sprints on lap four, five and six. Then I went to the commissaires and I said 'in the [race] bible, it says only four and six. It's not on the fifth lap.' He said it's only on the fourth and the sixth. Then all of a sudden they gave numbers after two laps, through the radio, they told us number 2-1 (Wood's number) in front of number blah blah blah. And then Rasmussen sprinted at the wrong time because her director didn't go to the commissaire and there was so much confusion! By the end, this race will be decided by bonus seconds and it might be today, because of this screw-up. It's not fair."

The peloton
Photo ©: Mitch Friedman

The commissaires stuck to the bible information, running the sprints for time bonuses on lap 2 and 4. The caravan radio report did cause a lot of confusion however, being in direct conflict with the race bible. The source of the confusions seems to have been misinterpretation of the race bible, which had sprints at four and six laps to go of the eight lap race - not on laps four and six.

Wood starts tomorrow's stage in the yellow jersey, with only ten seconds to spare on Beutler. Jeanson is now in fifth place just over three and half minutes down.

Race organizer, Daniel Manibal is excited about the new course for tomorrow's final stage and hints that it will challenge the riders. "New course, new difficulty, new technical, very, very technical, something may happen..."

The breakaway riders
Photo ©: Mitch Friedman

Willock is looking forward to the last stage. "It's a new stage, so we really don't know what the hill will be like, but there is a descent after. Again, it could be hard to get away. Breaks could go because even today it was not that challenging of a hill but you go up it eight times of course, so that is what makes it more challenging. We're just going to try and keep the position we have. Who knows? Obviously (we'll try to) gain time, there's more time bonuses to be had!"

As for those time bonuses, one can only hope that tomorrow the race radio reports and race bible will match up. Rossner hopes there will be no confusion in the final stage. "I can only ask to make it clear tomorrow! I mean what is the point? We come here and we spend a lot of money to come here! We want to win this race, we have a strong team here!"

Stage 2 - May 31: Rigaud road race, 120.2km

Wood wins again, Jeanson in break for 70km by Leigh Hargrove

May 31, 2005

A happy Wood is a good Wood
Photo ©: Mitch Friedman

Oenone Wood (Nurnberger) took out the 12-woman sprint finish to today's third stage of the Tour du Grand Montreal after a dramatic day's racing that started with a crash involving Wood herself and saw Genevieve Jeanson look for a while like executing one of her trademark solo escapes to victory.

Wood was followed home by Dorte Rasmussen (SATS) was second, with Jeanson third, a results that was enough to land her the leader jersey.

How it unfolded

Everybody wants to be in the yellow jersey, and today's stage was no different.

The day's first sprint for points was 3.5km into the stage. A kilometer before the sprint the pack went around a soft corner (due to construction) where Oenone Wood (Nurnberger Versicherung) reportedly slid out and crashed. Canadian Lyne Bessette (Ellicycle Sport expert Louis Garneau) and Quark's Helen Kelly plus nine or ten other riders went down in the crash. Most were lucky to get away with a few scrapes and bruises but Canadian National Champ, Bessette remained on the ground.

Webcor Builder's rider Erinne Willock reacted to the crash as quickly as she could. "I have no idea what happened!" said Willock. "I just saw four or five people right in front of me going upside down, and Lyne (Bessette) was down. I was behind it, slammed on my brakes, came to a complete stop right behind it. I didn't go down."

Wood recovered and teammate Olivia Gollan had to ultimately switch her bike after the crash. The women continued to contest the first sprint, despite the shock of the crash. Nurnberger's Judith Arndt took the sprint, with Safi-Pasta Zara Manhattan rider Rochelle Gilmore taking third. Joanne Kiesanowski (Nobili Rubinetterie-Menkini Cogeas) took third.

Audrey Lemieux (Quark)
Photo ©: Mitch Friedman

After the sprint, the pack seemed to be waiting for Bessette to return to the group after the crash that happened so early on. Once it was realized that Bessette wasn't coming back however, the field returned back to business.

The women's first Queen of the Mountain points were up for grabs at the top of a 3km climb, 25 km into the race. At the time Webcor was at the front alongside Geneviéve Jeanson (ACDA-RONA) and Nobili-Rubinetteri riders.

"It was not supposed to be," Jeanson recalled the point when the women broke away. "I was just going for the QOM. Then Lynn Gaggioli (Biovail) was pushing the pace, I just followed her and we had a good gap... At some point she told me she was not feeling that great. I said, you know, keep going, I need you and stuff. The second time up Bourget, I just kept my pace."

Christine saw the riders pull away but didn't react right away. "I thought she (Jeanson) was going for the QOM early, I thought it was pretty hard up the first climb. She caught me a little off-guard going so hard over the top of it. Lynn dug really deep and stayed with her. They both are a little bit better on the steep power climbs and I am a little bit more of a steady climber. That was my mistake for the day, and after that, my team rode great. We have a really small team here but they did everything they could."

The first QOM split the women's field into two front groups of about fifteen riders plus the two-rider break. The duo built up a forty-five second gap and were opening it up to about a minute after being away for twenty kilometers.

Going into the second QOM Grace Fleury (Quark) attacked over the crest of the hill but was wheeled in. At this point, Jeanson and Gaggioli were over a minute and a half up the road. Jeanson ended up dropping Gaggioli at the top of the second climb, and soon was fifteen seconds up on the rider.

Judith Arndt (Nurnberger)
Photo ©: Mitch Friedman

The chase group yo-yoed from ten riders to twenty riders after the descent following the second QOM. Webcor, anxious to protect the yellow jersey, was active at the front in order to chase Jeanson down. Occasionally Quark would pull through but it appeared that the pack was content to make Webcor work for the jersey in today's race.

Quark's Annette Beutler was reflective about the day's events. "Webcor has the jersey, and it's always the leader's job to chase somebody. We are not a team that is passive, normally we are active, so we helped. On the climbs we let them work and on the flats we helped it motor."

With sixty-five kilometers down and fifty-five remaining, Biovail's Gaggioli was now in no man's land, sitting fifty-two seconds in front of the chase group and over a minute down on Jeanson.

Seventy-seven kilometers into the race Jeanson had opened up the gap to two minutes and twenty seconds with about forty kilometers remaining in the race. Equipe Neunberger Versicherung put all their riders up front and with less than twenty-five kilometers to go, they were closing in, narrowing the split to less than a minute.

It was at this point that Willock saw her chance and she attacked the chase group and bridged up to Jeanson. Unfortunately the effort was short-lived and the pack, headed by Nurnberger's Judith Arndt, wheeled the duo in a short two kilometers later. Jeanson had been away for just over seventy kilometers.

With twenty kilometers remaining the main field (which had whittled down to about twenty riders) was now thinking ahead to the final sprint. Working their way to the final climb several attacks came from S.A.T.S riders and Nobili Rubinetterie.

With three kilometers remaining Thorburn attacked at the base of the climb. Jeanson and Wood wheeled her in. Willock tried again but Jeanson was right on her wheel. The remaining 12 riders contested the sprint and Wood took her second victory here in Montreal by winning the stage. S.A.T.S. rider Dorte Rasmussen was second, and the everlasting Jeanson finished third.

Afterwards, reports from Bessette's manager revealed that she is doing okay. She suffered a concussion and doctor's orders were to take a few days off the bike.

Jeanson's efforts moved her right into the leaders' jersey after three stages.

Tomorrow's stage is an 80km circuit race at Terrebonne that should see a bunch finish - unless Jeanson again has other ideas!

		           1 Oenone Wood (Aus) Équipe Nurnberger Versicherung          3.25.40
                           2 Dorte Lohse Rasmussen (Den) Team S.A.T.S                               
                           3 Geneviève Jeanson (Can) ACDA-Rona                                      
                           4 Annette Beutler (Swi) Quark                 

Stage 1b - May 30: Petite Italie criterium, 50km

Wood captures win, Thorburn remains in yellow

By Leigh Hargrove

Although thunderstorms plagued the city of Montreal for the better part of today, the first two stages of the Grand Tour du Montreal, both the morning and evening events, took place on dry streets.

Stage two's fifty-lap criterium was quick from the start, when organisers began throwing in cash primes from the third lap in. Although nothing significant got away, the speed was high after multiple attacks were launched by the German-based team Neunberger Versicherung, and the Italian-based team Nobili-Rubinetterie-Menikini Cogeas. Time bonuses and points were to be handed out at the 25th lap sprint and the finishing sprint. The pace was high throughout however, since cash primes were up for grabs every fourth lap or so.

With nineteen laps to go, Canadian Lyne Bessette (Ellicycle Sport expert Louis Garneau) launched an attack that saw her open up fifty metres on the main group within her first lap away. Bessette launched her attack after the pack had just wheeled in another rider. "They caught another rider and then they went really slow and I just got out of the corner kinda fast and I went and got a gap. I went 'oh, 15 laps to go, whatever, I'm going! I'm going!'"

With help from her teammates, Bessette remained out in front for eight laps. Ultimately, the Webcor Builders Women's Cycling Team turned up the heat.

Webcor's Betina Hold went to the front of the pack in order to wheel the Canadian in. "It's our job to defend the jersey, at some point we have to get up there and pull it back. Usually if you don't get up there fast enough, our director (Carmen D'Aluisio) will give us a little incentive!"

When Hold pulled off the front, teammate Erinne Willock took over and chased Bessette down. "It was definitely a fast race. Lyne Bessette took that attack and was out. We were looking to see if anybody else would do the work to bring her back but no one would. Betina (Hold) helped out a lot - she was really strong and did what she could and then I just did the final lap and brought it back. Probably the scariest break that was out there. And then, Nurnberger was launching all day."

With the yellow jersey to protect, Webcor was in a defensive role, allowing Nobili-Rubinetterie to concentrate on the sprints for cash, time and points up for grabs throughout the race.

Nobili-Rubinetterie's fast Kiwi, Joanne Kiesanowski, was right up there, winning a few sprints of her own. "We were really teeing off other's teams to check their guard. It really wasn't up to us because we don't have anyone near the jersey. I knew the Webcor team and Rona had to chase it down because it was their jersey. I didn't worry too much for Lyne to come back."

Equipe Nurnberger was also content to sit back while Webcor chased, although they were quite active throughout the rest of the race. "We let it go for a little while and other teams were working to chase it back. I think we have a really strong team here and sometimes you can take chances at times, knowing that you have such a strong team."

Bessette was pulled in with 12 laps remaining in the race and right away Nurnberger Versicherung moved to the front, setting up their rider, Oenone Wood, for the win. Their efforts paid off, despite some last lap confusion, and Wood took the win. With just over one lap remaining Wood thought she was sprinting for the win, but was actually going for the last cash prime (worth $375), which she won. She quickly recovered after throwing her hands up into the air, looking around her, and realising everyone was still racing

Third place finisher, Rochelle Gilmore (Team S.A.T.S) noted the strength of Wood's team. "Nurnburger was pulling a really tough train for the last five laps. I felt like I was in a good position and all set up until the second last lap when Oenone thought she had won. Then it got all confusing, and everyone set up again, I set up a bit, and I found myself with half a lap to go too far back. I didn't know if we were still racing or if we weren't racing. It was confusing. It's a bit disappointing that I was too far back in the last corner and didn't quite get there."

Wood was bashful about her mistake, but ultimately pleased with her win. "They were doing an awesome lead-out, the only problem was I was the only one who didn't know when the sprint actually was and I went one too early..." she said post-race.

Wood managed to out sprint Kiesanowski for the win, putting the Nobili rider into second place. "I was on a Quark rider's leader and she started leading it out after Oenone had realised she had gone a lap too early. She got to the front and I got on her wheel. Was there mentally but didn't have it physically! I came around her where I wanted to and I thought I had it, but Oenone was too strong!

Christine Thorburn finished 20th but still managed to maintain her position in the yellow jersey. Canadian Geneviéve Jeanson (RCDA-RONA) remains in second. Wood's performance in the criterium moved her from twelfth place into third place overall. Tomorrow promises some tough racing and should provide the decisive selection after 120km.

Stage 1a -Lachine ITT, 2.8

1 Christine Thorburn (USA) Webcor                                                3.55.97
2 Geneviéve Jeanson (Can) ACDA-RONA                                       0.00.14
3 Grace Fleury (USA) Quark                                                            0.07.07
4 Annette Beutler (Swi) Quark                                                         0.08.73
5 Erinne Willock (Can) Webcor                                                       0.09.40