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Bayern Rundfahrt
Photo ©: Schaaf

Wachovia Week Special Cycling News for June 5, 2005

Edited by John Stevenson

A plethora of fast legs line up at Philly

By Kristy Scrymgeour

Petra Rossner (Nurnberger) makes it seven in 2004
Photo ©: Jon Devich
Click for larger image

"Someone else will win" the Women's Liberty Classic in Philadelphia this year, joked seven-time winner of the event Petra Rossner. A race that she has practically made her own over the years, Rossner added that perhaps "tomorrow will be the first time this year that I will miss racing my bike since I retired." Rossner retired from racing at the end of last year on a winning note with yet another World Cup victory and immediately accepted an offer to be the Director Sportif for the Nurnberger team for 2005. She is back again in Philadelphia, a race that she has always loved, but this time in a different role and as usual she was mysterious about her strategy for the day.

A huge field of women will line up to race four laps of the 22km course for a total of 96km. Traditionally the race has been set up for Rossner by her team (German National Team, Saturn and Nurnberger over the years) and has come down to a bunch sprint at the end of the day. But Lyne Bessette proved in 2003 that a late solo breakaway could also accomplish the result when she attacked on Lemon Hill and held off the chasing bunch for the win. With such a strong field here a few different outcomes are possible but a bunch sprint is very likely with Nurnberger bringing along two very strong sprinters in Regina Schleicher and Oenone Wood, as well as the sprinters dominating the US scene such as Tina Pic and Laura Van Gilder from Quark, Gina Grain (Victory Brewing) and of course Ina Yoko Teutenberg from T-Mobile.

Cyclingnews caught up with riders from the defending team who are confident in their chances. Oenone Wood who has been on fire this year and is leading the World Cup Series for the second year running. She is also coming off two stage wins of Tour of Montreal and three stage wins at Tour de L'Aude. Having never raced this course before she said, "I haven't seen the circuit yet. I'm sure we'll be having a look at in the next couple of days but we've got a great team here so we have every chance of having a great result."

Click here for the full preview, start list and course map.

Live coverage

Cyclingnews will be covering the Wachovia Liberty Classic (and the USPRO Championship which runs concurrently) live from start to finish, beginning at 9:00am EDT (06:00 PDT (USA West)/15:00 CEST (Central Europe)/23:00 AEST (Australia East) on Sunday.

Also see:

USPRO preview
Liberty Classic Preview
Main & Preview
Races
Past winners

Photos

Liberty Classic pre-race vox pop

Cyclingnews' Kristy Scrymgeour, who raced here a couple of times herself as a pro with Saturn, caught up with some of the contenders for today's Wachovia Liberty Classic women's race

Ina Teutenberg (T-Mobile)

"I hope I'm ready.

"I don't know, it's kind of different because I've never raced for myself at this race. So it will be different type of racing on Sunday. I've been winning a lot of races, but it's still different when the pressure is on.

"It's short this year. It's different than the years I was a worker - it was six laps. It was more about fitness at the end, but with 85km I think a lot of people can come to the end that probably wouldn't in a World Cup race.

"It's also dangerous at the start - a lot of local girls at the start. I'll stay out of trouble at the start and then hopefully we can ride up the wall a little faster and split it up.

"We start at nine and will be done after two and a half hours, so I don't think the heat will affect us much. I think it will be the last time up the wall - that a little group will form out of that.

" The team has been good so far this year - now we are finally starting to click together. Rebecca has been stepping it up, and everyone has been riding up to their abilities. Now we have Katie [Mactier] on the team so we will see what happens.

"The Aussies, like Wood - she has been racing well, winning so much. Judith is always a factor - such a strong break rider."

Katie Mactier (T-Mobile)

"I just arrived last Friday. We have yet to sit down and have a team meeting. I've been following the girls' progress throughout the year.

"I've only been here for three hours, and it's good. I mean you walk in to a team environment and you can tell right away if it's good or not - the girls seem to be very happy and Andrzej [Bek, T-Mobile directeur sportif] is the perfect director. I was with him in 2003 when I was with Saturn. I love coming to the States - I've been with Ina [Teutenberg] before and she is possibly one of the best people I have worked with on a team - she is just an incredible asset to a team.

"I would imagine she is one of the favorites for Sunday. If it comes together at the end I would imagine we would be working for her.

"It's interesting because I climbed all right back in 2003. But when you do big blocks on the track the legs tend to get kind of... it's equivalent to doing a lot of gym work. But I'm hoping to find those hill climbing legs again. I certainly felt the effects in Boulder the first few days!

"We've got the Commonwealth games next March and following that are the track worlds in Bordeaux, so I would like to take a little bit of time off around September, and then I will be working very specifically towards the pursuit and once again look forward to coming back to the States in 2006 and doing some road. But the big goal will be China in 2006.

"You have to do it. If you look at riders like Bradley McGee and the people that are making marks on the track are coming off of big road blocks."

Oenone Wood (Nurnberger Versicherung)

"I haven't seen the circuit yet. I'm sure we'll be having a look at in the next couple of days. We've got a great team going there so we have every chance of having a great result."

Erinne Willock (Webcor)

"The crowd is awesome going up the climb and the adrenalin gets going.

"Usually it comes down to a field sprint because it's relatively short for a women's race even though the hill is difficult. It's the descent afterwards that brings it back together again. Last year I got QOM, that's what I went after and that's what I got. I don't know what the plan is for this year because right now we're focused on finishing the Grand Tour!"

Laura Van Gilder (Quark)

"I'm always nervous for that race. It's a big race. People have been telling me I can win because Petra is not here this year, but it's not that easy. There are some very strong teams out there and a lot of girls who can win. Tina Pic, Oenone Wood, Judith Arndt, Gina Grain and of course Ina Teutenberg. She is riding so well at the moment and in the past she has always been working for other people. She also had a strong climbing team. It's going to be exciting. I love that type of racing."

Gina Grain (Victory Brewing)

"The racing last weekend was a good start to intensity. I've rested and tried to heal and hopefully I got some speed back in my legs. That's all I can do. [Despite the setback Grain says she is going to go into the race with confidence.] Sprinting is a combination of strength and a bit of luck as well. I know the course and the finish. Its just a matter of getting up the hill in the first group. I know where I have to be in the sprint. There are a lot of good contenders and the faster the better."

Melissa Sanborn (Subway)

"I gained a little confidence in Montreal. I just have to be patient. I feel confident I can get up the wall. It will be all about positioning and picking the right wheels at the end."

More men's USPRO championship pre-race comments

By Kristy Scrymgeour

Lars Michaelsen (CSC)

"The race suits us well but it's a funny race. I have done it twice now and it will come down to tactics. It's too hard to do it solo in this race. You need your team behind you. If it comes down to a sprint we should be able to organize ourselves better than [Trenton]. I was alone at the end there. I got third but if I had more people around me it would have changed things. If it does come down to a bunch sprint there will be a group of about 50 riders and of the 50 I assume we will have four or five riders in there. I'm feeling good. I'm not far away from my top form."

"The chances that Bobby will be USPRO champion are not that high. He is handicapped by the fact that not many other people are riding as well as he is. He needs more allies and there are not really any others that are able to go with him. It would be nice if he won, but its not obliged to be that way. We have Andy Schleck showing that he has form and any of the others can be in a break. Then it comes down to team tactics."

Mark McCormack (Colavita-Sutter Home)

"I feel like I have prepared for the race but that doesn't always lead to a result. Like in Trenton, I had the form and put everything into it but we got caught. I feel like I'm strong enough but it's a high level field. The depth of the Discovery team and of CSC and who knows what Liquigas is going to do. The race is tricky. You don't know if they're racing for the jersey or for the win. Of course if you win the jersey, you'd like to win the race.

"The heat doesn't bother me because it's a long race and you race at 90 percent, rather than at 100 percent intensity that you race shorter races. I've done it in the heat and in the cold and I've always felt like I've been in the right place at the right time, but I've never really pulled it off.

"Last year I had a bad night the night before and was up all night sick, racing on half a donut the next day. I was in position but I didn't have the punch in my legs. I'll be happy to be in that same situation and have the legs that I think I do.

"Freddy has to be the favourite for the jersey based on the history. He has a great lead out team and they all have the distance in their legs. Not like most of the riders in the States."

Juan Jose Haedo (Colavita-Sutter Home)

"I don't have much experience with this race. My role will depend on what happens in the race. Last year my role was an early move so the last time up the wall I didn't have the legs to get up there.

"This year I feel much better and I have learnt a lot from the experienced riders in the team like Mark and Frank McCormack.

"It's a long day in the saddle. You have to be smart and save energy. I am starting to like the race more now than I did the first year. The second time my goal was to finish the race. This year my goal is to get in the final group and do well for myself or for Mark, most importantly for the team."

Ben Jacques-Maynes (Kodak Gallery-Sierra Nevada)

"I've had some stomach issues this week. In Trenton my job was to go in an early break to see if I could last. But I got caught and I pulled out and went to the feed zone to hand out bottles.

"I'm feeling better and happy to be able to keep some food down. I think I'll be one of the guys for the end. We'll play the waiting game. We don't have the riders to lead it out early in the race. That's the reality on a smaller team.

"Its been hit and miss for me [this season]. I've had a couple of good prologues so I'm good for anything under nine minutes," he laughed. "But I've also had a run of bad luck. It always seems right when I open the gas, something happens."

"But I feel good now. My luck is good and my health is good.

"I'm the original member of the original Sierra Nevada team. I've seen it grow up from a development team into a race winning team. We have great support and the management is good. Our overall level is tenfold higher and I'm glad to be a part of it.

"I'd like to see Bobby or Horner win. It would take a superhuman effort to make that happen. If it comes down to a sprint, Freddy's got the jersey. Mark might give him a stick.

"For the race win, it'll be some random Euro that no-one's ever heard of before today!"

David O'Loughlin (Navigators)

"I have pretty good form at the moment so hopefully I'll get the freedom to be aggressive. If it comes down to a sprint we have Kirk O'Bee and Vassili Davidenko so I'll probably be working for them.

"We'll see what it comes down to in the end. I'm sure the jersey is a priority but a victory is just as important.

"I've done this race twice before with Ofoto. I think it's a good race and it has a great atmosphere going up the wall. If I have good legs, a race like that suits me.

:"This year has really been a step up in standard for me so I've had to adjust to that."

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