Wood Predicting sprint finish at Geelong World Cup

By John Michael Flynn in Geelong

Geelong Tour winner and two-time World Cup road race champion Oenone Wood is predicting a sprint finish in Sunday's UCI. Geelong World Cup as the largest field yet assembled for the opening race of the series takes shape. And the news for followers of elite women's cycling just gets better, with several of the big name riders involved in crashes at this week's Geelong Tour expected to make it to the the start-line.

Defending Geelong World Cup Champion, Australia's Rochelle Gilmore, is a confirmed starter in tomorrow's race. The Safi-Pasta Zara Manhattan sprinter suffered severe bruising to her right knee after crashing near the finish of Wednesday's Geelong Tour stage in Barwon Heads.

Canadian Lyne Bessette (T-Mobile), who hit the deck hard in Thursday's final stage of the Geelong Tour is also likely to start, with her shoulder injury not as serious as first thought.

Joining the best field yet assembled for a UCI women's World Cup race in Australia will be Olympic Champion Sara Carrigan (Q.A.S.) and Britain's Nicole Cooke (Univega), both of whom chose not to take part in this week's three day stage race.

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