Canberra Tour - NE

ACT, Australia, May 11-13, 2001

Main Page    Results Stage 1    Results Stage 2    Prologue

Stage 1 - May 12 - Cotter/Uriarra Loop 75km/37.5km (M/W)

Rowney, Bates lead in the morning

By Mark Carter
NSW rider and Australian Olympian Paul Rowney took the leader's jersey from Kristjan Snorrason this morning with a strong ride in the first road stage of the Canberra Tour. Rowney, who finished in 10th in the mountain bike event at the Sydney Olympics, started his racing career on the road and cleared away from the bunch to take the first stage by seven seconds, with the bulk of the main field coming in 30 seconds down.

The Women's A grade came down to a bunch sprint in stage one, which Kate Bates won with relative ease from Olivia Gollan and Naomi Williams.

Results — Men, stage 1, 75km

1  Paul Rowney                  1.55.30 (average speed 39kmh)
2  Shem Guthrie                     .07
3  Jonathon McCormack 
4  Nathan Russell                   .17
5  Russell Van Hout 
6  Peter Milostic 
7  Josh Fleming 
8  Wayne Anderson 
9  David Harrigan                   .25
10 Jade Lean                        .30

Results — Women, stage 1, 37.5km

1.  Kate Bates                  1.08.34 (average speed 33.3kmh)
2.  Olivia Gollan 
3.  Naomi Williams 
4.  Jaci Low 
5.  Dellys Franke 
6.  Natalie Bates 
7.  Jeanette Schwartz 
8.  Emma Rickards 
9.  Jessica Amy 
10. Erin Philp 

Stage 2 - May 12 - Uriarra/Cotter Loop 75km/75km (M/W)

Afternoon stage sees changes in lead

By Mark Carter
David Pell moved into the lead this afternoon after a commanding performance in the second stage. Paul Rowney was the yellow jersey holder after Stage 1 after breaking away solo to take the first stage. On the second stage a group of seven attacked almost immediately, 3km into the 75km stage. They included Tom Brook, Baden Burke, Steven Cunningham, Chris Bradford, Brad Martin and David Pell.

The group quickly established a gap of around 90 seconds over the main field for the first 50km. The serious chase commenced from behind on the short sharp climb of Uriarra on the second lap, when Robert Crowe put the power down and commenced decimating the main field.

Bradford, Cunningham and Pell were meanwhile sorting out the lead group which was starting to fracture over the final 15km, predominantly due to the power of David Pell. In the sprint finish David Pell won from Cunningham and Bradford. Robert Crowe cleared away and won the bunch sprint of about 20 riders which included the yellow jersey of Paul Rowney, now in third following the second stage.

The winner will almost certainly come from one of the top 20, after the remainder are now too far out of contention. Steve Cunningham leads the Hammer 'n' Cycle King of the Mountains competition on 16 points, ahead of Rowney on 10 and Pell on seven points. Allan Sieper is the highest placed local rider from Canberra in eighth place after finishing in the main field in both stages, as well as producing a good Prologue time trial, where he placed just outside the top 10.

The tempo in Womens A grade was relatively neutral during the first half of the first lap. On the descent of Mount McDonald for the first time, Naomi Williams of Tasmania turned up the heat and led a breakaway group of six skilled descenders. The race re-grouped after the first time over the 10km Cotter climb and stayed together for virtually all of the second lap, before commencing the same climb, from the Cotter Bridge with 10km remaining in the 75km stage.

A lead group of four established on this climb, which included Williams, Olivia Gollan, Jaci Low and Amy Safe. Low led the the four out, with Williams in third behind Gollan. Williams kicked round the pair and held on to win after almost misjudging the length of the sprint.

Natalie Bates who wore the jersey after the prologue and stage 1, was dropped from the lead group and has lost the leaders yellow jersey to Williams. Olivia Gollan leads the Hammer 'n' Cycle Queen of the Mountains competition on 30 points, well ahead of second placed Jaci Low on 11 points.

Results — Men, stage 2, 75km

1.  David Pell                1.58.58 (average speed 37.8kmh)
2.  Steven Cunningham 
3.  Chris Bradford 
4.  Robert Crowe                  .36
5.  Kevin Poulton                 .50
6.  Rodney Mason 
7.  Anthony Challinor 
8.  Nathan Russell 
9.  Kent Nash 
10. Peter Milostic

General Classification

1  David Pell                 4.02.04
2  Steven Cunningham              .24
3  Paul Rowney                    .44
4  Chris Bradford                 .54
5  Peter Milostic                 .56
6  Russel Van Hout               1.00
7  Nathan Russell                1.23
8  Allan Sieper (ACT)            1.33
9  Murray Fenwick                1.34
10 Robert Crowe                  1.36

Results — Women, stage 2, 75km

1  Naomi Williams             2.16.37 (average speed 32.9kmh)
2  Jaci Low 
3  Olivia Gollan 
4  Amy Safe                       .07
5  Natalie Bates                 1.32

General Classification

1  Naomi Williams             3.33.15
2  Olivia Gollan                  .06
3  Amy Safe                       .40
4  Jaci Low                       .48
5  Natalie Bates                 1.32