Photography

Photography by Tom Balks

World Cup round 1 - March 3: Cooma - Thredbo, 103 km
Stage 1 - March 4: Khancoban - Tumbarumba, 77 km
Stage 2 - March 4: Tumbarumba - Tumut, 69 km
Stage 3 - March 5: Tumut - Talbingo, 50.7 km
Stage 4 - March 6: Adaminaby - Cooma, 87.2 km
Stage 5 - March 6: Cooma Criterium, 30 km

World Cup round 1 - March 3: Cooma - Thredbo, 103 km

• Mirjam Melchers (Netherlands) - warms up at the start
• Cooma schoolchildren - wave the various countries' flags at the start
• A crash early in the race - The police bike just managed to avoid it.
• Mary Lou Webb (Northern Regional Team) - on the ground after an early crash.
• Melissa Holt (New Zealand) - climbs out of the roadside ditch after a mishap
• Melissa Holt (New Zealand) - goes on the attack
• Mirjam Melchers - in cruise mode in the early part of the race
• The peloton - glides through grass fields
• Olivia Gollan (AIS) - was the day's main protagonist, away solo for nearly 60 km
• The peloton - climbs up from Lake Jindabyne
• Petra Rossner - escorted by her Saturn teammates
• Petra Rossner - shows the strain of the day's racing
• Kimberly Bruckner (Saturn) - rode strongly in her US national champion's jersey
• The Saturn team - working all for Rossner
• Rochelle Gilmore (NSWIS) - had an excellent day
• Rochelle Gilmore - in a steady rhythm
• Five Saturn riders - near the front at Ivo's Farm
• Amy Safe (Aus National Team) - tackles the Ivo's Farm climb just in front of the peloton
• Rochelle Gilmore - follows Petra Rossner to the line.
• Petra Rossner (Saturn) - triumphs in the first round of the World Cup
• Petra Rossner - embraces her teammate Anna Millward after her win
• Petra Rossner - salutes in victory with her teammates afterwards
• Rochelle Gilmore - Tongue out after a good effort
• Podium (L to R): Rochelle Gilmore (NSWIS, 2nd), Petra Rossner (Saturn, 1st), Mirjam Melchers (Netherlands, 3rd)

Stage 1 - March 4: Khancoban - Tumbarumba, 77 km

• The Japanese team - line up at the start in Khancoban
• The peloton - ride through the valley during the early part of the stage
• Naomi Williams (AIS) - was one of the early attackers
• Bridget Evans (Cycle Cooma) - signals for more water
• Swiss rider Priska Doppmann (International) - was in good form today
• The leading breakaway - on the first climb, with the next group in the distance
• Over the top for the first mountain sprint - Priska Doppmann and Mirjam Melchers fight it out.
• Margaret Hemsley - in the Australian Champion's jersey grits her teeth
• Judith Arndt (Saturn) - rode an excellent supporters race today
• Defending champion Kimberly Bruckner (Saturn) - shows the strain of her efforts
• Mirjam Melchers (Netherlands) - looking extremely strong as she leads Bruckner
• Children - from Tumbarumba's All Saints School cheer the riders home
• Mirjam Melchers (Netherlands) - raises her arm in triumph as she wins the stage
• "Yes!"
• Mirjam Melchers - celebrates with teammate Arenda Grimberg after winning
• Oneone Wood (Cycle Cooma) - was injured in the sprint
• Bridget Evans (Cycle Cooma) - rode a good race for 10th
• Tumbarumba's Mayor - presents the place getters with their prizes, which were symbols of the local area

Stage 2 - March 5: Tumbarumba - Tumut, 69 km

• Swedish champion Madeleine Lindberg (International) - in a relaxed mood at the start.
• Madeleine Lindberg (Internatonal) was the unfortunate victim of a crash
• Mirjam Melchers (Netherlands) gets a push-start after a problem
• Vanessa Crawford (Australian National Team) makes sure the rubber side is down
• Vanessa Crawford - during her ultimately fruitless chase of the peloton
• Alison Wright (AIS) - leads the breakaway in the early stages, with the peloton in hot pursuit.
• Alison Wright (AIS) working hard in the lead break
• Melissa Holt (New Zealand) rides in the decisive break
• Jessica Phillips (Saturn) - towing the breakaway, as she did for most of the day
• The peloton - not in a great hurry
• Ayumu Otsuka (Japan 1) benefitted from the breakawy to take fourth
• Judith Arndt (Saturn) - eighth on GC
• Alison Wright (AIS) crosses the line ahead of Melissa Holt (New Zealand) and Arenda Grimberg (Netherlands)

Stage 3 - March 5: Tumut - Talbingo, 50.7 km

• A new rider - enters the peloton as the race starts in Tumut
• Sara Carrigan (AIS) - was the first to attack today
• The peloton - cross the first mountain climb, with Petra Rossner (Saturn) leading the way
• Emma James (NSWIS) - puts her head down during her early pursuit of Sara Carrigan
• Emma James - leads Sara Carrigan (AIS) during their escape
• Sara Carrigan and Emma James - ride past Blowering Dam
• Emma James - riding across the dam wall to victory
• Emma James - on the line
• Susanne Ljungskog (Vlaanderen) - crosses for second place in front of GC leader Mirjam Melchers
• Emma James - interviewed after the stage
• Cathy Marsal (Saturn) - chose the quickest way to cool off after the race - in Talbingo dam

Stage 4 - March 6: Adaminaby - Cooma, 87.2 km

• Bernard Devoy - mechanic for Priska Doppman's International team
• Judith Arndt (Saturn) - powers away from the peloton
• Judith Arndt - rode the time trial of her life to stay away
• Liz Tadich (AIS) - rode a tactical race for the stage win
• Judith Arndt - looks around to see where the peloton is, as Liz Tadich hangs on
• Arndt and Tadich - with 20 kilometres to go, with the peloton in the distance
• Mirjam Melchers - leads two Vlaanderen riders in pursuit of the breakaway
• Mirjam Melchers and Susanne Ljungskog - had to work to protect their GC places
• Mari Holden (USA-Cannondale) and Susanne Ljungskog (Vlaanderen) - working hard in the peloton
• Mari Holden - riding hard
• Mari Holden and Hayley Rutherford - tried to cross the gap on their own
• Liz Tadich (AIS) - wins the fourth stage in Cooma
• Judith Arndt - crosses the line behind Tadich
• The bunch - was led home by Rochelle Gilmore (NSWIS) and Petra Rossner (Saturn)
• A philosophical Judith Arndt - knew she couldn't expect any help from Tadich

Stage 5 - March 6: Cooma Criterium, 30 km

• Race director Phill Bates - prepares the course for the final stage
• The Cooma crowd - enjoying the evening's action
• The field - lines up for the final stage of the Tour de Snowy
• An emotional Rochelle Gilmore (NSWIS-Trek) - lines up for the start
• The peloton - round the first corner, cheered on by a crowd of Cooma locals
• Melissa Holt (New Zealand) - won all three sprint primes early in the race
• Best Australian rider Margaret Hemsley - rounds a corner during the criterium
• Best U23 rider Hayley Rutherford - rides with Kim Bruckner (Saturn), Hanka Kupfernagel (Nurnberger/Vlaanderen) and Mirjam Melchers (Netherlands)
• Lorian Graham (Cooma Cycles) - was one of the best performed local riders
• Judith Arndt (Saturn) - rides during the final stage
• The Saturn train - Kristy Scrymgeour, Cathy Marsal and Judith Arndt
• Mirjam Melchers (Netherlands) - working hard in the bunch with Rochelle Gilmore on her wheel
• The Saturn ring - around Mirjam Melchers during the final stage in Cooma
• Susanne Ljungskog (3rd overall) - rides in the pack
• Rochelle Gilmore - wins the stage, Judith Arndt finishes second and wins the tour
• Rochelle Gilmore (NSWIS) - gives a triumphant salute as she wins the final stage
• Team Saturn (L to R) - Jessica Phillips, Kimberly Bruckner, Petra Rossner, Judith Arndt, Kristy Scrymgeour, and Cathy Marsal

More photos by Jeff Jones

• The kids - from All Saints in Khancoban get ready to cheer for the start of stage 1
• Kim Bruckner and Margaret Hemsley - after the first mountain sprint on stage 1
• The stage 2 sprint into Tumut - Alison Wright gets it from Melissa Holt
• The view - from the top of Talbingo dam wall (stage 3)
• Talbingo dam (stage 3 finish) - supplies much of the power for the region
• Emma James (NSWIS) - crosses to win stage 3, with the chasers close behind her coming across the dam wall
• Kimberly Bruckner (Saturn) - rounds the second corner during the final stage
• The peloton - race past the Cooma Hotel, cheered on by the locals
• The Saturn team - hug each other after Judith Arndt's remarkable victory

2001 Photos