Recently on Cyclingnews.com |
 Dauphiné Libéré Photo ©: Sirotti |
Grande Boucle Féminine Internationale - 2.2
France, June 17-22, 2008
2007 results Stage List Preview Start List Past winners
The Stages
- Stage 1 - June 17: Gent - Wattrelos, 73.2km
- Stage 2 - June 18: Wallers - La Louviere, 59.5km
- Stage 3 - June 18: La Louviere - Fourmies, 88.9km
- Stage 4 - June 19: Montdidier - Drancy, 108.5km
- Stage 5 - June 20: Domaine De Chalain - Clairvaux-les-Lacs (ITT), 43.302km
- Stage 6 - June 21: Lac D'Aiguebelette - Villard-de-Lans, 102.8km
- Stage 7 - June 22: Guillestre - Sestriere, 83.9km
Cobbles and high mountains
By Bjorn Haake in Gent
|
The Grande Boucle Féminine will offer a variety of terrain as it makes its way from Belgium to Italy via France, over 556.9 kilometres. From the rough cobbles in Belgium and northern France, the peloton will encounter mostly flat roads. However, once the race progresses towards southeastern France, the gradients will change, while the tarmac will be smoother.
The stage finish into Villard de Lans, which has seen the men's Tour de France in the past, is only the precursor to the showdown on the final stage. Then, the racers will head into Italy, not before passing the col D'Izoard. It is the high point of the Tour, at 2360 metres, but for some it may become the low point as they are desperately trying to make the time cut.
If the weather at the team presentation in Gent, Belgium, a day before the race's start, was a sign to go by then there should be good weather the next few days. Eleven teams gathered at the Vrijdagmarkt ('Friday's market'), with a couple of teams not there due to being delayed in their travels.
One who is neither afraid of cobbles nor of mountains is two-time defending champion Nicole Cooke of Great Britain. She said, "I like the mountains," and added to the chuckle of her team-mates "Cobblestones? It's all good!" The leader of the Swift Racing team looked ready to defend the title once more.
Even though Cooke sees the race wide open, the main rival to make Cooke's life hard is Priska Doppman from Switzerland. She was the winner before Cooke, in 2005, and finished second last year.
|
Another former winner is Diana Ziliute from Lithuania, but she admitted a win would be tough to repeat, stating, "It's true; I have won this race in the past," adding with a smile, "even though it has been a long time ago." The leader of the Italian Safi - Pasta Zara Manhattan outfit took the honours in 1999.
However, for many, the race is a new experience and getting to the finish is all that matters. South African Yolandi du Toit said, "It's my first time at the Grande Boucle. I just hope to make it to the finish."
Others were still musing if their team-mates would even arrive in time. The three riders of the Chirio Forno d'Asolo team were still expecting a few members, stuck on a plane somewhere. The team features a rider from El Salvador, Evelyn Garcia, who confirmed that "Yes, there aren't many cyclists in our country, but the ones that are there are good!" With Lithuanian Edita Unguryte, they also have a strong time trialer in the mix.
However, it will be hard for anybody to get past Cervélo Lifeforce in the 40-kilometre race against the clock, scheduled for Friday. With Karin Thührig having won the time trial World Championships twice (2004 and 2005) she will be looking to gain some ground on the climbers. In addition, her Austrian team-mate Christiane Soeder not only won several national titles in the discipline, but also scored a third place in the World Championships last year in Germany.
This apparently wasn't enough gun power yet for the team's time trialling abilities, so a good week ago they hired former Australian Time Trial Champion Carla Ryan, who beat Kathryn Watt for the title in 2007.
Multijaca arrived with its Spanish road champion, Maribel Moreno. Moreno confirmed, "For the team, it is great to be here."
The Swiss National Team is lining up with a team that will feel at home later in the race, when the Alps feature on the menu.
One team that certainly will be looking forward to the cobbles in the first few days is Topsport Vlaanderen. They are much more at home on the rough Flemish roads than any other team. Another Belgian team, Lotto Belisol, features young rider Lieselot Delcroix, who is on the Belgian Olympics team. Flexpoint of The Netherlands should also feel more at home in the first part of the race.
All in all, there is a good mix of teams on a good mix of terrain and even though the race is now only a 2.2 event, there should be some great racing ahead in the next week.
Photography
For a thumbnail gallery of these images, click here
Images by Bjorn Haake/Cyclingnews.com
- Topsport Vlaanderen will be racing at home the first few stages and the riders will try to take advantage of the cobbles.
- The Swiss National Team is looking forward to the mountains where they feel just like at home.
- Bettina Kuhn is eager to get going
- Jessica Schneeberger may indeed encounter snow in the mountains on the last stage.
- A friendly wave to the crowd from the Swiss selection.
- Dutchwoman Loes Markering is happy to be racing in her neighbouring country.
- The other Loes in the team is Loes Gunnewijk.
- German Bianca Knöpfle preferably speaks English with her northern team-mates.
- Team Flexpoint at the presentation
- Cervélo Lifeforce is looking to win the overall
- Priska Doppmann would like repeat her 2005 win.
- Sarah Düster smiles confidently ahead of the start.
- Australian Carla Ryan is brand new to the team as she only joined a couple of months ago. She is the Australian 2007 time trial champion.
- Pascale Schnider enjoyed the weather in Gent and smiled accordingly.
- Karin Thürig is the big favourite in the time trial.
- Swift Racing is a hot favourite to win the overall.
- And that is thanks to Nicole Cooke, who won the race the last two years.
- The Belgian Lotto Belisol team
- Lieselot Delcroix has qualified for the Olympics.
- But currently Delcroix only thinks about the one week of racing ahead.
- The Safi Pasta team was in good spirits
- Diana Ziliute already won the race in 1999.
- The Italians and Spaniards on the team wave to the crowd.
- The Chioro Forno d'Asolo team had only three riders at the presentation as the others were still sitting in the planes.
- Evelyn Garcia hails from El Salvador
- Edita Unguryte smiled as the announcer introduced her.
- The Spanish Multijaca team
- Maribel Moreno Allue is the Spanish National Champion.
- Laeticia Gil Parra functioned as translator.
- Patricia Perez Gimenez smiles to the crowd
- Ana Ramirez at the presentation
- Rosario Rodriquez Gomez was in a good mood
- Silvia Tirado Marquez on the podium
- Moreno can count on team support
- The Bourgogne team from France
- Sylvie Gaillon has done well in this race before.
- Line Foss from Norway
- Adeline Gourgin has won the Bourgogne Championships before.
- Claire Maugras at the presentation
- The Debabarrena Kirolgi team
- Isabelle Moulis is the experienced rider on the team.
Start list
Swift Racing Cervelo Lifeforce Pro Cycling Team
1 Nicole Cooke (GBr) 7 Priska Doppmann (Swi)
2 Ine Beyen (Bel) 8 Sarah Düster (Ger)
3 Toni Bradshaw (NZl) 9 Carla Ryan (Aus)
4 Dorte Lohse Rasmussen (Den) 10 Pascale Schnider (Swi)
5 Debby Van De Berg (Ned) 11 Christiane Soeder (Aut)
6 Helen Wyman (GBr) 12 Karin Thürig (Swi)
Fenixs Topsport Vlaanderen Thompson Ladies Team
13 Natalia Boyarskaya (Rus) 19 Loes Sels (Bel)
14 Tatiana Antoshina (Rus) 20 Kelly Druyts (Bel)
15 Jessica Cocchi (Ita) 21 Karen Steurs (Bel)
16 Siobhan Dervan (Irl) 22 Katrien Van Looy (Bel)
17 Suzie Godart (Lux)
18 Nadežda Vlasova (Rus)
USC Chirio Forno d'Asolo Bourgogne Selection
25 Tatiana Stiajkina (Ukr) 31 Sylvie Gaillon (Fra)
26 Alessia Quarta (Ita) 32 Katy Bruchon (Fra)
27 Evelyn Garcia (ESa) 33 Elise Bazourdy (Fra)
28 Rasa Polikeviciute (Ltu) 34 Line Foss (Nor)
29 Jolanta Polikeviciute (Ltu) 35 Adeline Gourgin (Fra)
30 Edita Unguryte (Ltu) 36 Claire Maugras (Fra)
Lotto-Belisol Ladiesteam Swiss National Team
37 Kim Schoonbaert (Bel) 43 Sereina Trachsel (Swi)
39 Lieselot Decroix (Bel) 44 Monika Furrer (Swi)
40 Yolandi Du Toit (RSA) 45 Bettina Kuhn (Swi)
41 Emma Silversides (GBr) 46 Emilie Aubry (Swi)
42 Grace Verbeke (Bel) 47 Fabienne Sommer (Swi)
48 Jessica Schneeberger (Swi)
Pratomagno Colombia Multijaca
49 Evgenia Vysotskai (Ukr) 55 Maribel Moreno Allue (Spa)
50 Elizabeth Agudelo (Col) 56 Laeticia Gil Parra (Spa)
51 Karen Alice Doljak Hentscholek (Par) 57 Patricia Perez Gimenez (Spa)
52 Consuelo Gwynne (Chi) 58 Ana Ramirez (Spa)
53 Paola Munoz (Chi) 59 Rosario Rodriguez Gomez (Spa)
54 Marcela Rubiano (CRc) 60 Silvia Tirado Marquez (Spa)
Team Flexpoint Debabarrena - Kirolgi
61 Loes Markerink (Ned) 67 Isabelle Moulis (Fra)
62 Elisabeth Braam (Ned) 68 Maitane Telletxea Lopez (Spa)
63 Loes Gunnewijk (Ned) 69 Naiara Telletxea Lopez (Spa)
64 Bianca Knöpfle (Ger) 70 Saioa Olitc Caluo (Spa)
65 Adriene Snijder (Ned) 71 Inma Rafael Salas (Spa)
66 Suzanne Van Veen (Ned) 72 Itsaso Leunda Coni (Spa)
Safi - Pasta Zara Manhattan
73 Diana Ziliute (Ltu)
74 Elena Berlato (Ita)
75 Odette Bertolin (Ita)
76 Alessandra Borchi (Ita)
78 Eneritz Iturriagaechevarria Mazaga (Spa)
Past winners
2007 1 Nicole Cooke (GBr) Raleigh Lifeforce Creation 2 Priska Doppmann (Swi) Raleigh Lifeforce Creation 3 Emma Pooley (GBr) Team Specialized Dfw 2006 1 Nicole Cooke (GBr) Univega Pro Cycling 2 Maryline Salvetat (Fra) Interregions Grand S 3 Tatsiana Sharakova (Rus) USC Chirio Forno d'Asolo 2005 1 Priska Doppman (Swi) Univega Pro Cycling Team 2 Edwige Pitel (Fra) Univega Pro Cycling Team 3 Christiane Soeder (Aut) Univega Pro Cycling Team 2004 Not held 2003 1 Joane Somarriba Arrola (Spa) Bizkaia Panda Spiuk Sabeco 2 Nicole Brändli (Swi) Prato Marathon Bike 3 Judith Arndt (Ger) Equipe Nürnberger Versicherung 2002 1 Zinaida Stahurskaia (Blr) USC Chirio 2 Susanne Ljungskog (Swe) Vlaanderen-T Interim 3 Joane Somarriba Arrola (Spa) Deia Pragma Colnago 2001 1 Joane Somarriba Arrola (Spa) Alfa Lum R.S.M. 2 Fabiana Luperini (Ita) Edilsavino 3 Judith Arndt (Ger) Junkers-Noja 2000 1 Joane Somarriba Arrola (Spa) Team Alfa Lum 2 Edita Pucinskaite (Ltu) Team Alfa Lum 3 Geraldine Loewenguth (Fra) French National Team 1999 1 Diana Ziliute (Lit) Acca Due O Lorena 2 Valentina Polkhanova (Rus) Russian Team 3 Edita Pucinskaite (Lit) Acca Due O Lorena 1998 1 Edita Pucinskaite (Lit) 2 Fabiana Luperini (Ita) 3 Alessandra Cappellotto (Ita) 1997 1 Fabiana Luperini (Ita) 2 Barbara Heeb (Swi) 3 Linda Jackson (Can) 1996 1 Fabiana Luperini (Ita) 2 Rasa Polikeviciute (Lit) 3 Jeannie Ciprelli-Longo (Fra) 1995 1 Fabiana Luperini (Ita) 2 Jeannie Ciprelli-Longo (Fra) 3 L Zberg (Swi) 1994 1 Valentina Polkhanova (Rus) 2 Rasa Polikeviciute (Lit) 3 C. Odin (Fra) 1993 1 Leontien Van Moorsel (Ned) 2 Marion Clignet (Fra) 3 H. Van De Vijver (Bel) 1992 1 Leontien Van Moorsel (Ned) 2 Jeannie Ciprelli-Longo (Fra) 3 H. Van De Vijver (Bel) 1989 1 Jeannie Ciprelli-Longo (Fra) 2 Maria Canins (Ita) 3 I. Thompson (USA) 1988 1 Jeannie Ciprelli-Longo (Fra) 2 Maria Canins (Ita) 3 Elizabeth Hepple (Aus) 1987 1 Jeannie Ciprelli-Longo (Fra) 2 Maria Canins (Ita) 3 U. Enzenauer (FRG) 1986 1 Maria Canins (Ita) 2 Jeannie Ciprelli-Longo (Fra) 3 I. Thompson (USA) 1985 1 Maria Canins (Ita) 2 Jeannie Ciprelli-Longo (Fra) 3 C. Odin (Fra) 1984 1 Mary-Ann Martin (USA) 2 H. Hage (Ned) 3 D. Schumway (USA) Past winners by Mario Stiehl, www.world-of-cycling.com
