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5th Primavera Rosa - CDM
Italy, March 22, 2003
Main Page Results World Cup Standings
Zabirova wins with strong solo
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With a powerful attack on the Cipressa with 25 km to go, Russian rider Zoulfia Zabirova (Prato Marathon Bike) has claimed La Primavera Rosa, the second leg of the Women's World Cup. Zabirova rode away from the 60-strong peloton to win the race by 34 seconds, with Regina Schleicher (US Chirio Forno D'Asolo) winning the bunch sprint for second ahead of Australian Rochelle Gilmore (Ausra Gruodis-Safi).
The 121 kilometre race started from Varazze at 11:30 with a large peloton of 138 riders. They faced the final part of the Milan-San Remo parcours, with the entire race being run along the Ligurian coast. The early part of the race was marked by several crashes, including one in the Varigotti tunnel (km 29), but all of the favourites caught behind the crash were able to make it back to the peloton.
After 60 kilometres, five riders attacked: Hanka Kupfernagel (Nurnberger), Miho Oki (Farm Frites-Hartol), Oenone Wood (Australian National Tema), Marta Evangelisti (Michela Fanini) and Dori Ruano (Prato Marathon Bike). However the break didn't last long, being caught by Kate Bates (Powerplate), Margaret Hemsley (Nurnberger), Marina Jaunatre (France), Joulia Martissova (Prato Marathon Bike) and Hayley Rutherford (Road Runner) and then the peloton at 67 kilometres.
The peloton was still together when it hit the Capo Berta with 39 km to go, with Serana Cavicchi (Prato Bike-Aki) attacking on the climb to gain a few metres before she was caught over the top. The status quo was maintained until the Cipressa, 12 km later, when Zoulfia Zabirova exploded out of the bunch and immediately gained 15 seconds. By the top of the 5.7 km climb she had 35 seconds on a bunch of 60 riders, who were not fully committed to chasing the 1996 Olympic time trial champion down.
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Zabirova increased her lead to 50" at the base of the Poggio with 9 km to race, and that was more than enough for her to stay clear as the peloton fragmented behind her. On the climb, Oenone Wood (Australia) and Nicole Brandli (Prato Marathon Bike) attacked, but were caught just near the summit by the now much smaller peloton.
As Zabirova was steaming towards victory with 1 km to go, there was an incident in the bunch that took out World Champion Susanne Ljungskog, after a rider swerved and broke several spokes in her front wheel. The sprint for second place was taken by Regina Schleicher from Rochelle Gilmore, with around 30 riders arriving in the lead group.
With her victory, Zabirova moves into second overall in the World Cup standings behind Australian Sara Carrigan (Powerplate-Bik), who finished 13th today and gained 8 points.
Photography
Images by Fotoreporter Sirotti
- Zoulfia Zabirova (Prato Marathon Bike) wins the 5th Primavera Rosa in San Remo
- The sprint for second in La Primavera Rosa was taken by Regina Schleicher (Us Chirio, C) from Rochelle Gilmore (Ausra Gruodis - Safi, L)
- La Primavera Rosa podium (L to R): Regina Schleicher (2nd), Zoulfia Zabirova (1st) and Rochelle Gilmore (3rd)
- Zoulfia Zabirova (Prato Marathon Bike) on the podium with her trophy
- World Cup leader Sara Carrigan (Powerplate-Bik) flanked by Zoulfia Zabirova (2nd, L) and Rochelle Gilmore (3rd, R)
Images by Davide Tricarico
- Susanne Ljunsgkog (Catalunya-Aliverti-Kookai) wears the rainbow at the start
- Vera Carrara (Road Runner - Guerciotti) looking very happy
- Riders sweep round a corner on the Capo Berta
- Zoulfia Zabirova (Prato Marathon Bike) rolls across the finish after her solo effort
- Zoulfia Zabirova chats with Alexandre Vinokourov (Telekom)
- Zoulfia Zabirova gives one of many post-race interviews
- Regina Schliecher (Us Chirio Forno D'asolo) won the sprint for second over Rochelle Gilmore (Ausra Gruodis - Safi)
Results - 121 km
1 Zoulfia Zabirova (Rus) Prato Marathon Bike 3.05.22 (39.15 km/h) 2 Regina Schleicher (Ger) Us Chirio Forno D'asolo 0.34 3 Rochelle Gilmore (Aus) Ausra Gruodis - Safi 4 Virginie Moinard (Fra) French National Team 5 Anita Valen (Nor) Bik-Powerplate 6 Oenone Wood (Aus) Australian National Team 7 Magalie Le Floc'h (Fra) French National Team 8 Alison Wright (Aus) Road Runner - Guerciotti 9 Sophie Creux (Fra) French National Team 10 Diana Ziliute (Ltu) Acca Due O-Pasta Zara Lorena Camicie 11 Mirjam Melchers (Ned) Farm Frites-Hartol 12 Joulia Martissova (Rus) Prato Marathon Bike 13 Sara Carrigan (Aus) Bik-Powerplate 14 Judith Arndt (Ger) Equipe Nurnberger Versicherung 15 Vera Carrara (Ita) Road Runner - Guerciotti 16 Rosa Maria Bravo Soba (Spa) Spanish National Team 17 Svetlana Boubnenkova (Rus) Prato Marathon Bike 18 Nicole Brandli (Swi) Prato Marathon Bike 19 Hayley Rutherford (Aus) Road Runner - Guerciotti 20 Olivia Gollan (Aus) Australian National Team 21 Chantal Beltman (Ned) Acca Due O-Pasta Zara Lorena Camicie 22 Arenda Grimderg (Ned) Farm Frites-Hartol 23 Zinaida Stahurskaia (Blr) Us Chirio Forno D'asolo 24 Aline Camboulives (Fra) G.S. Mazza 25 Joane Somarriba Arrola (Spa) Spanish National Team 26 Nicole Cooke (GBr) Ausra Gruodis - Safi 27 Cindy Pieters (Bel) Vlaanderen-T-Interim Ladies Team 0.38 28 Margaret Hemsley (Aus) Equipe Nurnberger Versicherung 0.46 29 Tanja Schmidt-Hennes (Ger) Team Next 125 0.51 30 Miho Oki (Jpn) Farm Frites-Hartol 31 Ghita Beltman (Ned) Acca Due O-Pasta Zara Lorena Camicie 32 Modesta Vzesniauskaite (Ltu) Ausra Gruodis - Safi 33 Edita Pucinskaite (Ltu) S.C. Michela Fanini Record Rox 34 Lisbeth Simper (Den) S.C. Michela Fanini Record Rox 35 Serena Cavicchi (Ita) Prato Bike - Aki 36 Sandrine Marcuz (Fra) S.C. Michela Fanini Record Rox 37 Simona Parente (Ita) Team Catalunya-Aliverti-Kookai 38 Juliette Vandekerckhove (Fra) French National Team 39 Catherine Marsal (Fra) French National Team 40 Hanka Kupfernagel (Ger) Equipe Nurnberger Versicherung 1.00 41 Angela Brodtka (Ger) German National Team 42 Giovanna Troldi (Ita) S.C. Michela Fanini Record Rox 43 Theresa Senff (Ger) German National Team 1.03 44 Katia Longhin (Ita) Acca Due O-Pasta Zara Lorena Camicie 1.07 45 Marta Evangelisti (Ita) S.C. Michela Fanini Record Rox 1.10 46 Barbara Heeb (Swi) Swiss National Team 47 Susanne Ljungskog (Swe) Team Catalunya-Aliverti-Kookai 1.15 48 Loes Gunnewijk (Ned) Ondernemers Van Nature 1.30 49 Baukje Doedee (Ned) Team Catalunya-Aliverti-Kookai 50 Sarah Grab (Swi) Swiss National Team 51 Gunn-Rita Dahle (Nor) Ausra Gruodis - Safi 52 Petra Henzi (Swi) Swiss National Team 53 Silvia Parietti (Ita) Prato Bike - Aki 1.47 54 Giorgia Bronzini (Ita) Ausra Gruodis - Safi 55 Corine Hierckens (Bel) Bik-Powerplate 56 Fabiana Luperini (Ita) Team 2002 Aurora RSM 57 Tina Liebig (Ger) German National Team 58 Nataliya Kachalka (Ukr) Team 2002 Aurora RSM 59 Sharon Van Essen (Ned) Bik-Powerplate 60 Caroline Payot-Podevin (Fra) G.S. Mazza 3.02 61 Adrie Visser (Ned) Dutch National Team 62 Marina Jaunatre (Fra) French National Team 63 Marina Khodtchenkova (Rus) Us Chirio Forno D'asolo 64 Vibe Kolding (Den) S.C. Michela Fanini Record Rox 65 Katherine Bates (Aus) Bik-Powerplate 66 Sigrid Corneo (Ita) Road Runner - Guerciotti 67 Irene Puccioni (Ita) Prato Bike - Aki 68 Julie Pekarkova (Cze) Czech National Team 69 Anna Zugno (Ita) Ju Sport - Gorla Minore 70 Irene Hostettler (Swi) Team Next 125 71 Alexandra Bahler (Swi) G.S. Mazza 72 Eneritz Iturriaga (Spa) Team 2002 Aurora RSM 73 Zita Urbonaite (Ltu) Acca Due O-Pasta Zara Lorena Camicie 74 Natalie Bates (Aus) Australian National Team 75 Maribel Moreno Allue (Spa) Spanish National Team 3.23 76 Areke Hassink (Ned) Dutch National Team 4.19 77 Debby Mansveld (Ned) Vlaanderen-T-Interim Ladies Team 6.18 78 Martine Bras (Ned) Ondernemers Van Nature 79 Suzanne De Goede (Ned) Farm Frites-Hartol 80 Sharon Van Dromme (Bel) Vlaanderen-T-Interim Ladies Team 81 Katrin Leumann (Swi) Team Next 125 82 Pavla Havlikova (Cze) Czech National Team 83 Elena Chalaeva (Rus) Prato Marathon Bike 84 Erika Vilunaite (Ltu) Ausra Gruodis - Safi 85 Josephine Groenveld (Ned) Dutch National Team 86 Marianna Lorenzoni (Ita) Team Catalunya-Aliverti-Kookai 87 Yvonne Brunen (Ned) Bik-Powerplate 88 Béatrice Thomas (Fra) G.S. Mazza 89 Emma James (Aus) Australian National Team 90 Elisabeth Vink (Ned) Farm Frites-Hartol 91 Claudia Hecht (Ger) German National Team 6.24 92 Frederika Van Der Wiel (Ned) Dutch National Team 9.08 93 Jaccolien Wallard (Ned) Dutch National Team 94 Charlotte Becker (Ger) German National Team 95 Esther Van Der Helm (Ned) Farm Frites-Hartol 96 Leticia Gil Parra (Spa) Spanish National Team 97 Arantzazu Azpiroz (Spa) Spanish National Team 98 Jennifer Manefield (Aus) Australian National Team Starters: 138 Classified: 98
World Cup standings after round 2
AUS ITA Tot. 1 Sara Carrigan (Aus) Bik-Powerplate 75 8 83 pts 2 Zoulfia Zabirova (Rus) Prato Marathon Bike - 75 75 3 Regina Schleicher (Ger) Us Chirio Forno D'asolo 11 50 61 4 Katie Mactier (Aus) Saturn 50 - 50 5 Rochelle Gilmore (Aus) Ausra Gruodis - Safi 15 35 50 6 Judith Arndt (Ger) Equipe Nurnberger 35 7 42 7 Melissa Holt (NZl) Rona 30 - 30 8 Oenone Wood (Aus) 6 24 30 9 Virginie Moinard (Fra) - 30 30 10 Kristen Armstrong (USA) Team T-Mobile 27 - 27 11 Anita Valen (Nor) Bik-Powerplate - 27 27 12 Alison Wright (Aus) 7 18 25 13 Nathalie Bates (Aus) 24 - 24 14 Katherine Bates (Aus) Bik-Powerplate 21 - 21 15 Le Floc'h Magalie (Fra) - 21 21 16 Petra Rossner (Ger) Equipe Nurnberger 18 - 18 17 Sophie Creux (Fra) - 15 15 18 Diana Ziliute (Ltu) Acca Due O-Lorena Camicie - 11 11 19 Andrea Bosman (Ned) Bik-Powerplate 10 - 10 20 Mirjam Melchers (Ned) Farm Frites-Hartol - 10 10 21 Alexis Rhodes (Aus) 9 - 9 22 Joulia Martissova (Rus) Prato Marathon Bike - 9 9 23 Miho Oki (Jpn) Farm Frites-Hartol 8 - 8 24 Vera Carrara (Ita) Road Runner Guerciotti - 6 6 25 Olivia Gollan (Aus) 5 1 6 26 Rosa Maria Bravo Soba (Spa) - 5 5 27 Amy Safe (Aus) 4 - 4 28 Svetlana Boubnenkova (Rus) Prato Marathon Bike - 4 4 29 Elizabeth Williams (NZl) 3 - 3 30 Nicole Brandli (Swi) Prato Marathon Bike - 3 3 31 Renée Fortunato (Aus) 2 - 2 32 Hayley Rutherford (Aus) Road Runner Guerciotti - 2 2 33 Margaret Hemsley (Aus) Equipe Nurnberger 1 - 1
