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4th Geelong World Cup - CDM
Australia, February 26, 2006
Teutenberg wins Geelong World Cup
By John Michael Flynn in Geelong
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A sprint finish on the Geelong waterfront provided the perfect setting for T-Mobile sprinter Ina Teutenberg to win the opening round of the U.C.I. women's road cycling World Cup this afternoon.
The ten-time German champion continued the form she had shown earlier this week at the Geelong Tour, storming home in the bunch sprint, led out by Judith Arndt and the T-Mobile train. It was a dramatic climax to the opening round of the U.C.I. World Cup series, with a bold move by Nürnberger's Oenone Wood on the final climb of the 119 kilometre race almost producing a result.
Wood timed her surprise jump on the eighth lap of the Geelong circuit almost to perfection, however T-Mobile and several other teams responded, to hose down the attack with two kilometres to go.
"Oenone did an amazing attack on the last lap, I mean she was just amazing going up the hill," Teutenberg told Cyclingnews as the post-race celebrations began.
"It was just a little windy on the downhill and Univega and Judith (Arndt) pretty much rode her in until we got to the ocean road. Kate (Bates) just went a little too early and I could jump on her the last two hundred metres."
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Today's World Cup victory was Teutenberg's fourth podium for the week, after the German sprinter recorded results of second, third and first during the three stages of the Geelong Women's Tour.
Wood, the reigning World Cup series champion was left to lament what might have been for Nürnberger. "Our team plan was to have me go on that last hill and have Kate waiting there for the sprint," said Wood to Cyclingnews.
"Today she got boxed in and she had to sprint from four hundred metres so didn't have enough to come around Ina today. Could have worked, could have been the other way."
Olympic champion Sara Carrigan (Q.A.S.) was involved in a crash in the opening kilometre of today's race, but climbed back into the saddle and showed promising pre Commonwealth Games form, launching an attack on the penultimate lap which was also reeled in.
Minor placings in today's sprint finish went to Japan's Miho Oki (Nobili Rubinetterie) and Wood's team-mate Kate Bates (Nürnberger).
How it unfolded
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Overcast and warm conditions greeted the largest and highest quality women's peloton yet to assemble in Australia for a U.C.I. World Cup event. It was made up of 134 cyclists from 24 teams and there was drama early on when Olympic Champion Sara Carrigan was brought down in a crash shortly after the race start.
The Queenslander managed to pick herself up off the deck and keep going, but Bernadette Schober of the ACR-2XU team was slightly worse off, taken to hospital after sustaining facial injuries. "I had a crash in the first kilometre of the race and I was worse for wear but adrenaline kicked in and everything was good after that," said the Olympic champion.
"Someone went over a witches hat and it just flung into my bike and had nowhere to go and down I came. Broke my helmet and I just had to fix up my front wheel which was twisted, my shoulder and my hip's a little bit sore, I'm stoked how I came out of it."
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T-Mobile also suffered an early setback when Canadian Lyne Bessette, who was injured in a crash during the final stage of the Geelong Tour withdrew from the race, suffering the on-going effects of concussion.
Otherwise, the opening laps of the first World Cup race for 2006 were largely uneventful, as the high profile teams including Nürnberger, T-Mobile, Team New Zealand and the U.S.A. National team sized each other up.
The first significant move came at the 80 minute mark of the race when team New Zealand's Marina Duvnjak took off up the road. She was soon joined by a promising looking breakaway group which included Oenone Wood, the rapidly improving Australian Kate Nichols (N.S.W.I.S.), Geelong Tour stage winner Christiane Soeder (Univega) and Miho Oki (Nobili Rubinetterie)
The four riders appeared to be working together effectively, but were finally brought back to the bunch in the finishing chute, with two laps (30 kilometres) of the race remaining. Priska Dopman mounted another attack on behalf of the aggressive Univega team on the penultimate lap and looked to have established a sizeable lead when she surged ahead of the bunch on the climb. But as had been the case with previous attacks, Dopman was reeled in as the bunch built up speed on the downhill section of the course.
Attacks by Carrigan and Wood
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An attack soon followed from Olympic Champion Sara Carrigan and the brief establishment of a breakaway group which also included T-Mobile's Kimberly Bruckner-Balwin, Nürnberger's Trix Worrack and New Zealand's Susie Wood.
"It just has to be the right combination of girls," Carrigan said of her effort. "We had a good number of girls there, we had a T-Mobile girl and a Nürnberger girl and myself. Looked like a good break but the bunch swallowed us up, it wasn't to be."
It was Oenone Wood's attack on the last climb which looked to have victory written all over it, but when the World Cup Champion was also reeled in with two kilometres to go, a sprint finish was on.
The sprint finish
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With Nürnberger pinning their sprint hopes on Kate Bates, and with Rochelle Gilmore looming, Team U.S.A. also had plans of getting home their in-form sprinter Tina Mayola-Pic.
"Our goal was to get Tina into that last corner today and I think we did a great job," Kristin Armstrong said of the buildup to the finish. She (Pic) was really close to being on the podium and I think that all our expectations were met for the week."
It was Teutenberg who had all the legs in the long finishing straight and who drew the accolades from her rivals. The 31 year old German, who has been in Australia preparing for this race since October, blasted her opponents away with another perfectly judged sprint.
"She was definitely the strongest, no doubt," said 2005 Geelong World Cup winner Rochelle Gilmore, who finished fifth. I would describe her as one of the fastest in the world and in any given situation she can be there at the finish."
Gilmore, who had endured a difficult preparation for the World Cup event after crashing during the third stage of the Geelong Tour, unable to produce her trademark burst of speed. "I had the perfect position with a k to go I, just didn't have the punch in the legs today."
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Kate Bates was another who watched as T-Mobile's Teutenberg launched her sprint at the two hundred metre mark. The Australian road race champion was unable to go with the German and had to settle for third.
"Ina came past me like I was standing still," Bates recalled of the magenta breeze which blew past her. So she's the best bike rider out there today and we can only be happy that we've put all our cards on the table."
Japan's Miho Oki looked every bit as pleased as The German after crossing the finish line in second place. The Nobili Rubinetterie cyclist rode an aggressive race in the opening round of the World Cup and is now aiming for loftier goals.
"My team did a good job. Ina was so so strong, just too fast, but I was very good," Oki told Cyclingnews post-race, before signaling her next intention. I want a podium in Europe."
One up on the boys - but watch out for Nürnberger
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Nobody had more reason to celebrate at the Geelong World Cup than Ina Teutenberg, whose Australian mission was well and truly accomplished today with her second win for the season. And better still, the pressure is firmly on the T-Mobile men's team to lift their game, even though they too are in winning form.
"Winning the first World Cup it doesn't go any better," a smiling Teutenberg said. "The team can relax now a little bit until we go back to Europe, we're one up on the boys (T-Mobile men's team) because they won today, so we had to put one on them again.
The Nürnberger team meantime will head to next weekend's second race of the World Cup series in New Zealand with a new set of goals for 2006. Two-time World Cup champion Oenone Wood made it abundantly clear with today's breakaway effort that she plans to go for race victories this year, even if it comes at the expense of the overall championship.
"I want to have a really good go of this season and be more aggressive in racing and this is just the start of it," Wood said of her plans. One hundred per cent go for the win, that's how our team wants to race this year, we want to win races."
Photography
For a thumbnail gallery of these images, click here
Images by John Veage/Cycling Australia
- Oenone Wood (Equipe Nürnberger Versicherung) rolls out with the peloton at the start.
- The peloton strung out across Aberdeen Street.
- A crash in the opening kilometre saw Sara Carrigan (Q.A.S.) go down, but the Olympic champion climbed back into the saddle.
- What would cycling do without our marshals?
- The peloton en masse down Hyland Street.
- A ferocious attack by Oenone Wood (Equipe Nürnberger Versicherung) on the last climb looked to have victory written all over it, but was reeled in with two kilometres to go.
- Ina Teutenberg (T-Mobile) wins the opening round of the 2006 Women's World Cup in Geelong.
- And isn't Ina happy!
- Sara Carrigan (Q.A.S.) congratulates winner Ina Teutenberg (T-Mobile), with Judith Arndt in the background.
- The podium - (L to R) Miho Oki (Nobili Rubinetterie), Ina Teutenberg (T-Mobile) and Kate Bates (Nürnberger).
- Ina Teutenberg (T-Mobile) becomes the first leader of the 2006 Women's World Cup.
- Give us a wave, Ina! Ina Teutenberg (T-Mobile) waves to her fans.
Images by John Flynn/Cyclingnews.com
- Olympic champion Sara Carrigan
- Alexis Rhodes signs on for World Cup duty
- T-Mobile means business
- World Cup Champion Oenone Wood
- The UCI World Cup season gets underway
- New Zealand's Melissa Holt and Japan's Miho Oki negotiate a roundabout
- Claudia Stumpf - German National Team
- The peloton enters the suburbs of Geelong
- The peloton on the climb
- Queensland rookie Anouska Edwards on the front of the bunch
- Riders negotiate the hairpin
- The five rider breakaway about to get caught
- Kate Bates cornering
- Nurnberger's Oenone Wood
- Ina Teutenberg (T-Mobile) wins the sprint
- The World Cup series leader Ina Teutenberg
- Japan's Miho Oki on the podium
- Time for the bubbly
Results
1 Ina Teutenberg (Ger) T-Mobile 3.08.51 2 Miho Oki (Jpn) Nobili Rubinetterie Menikini Cogeas 3 Katherine Bates (Aus) Equipe Nürnberger Versicherung 4 Tina Mayola-Pic (USA) USA Cycling Team 5 Rochelle Gilmore (Aus) SAFI - Pasta Zara Manhattan 6 Gina Grain (Can) Giant PRO Cycling Team 7 Annette Beutler (Swi) ELK Haus NÖ 8 Nicole Cooke (GBr) Univega Pro Cycling Team 9 Tamara Boyd (NZl) Bike New Zealand 10 Joanne Kiesanowski (NZl) Univega Pro Cycling Team 11 Monia Baccaille (Ita) Italian National Team 12 Svetlana Bubnenkova (Rus) Russian National Team 13 Hayley Brown (Aus) Chase Sydney - Smart - Mercedes Benz 14 Giorgia Bronzini (Ita) A S Team FRW 15 Emma Rickards (Aus) Univega Pro Cycling Team 16 Sigrid Corneo (Ita) Nobili Rubinetterie Menikini Cogeas 17 Susanne Ljungskog (Swe) Team Cheerwine/Bicisport 18 Larissa Kleinmann (Ger) German National Team 19 Kate Nichols (Aus) New South Wales Institute of Sport 20 Catherine Sell (NZl) Team New Zealand 21 Charlotte Goldsmith (GBr) SAFI - Pasta Zara Manhattan 22 Leonie Aisbett (Aus) Chase Sydney - Smart - Mercedes Benz 23 Elodie Tuoffet (Fra) Nobili Rubinetterie Menikini Cogeas 24 Olga Slyusareva (Rus) Russian National Team 25 Sally Cowman (Aus) New South Wales Institute of Sport 26 Sarah Duester (Ger) Univega Pro Cycling Team 27 Kori Seehafer (USA) USA Cycling Team 28 Edwige Pitel (Fra) Japan Businessman Cycling Federation 29 Susie Wood (NZl) Bike New Zealand 30 Kate Mercer (Aus) Queensland Academy of Sport 31 Olivia Gollan (Aus) Nobili Rubinetterie Menikini Cogeas 32 Kristen Armstrong (USA) USA Cycling Team 0.00.07 33 Lang Meng (Chn) Giant PRO Cycling Team 34 Nikke Egyed (Aus) Queensland Academy of Sport 35 Jemma O'Brien (Aus) Key Building - South Coast Academy of Sport 36 Amy Hunt (GBr) SAFI - Pasta Zara Manhattan 37 Masami Mashimo (Jpn) Japanese National Team 38 Michelle Hyland (NZl) Bike New Zealand 39 Natalie Bates (Aus) New South Wales Institute of Sport 40 Vicki Eustace (Aus) Key Building - South Coast Academy of Sport 41 Oenone Wood (Aus) Equipe Nürnberger Versicherung 42 Trixi Worrack (Ger) Equipe Nürnberger Versicherung 0.00.11 43 Judith Arndt (Ger) T-Mobile 44 Priska Doppmann (Swi) Univega Pro Cycling Team 45 Sara Carrigan (Aus) Queensland Academy of Sport 46 Toni Bradshaw (NZl) Bike New Zealand 47 Eva Lutz (Aus) Equipe Nürnberger Versicherung 48 Sarah Ulmer (NZl) Bike New Zealand 0.00.31 49 Mellisa Holt (NZl) Bike New Zealand 0.00.44 50 Yan Xia Jiang (Chn) Giant PRO Cycling Team 0.01.04 51 Natalia Boyarskaya (Rus) Russian National Team 52 Isabella Wieser (Aut) ELK Haus NÖ 53 Youko Okuda (Jpn) Japanese National Team 54 Elke Gebhardt (Ger) German National Team 55 Marlen Johrend (Ger) German National Team 56 Brei Gudsell (NZl) Team New Zealand 57 Maryam Rogers (Aus) ACR-2XU 58 Helen Kelly (Aus) Team Cheerwine/Bicisport 59 Ryoko Yamaguchi (Jpn) Japan Businessman Cycling Federation 60 Claire Baxter (Aus) ACR-2XU 61 Hannah Banks (Aus) Australian National Team 62 Dale Tye (NZl) Team New Zealand 63 Belinda Diprose (Aus) Key Building - South Coast Academy of Sport 64 Kimberly Bruckner Baldwin (USA) T-Mobile 65 Alexis Rhodes (Aus) Australian National Team 66 Martina Corazza (Ita) A S Team FRW 67 Lauren Franges (USA) USA Cycling Team 68 Magali Le Floch (Fra) T-Mobile 69 Amy Moore (Can) T-Mobile 70 Amanda Spratt (Aus) Australian National Team 0.02.04 71 Patricia Schwager (Swi) ELK Haus NÖ 72 Eleonora Soldo (Ita) Italian National Team 0.08.12 73 Rie Katayama (Jpn) Japan Businessman Cycling Federation 74 Rachel O'Connor (Aus) Key Building - South Coast Academy of Sport 75 Emma Mackie (Aus) Australian National Team 76 Jeny Trew (Can) Team Cheerwine/Bicisport 77 Tatiana Antoschina (Rus) Russian National Team 78 Trudy Van Der Straaten (Aus) Team Cheerwine/Bicisport 79 Akemi Morimoto (Jpn) Japanese National Team 80 Kettj Manfrin (Ita) A S Team FRW 81 Anoushka Edwards (Aus) Queensland Academy of Sport 82 Gessica Turato (Ita) Italian National Team 83 Sima Trapp (USA) USA Cycling Team 84 Kanako Nishi (Jpn) Japanese National Team 85 Lauren Koedyk (NZl) Chase Sydney - Smart - Mercedes Benz 86 Masumi Sakai (Jpn) Japan Businessman Cycling Federation 87 Min Gad (Chn) Giant PRO Cycling Team 89 Laura Pisaneschi (Ita) A S Team FRW 90 Xiong Ying Ruan (Chn) Giant PRO Cycling Team 91 Jessie Maclean (Aus) Chase Sydney - Smart - Mercedes Benz 92 Toireasa Gallagher (Aus) New South Wales Institute of Sport 0.08.15 93 Ayako Toyooka (Jpn) Japanese National Team 94 Ombretta Ugolini (Ita) A S Team FRW 95 Silvia Valseccai (Ita) Nobili Rubinetterie Menikini Cogeas 96 Emi Wachi (Jpn) Japan Businessman Cycling Federation 96 Louise Kerr (Aus) Queensland Academy of Sport 97 Candice Sullivan (Aus) Australian National Team 98 Kate Charge (Aus) New South Wales Institute of Sport 99 Emma James (Aus) Chase Sydney - Smart - Mercedes Benz 100 Anna Sutton (Aus) Landlink Cycling 0.08.19 101 Marina Duvnjak (NZl) Team New Zealand 0.08.24 102 Claudia Stumpf (Ger) German National Team 0.08.25 103 Rosara Joseph (NZl) Team New Zealand 104 Takao Nagayama (Jpn) Japan Businessman Cycling Federation 105 Carla Ryan (Aus) Landlink DNF Anke Wichmann (Ger) Equipe Nürnberger Versicherung DNF Christiane Soeder (Aut) Univega Pro Cycling Team DNF Lyne Bessette (Can) T-Mobile DNF Marta Vilajosana (Spa) Nobili Rubinetterie Menikini Cogeas DNF Naomi William (Aus) SAFI - Pasta Zara Manhattan DNF Kerryn Charman (Aus) SAFI - Pasta Zara Manhattan DNF Barbel Jungmeier (Aut) ELK Haus NÖ DNF Alisha Lion (USA) ELK Haus NÖ DNF Yun Mei Wu (Chn) Giant PRO Cycling Team DNF Jenny Macpherson (Aus) Australian National Team DNF Vera Carrara (Ita) Italian National Team DNF Annalisa Cucinotta (Ita) Italian National Team DNF Lisa Gatto (Ita) Italian National Team DNF Meredith Miller (USA) USA Cycling Team DNF Irina Zemlyanskaya (Rus) Russian National Team DNF Kara Northcott (NZl) Team New Zealand DNF Nicole Magner (Aus) Queensland Academy of Sport DNF Bridie O'Donnell (Aus) ACR-2XU DNF Kirsty Bortolin (Aus) ACR-2XU DNF Kelly Benjamin (USA) Team Cheerwine/Bicisport DNF Kerry Cohen (Aus) Team Cheerwine/Bicisport DNF Erin Chamberlen (Aus) Chase Sydney - Smart - Mercedes Benz DNF Alicia Evans (Aus) Landlink Cycling DNF Sophie Ruderman (GBr) ACR-2XU DNS Bianca Knopfle (Ger) German National Team DNS Hiroko Shimada (Jpn) Japanese National Team DNS Katrina Hair (GBr) Landlink Cycling DNS Kate Cullen (GBr) Landlink Cycling DNS Belinda Goss (Aus) Landlink Cycling 144 starters 105 finishers
