Recently on Cyclingnews.com |
 Giro finale Photo ©: Bettini |
7th Le Tour du Grand Montréal - 2.1
Canada, June 2-5, 2008
Main Page Results Overall standings Previous Stage Next Stage
Stage 2 - June 3: Granby - Granby, 104km
Arndt solo victory and ties for yellow
By Kirsten Robbins in Granby
|
Recent Montreal World Cup winner Judith Arndt (High Road Women) took her second victory this week when she soloed in to a victory, narrowly ahead of the field sprint won by Regina Schleicher (Equipe Nürnberger) ahead of Oenone Wood (High Road Women).
"I tried to attack because I had no other choice really," Arndt explained. "With one kilometer to go I was quite sure that I was going to win. I'm not a real sprinter so my attack had to be a good one. But I think that having someone like me up the road, even for a little bit is good for the sprinters on our team so they can save their legs."
After attacking her seven break away companions in the dying moments of the stage, Arndt held off the sprinters who were barreling down the finishing straight right behind.
Arndt's slender six second advantage on the line, combined with the ten second time bonus for the win was enough to move her into second overall, equal on time with Schleicher. Oenone Wood (High Road Women) remains in third.
|
"We had Nürnberger working at the end a little bit," said Schleicher regarding her team's efforts to close the gap to Arndt as much as possible before the finish line. "It was also partially to lead me out for a good sprint too. I'm feeling good now and coming into good form, at least I hope I am."
Schleicher will remain in the yellow jersey for the start of stage three's time trial. Because both riders have won a stage, the tiebreaker was determined by the rider who had the most second places, as stated in the UCI stage race rules.
"I think we are set up very well for the GC and we have several different options," said Wood regarding the slim gaps between High Road and Nürnberger on the GC. "We will have to see how it goes after the time trial tomorrow, what the time gaps are. It's obviously really close and this tour always comes down to the last second. I think we are probably the two strong teams here and that will probably continue until the end of this tour."
How it unfolded
|
The rain continued to pour in Montreal until the start of the women's 104-kilometre event when the clouds parted to reveal some welcomed sunshine. The race started with aggression with the majority of team's sending riders up the road in the hope that they would stay away.
The first significant break happened as they began lap five when a split of nearly twenty riders broke from the front of the peloton and held a 15 second advantage for two laps.
While most teams were represented in the large break, Team Canada was forced into the position to chase in order to reduce the time difference to a more manageable number of seconds.
Equipe Nürnberger's sprinter Suzanne de Goede continued her intermediate sprint success, gaining an additional 13 points to lead the green jersey point competition.
Stage two also presented the riders with three climb to kick off the start of the QOM competition. Felica Gomez (Aaron's) has a firm hold on the polka dot jersey after taking maximum points on two climbs and second place in the third, accumulating 27 points total.
|
"We had a meeting this morning and I decided I wanted to go for the QOM," Gomez explained. "We don't have a bunch sprint finishing team here so we wanted to get in breaks, be active and present in the breaks. I'm a climber, not that this was a real climb but, I wanted to try to go for it and I did."
With all intermediate sprints and QOM's out of the way, the field began launching several attacks that began with Anne Samplonius (Team Canada) and Erinne Willock (Webcor-Builders).
Through a constant stream of efforts a reshuffling of the top two occurred when Judith Arndt and Larissa Kleinmann (Equipe Nürnberger) separated themselves from the field and Leigh Hobson (Team Canada) and Helen Kelly (Tibco) joined the pair shortly after.
|
"I think it was an interesting race today with a lot of attacking," said Arndt. "Our strategy today was to be able to make a break away. When Leigh Hobson was out on the front, I was hoping that someone else was going to chase her, so that I could attack after that. Of course I am happy today, we have to be happy when we win."
The four escapees turned into seven when an additional three riders that included, Erinne Willock (Webcor-Builders), Meredith Millar (Aaron's) and Victoria Bastide (Tibco) bridged across.
Hobson took the race by the horns when she jumped the break away with half a lap to go and gained a ten second lead. Arndt seized her opportunity for the stage victory when she passed Hobson and continued a time-trial like effort to the line. With the exception of Arndt, all break away riders were reabsorbed into the peloton.
Photography
For a thumbnail gallery of these images, click here
Images by CJ Farquharson/WomensCycling.net
- The Tour of Greater Montreal host cities: Stage 2 host - Ville de Granby.
- Suzanne De Goede (Equipe Nürnberger Versicher) is the sprints leader.
- Regina Schleicher (Equipe Nürnberger Versicher) is in the leader's yellow jersey after her sprint win on Stage 1.
- A strung out line as the race goes over the climb .
- Nikki Egyed (Australia), watchful for the attack by Modesta Vzesniauskaite (Equipe Nürnberger Versicher).
- Rachel Heal (Tibco) and a rider from Giant Pro Cycling head over the climb at speed.
- Anne Samplonius (Canada) attacks as the bunch comes back into Granby.
- Chantal Beltman (High Road) and Kate Bates (on her wheel) police the attack by Anne Samplonius (Canada).
- Monika Schachl (Uniqa) concentrates in the bunch.
- Janel Holcomb (Webcor) attacked on a technical section in Grnaby.
- Suzanne De Goede (Equipe Nürnberger Versicher) chases a wheel.
- Brei Gudsell (Team Pro Feminin Les Carroz) is one of the two Kiwis in the French team.
- With two laps to go, everything was all together but the pace was still high.
- Julie Dheruelle (Vienne Futuroscope) fingers her brakes, just in case.
- The bunch chases the five escapee riders as they pass the finish with one lap to go.
- Natalie Bates (Menikini Selle Italia) leads sister, Kate Bates (High Road) on the final lap.
- Judith Arndt (High Road) approaches the finish, to win solo, just seconds ahead of the bunch.
- Judith Arndt (High Road) wins the second stage of the Tour of Greater Montreal and enjoys the victory.
- The sprint for second is led by Tour leader Regina Schleicher (Equipe Nürnberger Versicher), ahead of Brooke Miller (Tibco), Rochelle Gilmore (Menikini Selle Italia) and Oenone Wood (High Road).
- Mara Abbott, Judith Arndt and Kate Bates (all Team High Road) ride back from the finish.
- Race start looms. Riders wait to start the second stage in Granby.
- Dalila Rodriguez (Cuba) attacked early in the race, on the way to the climb. She wasn't away for long.
- Judith Arndt (High Road) and Brooke Miller (Tibco) don't seem concerned by the Cuban's attack.
- Podium (L-R): Regina Schleicher (Equipe Nürnberger Versicher), Judith Arndt (High Road Women) and Oenone Wood (High Road Women).
- Regina Schleicher (Equipe Nürnberger Versicher) will start Stage 3 in the race lead.
- The colourful podium: Suzanne De Goede (Equipe Nürnberger Versicher), Anne Samplonius (Canada), Regina Schleicher (Equipe Nürnberger Versicher), Felicia Gomez (Aaron's Professional Cycling) and Judith Arndt (High Road Women).
Images by Mitch Friedman/www.mitchophoto.com
- Janel Holcomb (Webcor) gets ready to race.
- Nikki Egyed (Australia) heats up the legs before she races.
- Tibco rider Victoria Bastide sets off at the start.
- Emma Pooley (Specialized Designs for Women) goes into a turn.
- Artsy shot of Aaron’s rider Julie Beveridge.
- Jim Williams having some fun during the race.
- Julie Dheruelle (Vienne Futuroscope) during the second stage.
- Cuba’s Dalila Rodriguez made a jump on the field and pulled away.
- Menikini-Selle Italia Master Colors riders Rochelle Gillmore, Trine Schmidt and Nathalie Bates.
- Trine Schmidt (Menikini-Selle Italia Mater Colors) during the second stage.
- Marie Lindberg (Equipe Nürnberger Versicher) and Chantal Beltman (High Road) enter a turn.
- Aude Pollet (Team Pro Feminin Les Carroz) leads Ukraine rider Elzaveta Bochkarova.
- Sarah Grab of Specialized Designs for Women on the second stage.
- Nathalie Bates and Kori Seehafer Kelley in the middle of things.
- Nathalie Bates and sister Kate Bates at the front of the peloton.
- High Road’s Judith Arndt takes the win by six seconds on the second stage.
- Equipe Nürnberger Versicher rider and race leader Regina Schleicher gets second spot over Oenone Wood (High Road), Rochelle Gilmore (Menikini-Selle Italia Master Colors), and Brooke Miller (TiBCO).
Results
1 Judith Arndt (Ger) High Road Women 2.32.35 (40.895 km/h) 2 Regina Schleicher (Ger) Equipe Nürnberger Versicher 0.06 3 Oenone Wood (Aus) High Road Women 4 Rochelle Gilmore (Aus) Menikini-Selle Italia Master colour 5 Brooke Miller (USA) Team TIBCO 6 Tanja Hennes (Ger) Specialized Designs for Women 7 Nathalie Lamborelle (Lux) UNIQA 8 Yong Li Liu (Chn) Giant Pro Cycling 9 Christine Majerus (Lux) ESGL 93 GSD Gestion 10 Joelle Numainville (Can) ESGL 93 GSD Gestion 11 Lorian Graham (Aus) Australian National Team 12 Sara Carrigan (Aus) Australian National Team 13 Alex Wrubleski (Can) Webcor Builders 14 Olena Andruk (Ukr) Ukrainian National Team 15 Sophie Creux (Fra) ESGL 93 GSD Gestion 16 Yeima Torres (Cub) Cuban National Team 17 Lang Meng (Chn) Giant Pro Cycling 18 Aude Pollet (Fra) Team Pro Feminin Les Carroz 19 Louise Moriarty (Irl) Specialized Carrefour Multis 20 Emmanuelle Merlot (Fra) Vienne Futuroscope 21 Tiffany Cromwell (Aus) Australian National Team 22 Li Ping Zhang (Chn) Giant Pro Cycling 23 Carissa Wilkes (NZl) Team Pro Feminin Les Carroz 24 Iraida Garcia (Cub) Cuban National Team 25 Suzanne De Goede (Ned) Equipe Nürnberger Versicher 26 Karin Aune (Swe) UNIQA 27 Jen Stephenson (Can) Ultralink 28 Dalila Rodriguez (Cub) Cuban National Team 29 Nikki Egyed (Aus) Australian National Team 30 Erinne Willock (Can) Webcor Builders 31 Yumari Gonzalez (Cub) Cuban National Team 32 Mirjam Hauser-Senn (Swi) Specialized Designs for Women 33 Leigh Hobson (Can) Canadian National Team 34 Lauren Franges (USA) Team TIBCO 35 Meredith Miller (USA) Aaron's Professional Cycling 36 Fiona Dutriaux (Fra) Vienne Futuroscope 37 Audrey Cordon (Fra) Vienne Futuroscope 38 Julie Bellerose (Can) Equipe Cascades 39 Elizaveta Bochkarova (Ukr) Ukrainian National Team 40 Modesta Vzesniauskaite (Ltu) Equipe Nürnberger Versicher 41 Bettina Hold (Can) Canadian National Team 42 Alison Testroete (Can) Aaron's Professional Cycling 43 Julie Beveridge (Can) Aaron's Professional Cycling 44 Daniela Pintarelli (Aut) UNIQA 45 Yoanka Gonzalez (Cub) Cuban National Team 46 Yeugeniya Vysotska (Ukr) Ukrainian National Team 47 Victoria Bastide (Swe) Team TIBCO 48 Bernadette Schober (Aut) UNIQA 49 Svitlana Galyuk (Ukr) Ukrainian National Team 50 Trine Schmidt (Den) Menikini-Selle Italia Master colour 51 Anne Samplonius (Can) Canadian National Team 52 Janel Holcomb (USA) Webcor Builders 53 Julia Farell (Can) Ultralink 54 Kori Kelley Seehafer (USA) Menikini-Selle Italia Master colour 55 Fei Wang (Chn) Giant Pro Cycling 56 Clara Hughes (Can) Specialized Carrefour Multis 57 Felicia Gomez (Can) Aaron's Professional Cycling 58 Monika Schachl (Aut) UNIQA 59 Kateryna Krasova (Ukr) Ukrainian National Team 60 Thomas Béatrice (Fra) ESGL 93 GSD Gestion 61 Min Gao (Chn) Giant Pro Cycling 62 Kimberly Anderson (USA) High Road Women 63 Julie Dheruelle (Fra) Vienne Futuroscope 64 Fanny Riberot (Fra) Team Pro Feminin Les Carroz 65 Joanie Caron (Can) Equipe Cascades 66 Sufen Ma (Chn) Giant Pro Cycling 67 Chantal Beltman (Ned) High Road Women 68 Katherine Bates (Aus) High Road Women 69 Julie Marceau (Can) Specialized Carrefour Multis 70 Christine Thorburn (USA) Webcor Builders 71 Moriah Jo Macgregor (Can) Canadian National Team 72 Mara Abbott (USA) High Road Women 73 Kristin Sanders (USA) Aaron's Professional Cycling 74 Emma Pooley (GBr) Specialized Designs for Women 75 Eugenie Mermillod (Fra) Team Pro Feminin Les Carroz 76 Kristen Lasasso (USA) Specialized Designs for Women 77 Alyssa Mellon (Can) Ultralink 78 Veronique Labonte (Can) Equipe Cascades 79 Susan Palmer-Komar (Can) Advil-Chapstick 80 Audrey Lemieux (Can) Specialized Carrefour Multis 81 Brei Gudsell (NZl) Team Pro Feminin Les Carroz 82 Karol-Ann Canuel (Can) Specialized Carrefour Multis 83 Marie Lindberg (Swe) Equipe Nürnberger Versicher 84 Rachel Heal (GBr) Team TIBCO 85 Johanne Cyr (Can) Equipe Cascades 86 Elisa Gagnon (Can) Advil-Chapstick 87 Jocelyn Loane (Aus) Australian National Team 88 Andrea Knecht (Swi) Specialized Designs for Women 89 Sarah Coney (Can) Ultralink 90 Nathalie Bates (Aus) Menikini-Selle Italia Master colour 91 Sarah Grab (Swi) Specialized Designs for Women 92 Mary Zider (USA) Advil-Chapstick 93 Helen Kelly (Aus) Team TIBCO 94 Larissa Kleinmann (Ger) Equipe Nürnberger Versicher 95 Jenny Trew (Can) Canadian National Team 19.43 96 Mathilde Hupin (Can) Specialized Carrefour Multis 19.45 97 Jessica Burns (Can) Equipe Cascades 22.12 98 Estelle Patou (Fra) ESGL 93 GSD Gestion 35.51 DNF Foresilorena (Ita) Menikini-Selle Italia Master colour DNS Anne Guzman (Dom) Equipe Cascades General Classification after Stage 2 1 Regina Schleicher (Ger) Equipe Nürnberger Versicher 4.32.06 2 Judith Arndt (Ger) High Road Women 3 Suzanne De Goede (Ned) Equipe Nürnberger Versicher 0.01 4 Oenone Wood (Aus) High Road Women 0.06 5 Katherine Bates (Aus) High Road Women 0.08 6 Rochelle Gilmore (Aus) Menikini-Selle Italia Master colour 0.12 7 Louise Moriarty (Irl) Specialized Carrefour Multis 0.13 8 Anne Samplonius (Can) Canadian National Team 9 Larissa Kleinmann (Ger) Equipe Nürnberger Versicher 10 Brooke Miller (USA) Team TIBCO 0.14 11 Tanja Hennes (Ger) Specialized Designs for Women 0.15 12 Lauren Franges (USA) Team TIBCO 13 Nathalie Lamborelle (Lux) UNIQA 0.16 14 Lorian Graham (Aus) Australian National Team 15 Christine Majerus (Lux) ESGL 93 GSD Gestion 16 Alex Wrubleski (Can) Webcor Builders 17 Yeima Torres (Cub) Cuban National Team 18 Yong Li Liu (Chn) Giant Pro Cycling 19 Iraida Garcia (Cub) Cuban National Team 20 Joelle Numainville (Can) ESGL 93 GSD Gestion 21 Sophie Creux (Fra) ESGL 93 GSD Gestion 22 Aude Pollet (Fra) Team Pro Feminin Les Carroz 23 Karin Aune (Swe) UNIQA 24 Li Ping Zhang (Chn) Giant Pro Cycling 25 Mirjam Hauser-Senn (Swi) Specialized Designs for Women 26 Lang Meng (Chn) Giant Pro Cycling 27 Olena Andruk (Ukr) Ukrainian National Team 28 Emmanuelle Merlot (Fra) Vienne Futuroscope 29 Dalila Rodriguez (Cub) Cuban National Team 30 Fiona Dutriaux (Fra) Vienne Futuroscope 31 Erinne Willock (Can) Webcor Builders 32 Elizaveta Bochkarova (Ukr) Ukrainian National Team 33 Bettina Hold (Can) Canadian National Team 34 Julie Bellerose (Can) Equipe Cascades 35 Carissa Wilkes (NZl) Team Pro Feminin Les Carroz 36 Kori Kelley Seehafer (USA) Menikini-Selle Italia Master colour 37 Leigh Hobson (Can) Canadian National Team 38 Nikki Egyed (Aus) Australian National Team 39 Julie Beveridge (Can) Aaron's Professional Cycling 40 Meredith Miller (USA) Aaron's Professional Cycling 41 Fanny Riberot (Fra) Team Pro Feminin Les Carroz 42 Tiffany Cromwell (Aus) Australian National Team 43 Sara Carrigan (Aus) Australian National Team 44 Audrey Cordon (Fra) Vienne Futuroscope 45 Fei Wang (Chn) Giant Pro Cycling 46 Modesta Vzesniauskaite (Ltu) Equipe Nürnberger Versicher 47 Daniela Pintarelli (Aut) UNIQA 48 Janel Holcomb (USA) Webcor Builders 49 Yeugeniya Vysotska (Ukr) Ukrainian National Team 50 Yoanka Gonzalez (Cub) Cuban National Team 51 Monika Schachl (Aut) UNIQA 52 Trine Schmidt (Den) Menikini-Selle Italia Master colour 53 Svitlana Galyuk (Ukr) Ukrainian National Team 54 Kateryna Krasova (Ukr) Ukrainian National Team 55 Yumari Gonzalez (Cub) Cuban National Team 56 Karol-Ann Canuel (Can) Specialized Carrefour Multis 57 Moriah Jo Macgregor (Can) Canadian National Team 58 Kimberly Anderson (USA) High Road Women 59 Alison Testroete (Can) Aaron's Professional Cycling 60 Victoria Bastide (Swe) Team TIBCO 61 Bernadette Schober (Aut) UNIQA 62 Joanie Caron (Can) Equipe Cascades 63 Christine Thorburn (USA) Webcor Builders 64 Julie Dheruelle (Fra) Vienne Futuroscope 65 Felicia Gomez (Can) Aaron's Professional Cycling 66 Audrey Lemieux (Can) Specialized Carrefour Multis 67 Veronique Labonte (Can) Equipe Cascades 68 Sarah Grab (Swi) Specialized Designs for Women 69 Kristin Sanders (USA) Aaron's Professional Cycling 70 Min Gao (Chn) Giant Pro Cycling 71 Kristen Lasasso (USA) Specialized Designs for Women 72 Thomas Béatrice (Fra) ESGL 93 GSD Gestion 73 Chantal Beltman (Ned) High Road Women 74 Eugenie Mermillod (Fra) Team Pro Feminin Les Carroz 75 Sufen Ma (Chn) Giant Pro Cycling 76 Marie Lindberg (Swe) Equipe Nürnberger Versicher 77 Alyssa Mellon (Can) Ultralink 78 Susan Palmer-Komar (Can) Advil-Chapstick 79 Rachel Heal (GBr) Team TIBCO 80 Julie Marceau (Can) Specialized Carrefour Multis 81 Helen Kelly (Aus) Team TIBCO 82 Mara Abbott (USA) High Road Women 83 Emma Pooley (GBr) Specialized Designs for Women 84 Mary Zider (USA) Advil-Chapstick 85 Brei Gudsell (NZl) Team Pro Feminin Les Carroz 86 Elisa Gagnon (Can) Advil-Chapstick 87 Jocelyn Loane (Aus) Australian National Team 88 Nathalie Bates (Aus) Menikini-Selle Italia Master colour 89 Julia Farell (Can) Ultralink 0.39 90 Jen Stephenson (Can) Ultralink 5.09 91 Clara Hughes (Can) Specialized Carrefour Multis 92 Andrea Knecht (Swi) Specialized Designs for Women 8.59 93 Johanne Cyr (Can) Equipe Cascades 15.12 94 Sarah Coney (Can) Ultralink 18.48 95 Jenny Trew (Can) Canadian National Team 19.53 96 Mathilde Hupin (Can) Specialized Carrefour Multis 19.55 97 Jessica Burns (Can) Equipe Cascades 45.36 Sprint classification 1 Suzanne De Goede (Ned) Equipe Nürnberger Versicher 24 pts 2 Regina Schleicher (Ger) Equipe Nürnberger Versicher 17 3 Katherine Bates (Aus) High Road Women 12 4 Oenone Wood (Aus) High Road Women 12 5 Judith Arndt (Ger) High Road Women 10 6 Rochelle Gilmore (Aus) Menikini-Selle Italia Master colour 8 7 Larissa Kleinmann (Ger) Equipe Nürnberger Versicher 5 8 Anne Samplonius (Can) Canadian National Team 5 9 Louise Moriarty (Irl) Specialized Carrefour Multis 4 10 Iraida Garcia (Cub) Cuban National Team 3 11 Brooke Miller (USA) Team TIBCO 3 12 Lauren Franges (USA) Team TIBCO 1 13 Tanja Hennes (Ger) Specialized Designs for Women 1 14 Nathalie Lamborelle (Lux) UNIQA 1 Mountains classification 1 Felicia Gomez (Can) Aaron's Professional Cycling 27 pts 2 Tanja Hennes (Ger) Specialized Designs for Women 10 3 Modesta Vzesniauskaite (Ltu) Equipe Nürnberger Versicher 7 4 Joelle Numainville (Can) ESGL 93 GSD Gestion 7 5 Christine Majerus (Lux) ESGL 93 GSD Gestion 5 6 Nikki Egyed (Aus) Australian National Team 5 7 Elizaveta Bochkarova (Ukr) Ukrainian National Team 5 8 Rachel Heal (GBr) Team TIBCO 4 9 Emma Pooley (GBr) Specialized Designs for Women 3 10 Yong Li Liu (Chn) Giant Pro Cycling 1 Team classification 1 High Road Women 13.37.00 2 ESGL 93 GSD Gestion 0.06 3 Cuban National Team 4 Equipe Nürnberger Versicherung 5 Giant Pro Cycling 6 UNIQA 7 Australian National Team 8 Menikini-Selle Italia Master colors 9 Specialized Designs for Women 10 Vienne Futuroscope 11 Webcor Builders 12 Team Pro Feminin Les Carroz 13 Team TIBCO 14 Canadian National Team 15 Ukrainian National Team 16 Specialized Carrefour Multisport Mazda G 17 Aaron's Professional Cycling Team 18 Equipe Cascades 19 Advil-Chapstick 20 Ultralink 5.22
