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Geelong Women's Tour - 2.9.2
Australia, February 23-25, 2003
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Stage 2 - February 24. Drysdale Road Circuit, 84km
Hemsley takes out second stage; Gollan maintains lead
By Karen Forman in Geelong
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A well-planned attack 1500 metres from the finish line was stunningly successful for Australian rider Margaret Hemsley and her German-based team Nurnberger Versicherung today, winning them the gruelling second-stage of the inaugural Geelong Bellarine Tour in country Victoria.
Hemsley, 32, the 2002 Australian road race champion and many-times placegetter in the Geelong Tour's predecessor, the Tour de Snowy, attacked from behind AIS Australia team members who had gone to the front of the bunch of the last of four, 21km laps, and stormed across the line ahead of two other Aussies, Sara Carrigan (Power Plate Bik) and Katie Mactier (Victorian Cycling VIS).
It was a well-deserved victory for the team Hemsley joined last year, given its mostly European members had set the pace at the front on the first three laps of the event. While they were often trailed by reigning Australian pursuit champion Amy Safe, it was only well into the fourth and final lap that the AIS riders moved forward as a team to start a series of attacks designed to tire and/or lose the sprinters behind.
Despite all efforts of first stage winner and tour leader Olivia Gollan (AIS) and team mates Natalie Bates, Emma James, Jennifer Manefield, Safe and Oenone Wood, none of the early breaks got away . . . until Hemsley made the move that got her and her team first across the line.
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The team's effort to get Hemsley there was itself a masterful feat considering the high temperature, which topped around 33 degrees celcius, high humidity and a very tough 84km circuit, which made all contenders suffer.
However, it was even more of a gallant effort for the Euro riders Petra Rossner, Judith Arndt, Madeleine Lindberg and Cornelia Cyrus, who landed in Australia a week ago from a European winter where they had been training in sub-zero temperatures - often on mountain bikes because the weather had been too harsh to use road bikes.
Gollan came across the line in the outer Geelong suburb of Drysdale in fifth position, which allowed her to keep the leader's jersey she won in Sunday's first-stage criterium around the Geelong Botanic Gardens. She was tailed by Elizabeth Williams (Vicorian Cycling VIS), who retained the under-23 jersey she won on Sunday.
Carrigan gained the sprint jersey on countback with her second place along with results in sprints during the race.
For spectators, it was a race where not a lot appeared to happen until the final lap. Riders occasionally found themselves spat out of the bunch on the two climbs - one of which was succeeded by a fast downhill through a tricky roundabout leading to a sharp left-hand turn, but most got back on.
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There were wheel changes, a bike change for Aussie Alison Wright (Road Racer-Guerciotto Cycling) whose rear derailleur was damaged when another rider ran into the back of her not long after the start and a great demand for bidons in the heat.
It was very hot; there was a nasty crosswind, which slowed the bunch to 20km and hour at one stage and a lot of tactical riding to stay out of it.
Predictions that the first break might come as early as the hill on the first or second lap, did not eventuate and as the field crossed the start-finish line for the second last time, it became clear that the attacks had been left until the last.
Several unsuccessful escape bids were made by the AIS team but there was no picking out a potential winner until Hemsley took off and managed to get clear of the chasing group.
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She said later that it had been part of the plan to attack then - to split the field up - knowing that the criterium on the first night, which Gollan had led as a solo breakaway from about the eighth of 30 laps, had been "a shock to a lot of the girls".
"I was definitely going with everything I had," she said at the finish. "It went exactly to plan. My team-mates came straight out of the winter, so it was tough for them in the heat, but they did really well."
She conceded with a win under her belt, the pressure would be on her in the third and final stage on Tuesday.
Carrigan, meanwhile, said the stage had suited her well. "I live in Queensland and the weather has been like this for the past month, so it was good for me," she said. "And I got to practice the final sprint during the race, at the start-finish line."
However, she said Hemsley had been "too strong to catch" in the end.
Mactier described the stage as "very tough, particularly for the Europeans with the hot weather. I think the Aussies put on a good show."
Williams, who carries the under-23 jersey into the third stage tomorrow, said her team had done an 'awesome job helping me out".
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The event hadn't started that well for her. "My front wheel buckled 5km into the race so I had to get a spare," she said. "My team mates came back and got me back on. I have to thank my team; the VIS, my coach . . ."
Gollan, who appeared remarkably fresh despite her solo effort the previous day, described today's event as "extremely tough". Not only did she puncture 15km into the event, but she was admittedly still weary.
"I felt it today, yes," she said. "When I first got on the bike this morning I though, oh, yesterday . . . but I was okay. It was nice to sit in and defend, rather than be aggressive. I made sure I kept drinking and as long as you keep the fluids in . . . but I think some of the Europeans found it really hard to adapt."
"I was a bit nervous knowing that I was defending the jersey, but luckily I to keep it," she said. "Tomorrow will be a telling tale."
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She paid tribute to her teammates who helped her, particularly on the last lap when there were a lot of attacks. "The plan was to keep a strong tempo during the race and it was nice for me to sit in for a bit, get a bit of recovery," she said.
She is cautiously confident about tomorrow's stage. "I think a good sleep and a good meal tonight will help... we'll see what happens."
Gollan had tried to go with Hemsley when she attacked - and got to within 50 metres of her, then "felt last night".
She said having an earpiece to take instructions from team manger James Victor and communicate with her teammates had definitely helped.
The 114.9km third and final stage of the Geelong Bellarine Tour 03 will start on Tuesday in Station Lake Rd, Lara and move to Bacchus Marsh - Anakie and return. Start time is 10.30am. The course includes the two kilometre Mt Wallace climb, at 57.3km.
Photos
Images by John Veage
- Margaret Hemsley (Nurnberger Versicherung) crosses the line in first place
- Katie Mactier (2nd), Margaret Hemsley (1st) and Sara Carrigan (3rd)
- The peloton climbs while a ship floats by in the distance
- T-Mobile's Kim Bruckner almost takes out the cameraman
- The peloton tops the hill
- Another hilltop, another chance to take a breather
- Sara Carrigan keeping the pace up
- The pace is heating up as the race draws to an end
- Miriam Melchers (World Team) still placed 7th overall
- A happy Olivia Gollan still leads overall
- The breakaway group heads for the finish
- 3 of the Nürnberger girls relax after the race
Images by Brian Farrell
- Margaret Hemsley (Nürnberger) crosses the line to win
- The chase group finishing 5 seconds later
- The peloton dealing with the hot and humid weather
- Cresting one of many hills
Results
1 Margaret Hemsley (Aus) Nürnberger 2.44.33 (30.62 kmh)
2 Sara Carrigan (Aus) Powerplate-BIK 0.05
3 Katie Mactier (Aus) V.I.S.
4 Sigrid Corneo (Ita) Road Racer 0.06
5 Olivia Gollan (Aus) A.I.S.
6 Elizabeth Williams (Aus) V.I.S.
7 Mari Holden (USA) T Mobile
8 Rochelle Gilmore (Aus) FRF-NSW 0.09
9 Judith Arndt (Ger) Nürnberger
10 Kym Shirley (Aus) Road Racer
11 Oenone Wood (Aus) A.I.S.
12 Rosalind Reekie-May (NZl) New Zealand National Team
13 Kimberley Bruckner (USA) T Mobile
14 Melisa Holt (NZl) New Zealand National Team
15 Hayley Rutherford (Aus) Road Racer
16 Alison Wright (Aus) Road Racer
17 Miho Oki (Jpn) Japan
18 Christine Riakos (Aus) FRF-NSW
19 Priska Doppmann (Swi) World Team
20 Mary Grigson (Aus) ACTAS-Cyclecooma.com.au
21 Suzie Wood (NZl) New Zealand National Team
22 Helen Kelly (Aus) V.I.S.
23 Mirjam Melchers (Ned) World Team
24 Christina Peick-Andersen (Den) Team Grace
25 Amy Safe (Aus) A.I.S.
26 Emma James (Aus) A.I.S.
27 Kim Anderson (USA) T Mobile
28 Andrea Bosman (Ned) Powerplate-BIK 0.12
29 Meredith Miller (USA) Team Grace 0.13
30 Zoe Southwell (Aus) Vic. Partner
31 Emily Williams (Aus) ACTAS-Cyclecooma.com.au
32 Trine Hansen (Den) Team Grace
33 Nadene Boyle (NZl) Alchemy 0.16
34 Hiroko Shimada (Jpn) Team Grace 0.26
35 Alexis Rhodes (Aus) ACTAS-Cyclecooma.com.au 0.58
36 Cristine Foster (Aus) Vic. Partner
37 Miyoko Karami (Jpn) World Team 1.53
38 Natalie Bates (Aus) A.I.S. 3.18
39 Tamamo Nakamura (Jpn) Japan 4.24
40 Karina Louise Sorensen (Den) Team Grace
41 Jessica Ridder (Aus) ACTAS-Cyclecooma.com.au
42 Sally Cowman (Aus) Alchemy
43 Louise Yaxley (Aus) Alchemy
44 Kristen Armstrong (USA) T Mobile
45 Sharon Van Essen (Ned) Powerplate-BIK
46 Lorian Graham (Aus) Alchemy
47 Natasha Harrigan (Aus) FRF-NSW 6.15
48 Jodie Till (Aus) FRF-NSW
49 Katherine Bates (Aus) Powerplate-BIK 6.34
50 Emma Rickards (Aus) V.I.S. 7.08
51 Mayuko Konomi (Jpn) Japan
52 Penny Warring (NZl) New Zealand National Team 9.07
53 Annalisa Farrell (NZl) New Zealand National Team
54 Stacey Peters (USA) T Mobile
55 Jenny MacPherson (Aus) Vic. Partner
56 Belinda Goss (Aus) ACTAS-Cyclecooma.com.au
57 Madeleine Lindberg (Swe) Nürnberger
58 Jennifer Manefield (Aus) A.I.S.
59 Petra Rossner (Ger) Nürnberger
60 Jessie Maclean (Aus) ACTAS-Cyclecooma.com.au
61 Wendy Walker (Aus) Alchemy 13.19
62 Ayumu Otsuka (Jpn) Japan 15.49
63 Katie Brown (Aus) FRF-NSW 23.46
64 Kerryn Charman (Aus) Vic. Partner 29.31
65 Barbara Cazzaniga (Ita) Road Racer
66 Kate Nichols (Aus) FRF-NSW
67 Cornelia Cyrus (Ger) Nürnberger 31.17
68 Sari Saarelainen (Fin) World Team 32.45
DNF Kirsty Robb (NZl) Powerplate-BIK
DNF Robyn Wong (NZl) World Team
DNF Alexandra Reinehr (Aus) Vic. Partner
DNF Vanessa Crawford (Aus) Vic. Partner
DNF Narelle Petersen (Aus) V.I.S.
DNF Rebecca McConnell (Aus) Alchemy
General classification
1 Olivia Gollan (Aus) A.I.S. 3.33.49
2 Sara Carrigan (Aus) Powerplate-BIK 0.50
3 Margaret Hemsley (Aus) Nürnberger 0.53
4 Alison Wright (Aus) Road Racer 0.56
5 Katie Mactier (Aus) V.I.S. 1.01
6 Elizabeth Williams (Aus) V.I.S. 1.03
7 Hayley Rutherford (Aus) Road Racer
8 Mirjam Melchers (Ned) World Team 1.08
9 Kym Shirley (Aus) Road Racer 1.09
10 Melisa Holt (NZl) New Zealand National Team
11 Miho Oki (Jpn) Japan
12 Kim Anderson (USA) T Mobile
13 Mari Holden (USA) T Mobile 1.11
14 Oenone Wood (Aus) A.I.S.
15 Rosalind Reekie-May (NZl) New Zealand National Team 1.12
16 Kimberley Bruckner (USA) T Mobile 1.14
17 Mary Grigson (Aus) ACTAS-Cyclecooma.com.au
18 Helen Kelly (Aus) V.I.S.
19 Emma James (Aus) A.I.S.
20 Meredith Miller (USA) Team Grace 1.18
21 Rochelle Gilmore (Aus) FRF-NSW 2.24
22 Judith Arndt (Ger) Nürnberger 2.26
23 Priska Doppmann (Swi) World Team
24 Amy Safe (Aus) A.I.S.
25 Suzie Wood (NZl) New Zealand National Team
26 Zoe Southwell (Aus) Vic. Partner 2.30
27 Emily Williams (Aus) ACTAS-Cyclecooma.com.au
28 Sigrid Corneo (Ita) Road Racer 2.49
29 Christina Peick-Andersen (Den) Team Grace 2.52
30 Christine Riakos (Aus) FRF-NSW
31 Andrea Bosman (Ned) Powerplate-BIK 2.55
32 Trine Hansen (Den) Team Grace
33 Nadene Boyle (NZl) Alchemy 2.59
34 Hiroko Shimada (Jpn) Team Grace 3.09
35 Cristine Foster (Aus) Vic. Partner 3.15
36 Alexis Rhodes (Aus) ACTAS-Cyclecooma.com.au
37 Miyoko Karami (Jpn) World Team 4.10
38 Natalie Bates (Aus) A.I.S. 5.35
39 Jessica Ridder (Aus) ACTAS-Cyclecooma.com.au 5.49
40 Louise Yaxley (Aus) Alchemy 6.39
41 Sally Cowman (Aus) Alchemy
42 Kristen Armstrong (USA) T Mobile 6.41
43 Sharon Van Essen (Ned) Powerplate-BIK 7.07
44 Tamamo Nakamura (Jpn) Japan
45 Lorian Graham (Aus) Alchemy
46 Katherine Bates (Aus) Powerplate-BIK 8.51
47 Karina Louise Sorensen (Den) Team Grace 8.55
48 Jodie Till (Aus) FRF-NSW 8.58
49 Natasha Harrigan (Aus) FRF-NSW 10.46
50 Madeleine Lindberg (Swe) Nürnberger 11.24
51 Stacey Peters (USA) T Mobile
52 Mayuko Konomi (Jpn) Japan 11.39
53 Emma Rickards (Aus) V.I.S.
54 Petra Rossner (Ger) Nürnberger 11.50
55 Annalisa Farrell (NZl) New Zealand National Team
56 Penny Warring (NZl) New Zealand National Team
57 Jenny MacPherson (Aus) Vic. Partner
58 Belinda Goss (Aus) ACTAS-Cyclecooma.com.au
59 Jessie Maclean (Aus) ACTAS-Cyclecooma.com.au
60 Jennifer Manefield (Aus) A.I.S. 13.38
61 Wendy Walker (Aus) Alchemy 16.02
62 Ayumu Otsuka (Jpn) Japan 18.32
63 Katie Brown (Aus) FRF-NSW 26.29
64 Kate Nichols (Aus) FRF-NSW 31.48
65 Kerryn Charman (Aus) Vic. Partner 34.02
66 Cornelia Cyrus (Ger) Nürnberger 35.48
67 Barbara Cazzaniga (Ita) Road Racer 36.02
68 Sari Saarelainen (Fin) World Team 37.16
Sprint 1 at 21 km
Points Bonus Seconds
1 Sara Carrigan (Aus) Powerplate-BIK 3 3
2 Alison Wright (Aus) Road Racer 2 2
3 Olivia Gollan (Aus) A.I.S. 1 1
Sprint 2 at 42 km
1 Sara Carrigan (Aus) Powerplate-BIK 3 3
2 Alison Wright (Aus) Road Racer 2 2
3 Mirjam Melchers (Ned) World Team 1 1
Sprint 3 at 63 km
1 Sara Carrigan (Aus) Powerplate-BIK 3 3
2 Alison Wright (Aus) Road Racer 2 2
3 Oenone Wood (Aus) A.I.S. 1 1
Overall Points Classification after Stage 2
1 Sara Carrigan (Aus) Powerplate-BIK 9
2 Alison Wright (Aus) Road Racer 9
3 Olivia Gollan (Aus) A.I.S. 7
4 Elizabeth Williams (Aus) V.I.S. 3
5 Mirjam Melchers (Ned) World Team 1
6 Oenone Wood (Aus) A.I.S. 1
Teams
1 AIS / FRF Couriers.
2 World / Power-Plate-Bik.
3 Nurnberger Versicherung.
4 Road Racer / Guerciotto Cycling Team / ACTAS.
5 VIS / Alchemy.
6 New Zealand / Team Grace-Sats.
7 Japan / Victoria Women's Partnership.
8 T Mobile.
