May 31/03 5:26 am - Montreal World Cup: Story & Results

Posted by Editoress on 05/31/03
 

Montreal World Cup


Genevieve Jeanson showed once again why she is considered to be one of the best women cyclists in the world by decisively beating a world class field at the Montreal World Cup on Saturday. Nicole Cooke finished second to Jeanson and extended her overall lead in the World Cup.

The 8.2 kilometre circuit around and up Mont Royal has been used repeatedly for some of the most celebrated races in cycling - the World Championships (1974), the Olympics (1976) and multiple World Cups. This year, the women had to ride the 1.2 kilometre climb 12 times, with the finish at the top of the climb.

The race sported an impressive line up: in addition to Jeanson and Cooke, Judith Arndt, winner of the of Tour de L'Aude, Lyne Bessette, second at Tour de L'Aude, Sue Palmer-Komar, second in the Fleche Wallone World Cup, and world champion Suzanne Ljunskog were all on the starting line.

The race began with single breakaway attempts, but all were reeled in on the climb.  As the race wore on, the attrition began to take its toll and the front group was shrinking. However, Jeanson, Arndt, Bessette, Kimberly Bruckner, Sarah Carrigan, Cooke, Ljunskog, and Amber Neben were all at the front.

With two laps to go T Mobile upped the pace and sent Bruckner and Neben off, but Jeanson's Rona-Esker squad used Catherine Marsal and Magalie LeFloch to bring them back - first Bruckner and then Neben.  On the final climb, Neben and Saturn's Mactier had a 9 second gap, but Jeanson exploded in the final kilometre to surge by them and take the victory in front of a partisan crowd of at least 30,000.

Jeanson was surprised that neither Ljungskog nor Cooke were able to stay with her. "The last lap was slow.  Susanne Ljungskog was on my wheel the whole lap.  I had to break to make sure she would not go first.

At the bottom of the climb I was between Ljungskog and Cooke, it was a good position to be.

When I went with 700 metres to go, I was surprised (when I looked back) that no one was there."


Results
Courtesy Organization

Results