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One could have been forgiven for thinking that the first round of the UCI womens world cup had
come to town here in Canberra. Hell, it wasn't as if there were throngs of spectators around
the course and the only taffic jams were not those caused by a mass exodus of local heading down
to watch some of the best women cyclists in the world competing but rather by ignorance to
signage placed around the course. No, to the capital city of "the land down under" it was all
a bit of a yawn I'm afraid and a big yawn at that. To those of us stuck at the bottom end or finish
line for the race it was a pretty long haul. 20 laps of 5.1km, 74 riders from 14 countries, no transport
around the course for the media and only a handfull of spectators for company. Up on the stage commentator
Stewart Doyle (OAM) was doing a great job trying to keep those gathered nearby up to date thanks to relayed
messages from Graham Seers and Graham Brown but the sight of an empty road most of the time wasn't building
much enthusiasm amongst the sprinkle of spectators. I was beginning to feel pretty sorry for the women but I
suppose its par for the course here in Australia, the land where most men prefer to admire women for their looks
rather than their sporting abillity and achievements. In the end though I gave up worrying about why no one was there,
why the race was so slow or was Darwins theory of evolution a better way to go than believing in an unseen God (who
I prayed to many a time during those 2hrs 48 minutes and 11 seconds, begging and pleading with him to put me out of
my misery by getting the race over) and just accepted my fate that I was here for the duration and that was it!
Fortunately though,thanks to the charming Stewart and his faithful troupe I am able to give you the guts of the race as delivered
by observation, spectator reports and those radio crosses to former international cyclist Graham Seers. Laps 1-4 These laps are a procession around the course, loosening the riders legs and keeping a close eye on the main players who hold the key to todays event. Riders like Anna Millward(AUST), Mirjam Melchers(NED), Sara Felloni(ITA), Sarah Ulmer(NZ), Gabriella Pregnolato(ITA), Alison Wright(AUST), world champion Zinaida Stahurskaia(BLR) and Mari Holden(USA) the world ITT champion. There are only a few minor attacks and none are of any significance. Laps 5 The first major attack of the race with five riders going clear. Priska Doppmann, Anke Erlank, Gabriella Pregnolato, Lara Ruthven and Rosalind Reekie-May are setting a fierce pace but they are swallowed up by the bunch at the end of the lap as the peleton crosses the finish line for the start of lap six. The lesser riders are now starting to feel the effect of a long week or so of racing as a few get dropped. Laps 6 Four riders stage a minor attack that last a couple of hundred metres but they are quickly reeled in and the bunch stays together. Laps 7 This is the fastest lap to date at 7 minutes and 42 seconds. Australias Liz Tadich goes on the attack putting Team Jayco-VIS up front as they swing past the Chinese Embassy. She attacks them with a burst of speed as the tackle the climb of one and a half kilometres. Try as she may though, the peleton is back together again. Laps 8 Another slow lap around 8 minutes 40 seconds and the peleton is all together. Behind the race the dropped riders struggle on. Laps 9 There are a flurry of attempts to break clear but all fail. Auto Traders.Com have been very active and Sarah Ulmer is having an earnest go this lap. Once again its futile and her efforts are in vain. Laps 10 The bunch is still together with the New Zealand team up front and trying to control the race. No one attempts a break on this the slowest lap so far with a time of 9 minutes and twenty five seconds. Laps 11 This lap its feed time and all is quiet. No one tries an attack while the peleton is tacking on fuel. As Graham Seers says, "we're now done to the business end of the race". Laps 12 Saturn are determined to contro; the race and with just four riders are doing a worthy job and so they should after all they want Anna to win and have let the whole world know their intentions for this first round of the womens world cup. Laps 13 Australian road champion Katie Mactier is out of the race after breaking the frame of here bike. Laps 14 Theres no reaction yet from within the peleton on lap fourteen and everyones wondering if we are going to see a big attack that may dramatically change the race, but it won't be on this one. Liz Tadich and her Jayco-VIS team mates are keeping themselves close to the front of the race. Saturn are still the power playesr and keeping the peleton tight. Laps 15 There's action on the course this lap around as Gas Jeans rider and world champion Zinaida Stahurskaia goes on the attack as the peleton passes through the feeding zone. Zinaida gets a small break and digs deep again to keep the pace going. Saturn are forced to chase and by the time the riders enter Fitzgerald Street they are one big happy bunch again. Just as they settle down Auto Traders.Com decide to upset the rythm and Ulmer attacks again and the peleton is now on the chase. Laps 16 Millward, Pregnolato and Kristy Scrymgeour are working at the front and chase down the break away. Now Gas Team is sitting on the front and controlling the peleton. Jayco-VIS rider Jessica Amy loses her gearing and will be forced to ride the last five laps stuck on the big chain ring. Laps 17 There are now only 55 riders left in the peleton. As they approach the climb Ulmer and Stahurskaia attack but as they go through the underpass Stahurskaia applies more pressure. They dig in on the last 300 metres of the climb but are caught by the chasing peleton. Laps 18 Stahurskaia again tries an attack on the climb but it is a doomed move. Its looking more like a big bunch sprint finish. Laps 19 The world champion Stahurskaia isn't finished yet. Together with Dutch champion Melchers they are forcing the peleton to attack as the last lap approaches. As soon as they are caught Liz Tadich has a go. Now there are plenty of reactions from within the peleton as a number of riders try to attack but all fail. Team Saturn means business today and no upstarts will be spoiling their day if they can help it. But there are still 5.1 kilometres to go and anything could happen. Over the finish line and the last lap bell greets the peleton. Laps 20 The pace is high and the peleton swings off Alexandrina Drive past the lake and into the finish straight. Its a big up hill sprint and Millward is up front with 30 metres to go. Melchers has her back wheel and I glimpse an AIS rider in there too. Melchers is gone and its Saturns day as Anna Millward takes the opening round of the womens WorldCup 2001. She has plenty of time to raise her arms hihg in victory and its three in a row at Canberra for the greatest female road rider this country has ever produced. RESULTS WORLD CUP ROUND ONE 102KM 36.39kph ave speed 1 Anna Millward AUS Saturn 2.48.11 2 Mirjam Melchers NED GSF Acca Due O-H.P s/t 3 Rochelle Gilmore AUS AIS s/t 4 Sara Felloni ITA Alfa Lum R.S.M s/t 5 Alison Wright AUS AIS s/t 6 Miho Oki JPN Japan Cycling Fed s/t 7 Bridget Evans AUS Bicisport s/t 8 Sarah Ulmer NZI Autotrader.com s/t 9 Priska Doppmann SUI GSF Acca Due O-H.P s/t 10 Susy Pryde NZI Autotrader.com s/t full results list click here |
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