August 4/01 11:19 am - `Toona Stage 3: Women's Race Report and Complete Results

Posted by Editoress on 08/4/01
 

Tour de 'Toona, Pennsylvania

Stage 3 CompleteResults - Martinsburg Road Race
Report courtesy team RONA

By pocketing a 10-second bonus for coming in second after a massive sprint attack, Geneviève Jeanson (CAN, RONA) is now within 45 seconds of Anke Erlank's (SA, Saturn Timex) yellow jersey and bumped Lyne Bessette (CAN, Saturn Timex) out of fourth place in the Tour de 'Toona general standings. Jeanson and Bessette both suffered falls during today's race but Bessette, whose tumble came during the last kilometer of the race, didn't have time enough to get back in the lead.

Sprinter Nicole Freedman (US, Crédit Suisse First Boston) literally took ownership of this stage. Freedman took every single sprint as well as winning today's stage. Not surprisingly, she strengthened her hold on the red jersey as the best sprinter in this year's Tour de 'Toona. Since no climbing points were awarded on today's flat stage, Geneviève Jeanson held on to her green Queen of the Mountain jersey, while Anke Erlank kept the yellow jersey planted firmly on her shoulders.

The play-by-play

The 120 remaining competitors (down from 139 at the start on Tuesday) began the race under an overcast sky with the temperature hovering around 25ºC. The 128.0-km stage was comprised of four laps of 32 km each around the village of Martinsburg, near Altoona. It was a pretty steady race from beginning to end. The pack stayed close together with few attacks being made. The first 32-km lap clocked in at barely above 36 kph average, a turtle's pace considering the caliber of cyclists making up the pack.

The weather, more than anything, is what seems to have put action in the race. The first drops of rain started to fall at the halfway mark, just after the pack completed the second lap of the circuit. The rain grew progressively heavier, soaking the pavement and making the surface oily and slippery. Geneviève Jeanson was leading the peloton near the end of the third lap with just 35 km to go. She negotiated on a series of tight corners near the entrance to the village of Martinsburg. After a quick right-left, Geneviève felt her tires begin to skid and down she went. Fortunately she didn't take anyone else down with her. She suffered a few scrapes in the fall but quickly picked herself up and got back in the race, with her teammates standing by to help her catch up to the pack again. The teamwork did the trick. Meanwhile Bessette, at the head of the pack, took matters in her own hands to pick up the pace. Jeanson readily took up the challenge and quickly found herself in the heat of the action.

In the last kilometer of the race, it was Bessette's turn to hit the skids because of the wet roadway, just as the Saturn Timex members were preparing their sprint. Freedman, Jeanson, Sandy Espeseth (CAN, Intersports) and others in the pack skilfully avoided skidding and brought the rest of the pack along in their wake.

Freedman crossed the finish line two seconds ahead of Jeanson, who beat out Espeseth by just half a bicycle length.

Today's toll left 10 more out of the running, including well-known cyclists like Ann Samplonius (CAN, Intersports) and Andrea Ratkovic (US, 800.com).

Today's stage
Today's stage is the moment of truth: a long 145-km loop around Altoona, including three hills, two of which are steep enough to qualify for extra points in the Queen of the Mountain category. It's an opportunity for climbers to really strut their stuff.