February 24/08 8:02 am - Grain 9th at Women's Road World Cup #1

Posted by Editoress on 02/24/08
 

Geelong - Women's World Cup #1 Australia
Report by Gennie Sheer, Communications Director, Cycling Australia

American Katheryn Mattis (Webcor Builders) outsprinted Australia's Emma Rickards (Cervelo Lifeforce) to claim victory in Geelong in the opening round of the 2008 UCI Women's Road Cycling World Cup series.

"It's unbelievable, it was a spectacular day," said Mattis who now leads the World Cup series. "The spectators were awesome and the course was really hard and my team raced great."

Eighty five riders started the 120 kilometre event raced over eight laps of a picturesque 14.9km circuit out and back from Waterfront Geelong and the pace was high from the gun with 12 riders breaking away early.

But Team High Road powered the chase on the front of the peloton and the 12 leaders were reeled in on the fourth lap.

Cervelo Lifeforce riders then launched a series of attacks with Rickards finally breaking clear followed close behind by Mattis. The pair steadily increased their lead with the margin blowing out to almost seven minutes by the sixth lap. A late charge by team High Road narrowed the margin but it was too little too late. With one kilometre to go, and still holding a lead of over two minutes, Mattis and Rickards engaged in a series of stalling tactics with neither wanting to take the lead. Two hundred metres from home Mattis launched the sprint and Rickards couldn't match it giving the 33 year old American the biggest win of her career.

"I could have never guessed it would be the two of us out there together, but it's just great," said Mattis. "With about a kilometre to go, it became a cat and mouse game and I am not known as a sprinter but I sort of unleashed my inner sprinter I guess."

For Rickards, it was a case of so close and yet so far.

"I have some mixed emotions because when you go so close, of course you want to be in that jersey, but to finish second in a World Cup is just amazing," said the 24 year old Victorian. "I felt confident that I could finish off with a good sprint, but it wasn't quite to be.

"But for a World Cup and one in my own country I am ecstatic that I am on the podium, it's the best result for me ever," Rickards added.

German star Ina Tuetenberg (Team High Road) once again showed her class by sprinting home in third at the head of the main peloton one minute and eight seconds behind the leaders.

However she lamented a missed opportunity and was disappointed by the lack of assistance given to her and her High Road team mates during the chase.

"We did everything we could, the girls were falling off the bike at the end of the race, so you couldn't ask for more, but maybe we miscalculated and should have gone a little bit earlier," said Teutenberg.

The next World Cup round will be raced in Italy on 24 March.