August 14/01 12:42 pm - Summer Games Women's Crit

Posted by Editor on 08/14/01
 

Quebec pulled off a last lap victory in the women's points criterium today at the Canada Summer Games in London, Ontario. Raphaele Lemieux overtook B.C.'s Lisa Sweeney by one point for the win.

The complicated system of scoring means that the first person across the line at the end of the race is not necessarily the winner. In the 18 lap race around Springbank Park the riders sprint every few laps for points - 5 deep each time. The highest points win, regardless of where the rider finishes in the final sprint. The mid-race sprint and the final sprint are worth double points.

B.C. and Quebec were battling out throughout the race, with Langley-based Sweeney taking the lead at the critical mid-race sprint after Lemieux crashed just before it took place. Quebec fought back, and going into the final sprint it was Sweeney 18 points, Lemieux 15. Lemieux needed to beat her rival by 2 places to take the victory, and did so by finishing second to Sweeney's fourth.

Lemieux (Rivere du Loupe): "The Quebec team plan was to attack, attack, attack. It was a team victory because we made the other teams chase us today. At the final I was nervous, but I felt confident that my sprint was strong (enough). I just picked a good wheel to follow and jumped 200 metres from the finish."

Sweeney: "Everyone kept yelling 154 (Lemieux's number), so I knew who I had to watch. The Quebec team was tactically very good, and I knew it would come down the final sprint. I would have liked the gld, but I didn't have much left at the end (for the sprint). The team raced really well, and I'm happy with my silver medal."