June 18/98 7:53 am - Women's World Cup

Posted by Editor on 06/18/98
 

Women‚s World Cup - Montreal

The race has just started with 93 racers participating. The day is overcast, slight wind with the occasional raindrop but, so far anyway, the rain is holding off.

Rob spoke with Linda Jackson earlier who, like nearly all of the rest of the field (we speculate that the only one of the top riders who has ever raced this course before is Catherine Marsal), appears a bit uneasy about predicting the outcome of the race. The difficulty of this course is well known to everyone in the pack.

So it can go either of 2 ways. Either the stronger riders will force the pace hoping to shed as much of the pack as possible and then battle it out at the finish, or the whole pack can ride cautiously together, waiting for someone else to make a move.

The predictions are that the group that will contest the final sprint will contain: Jackson, Watt, Longo, Marsal, Heeb, Schuster, Demet, the Polikeviciute sisters and Zabirova.

At the end of the first Lap

The start of the race was delayed for over half an hour to remove illegally parked cars from the course. The first lap was pretty uneventful. The pack is staying together, though Barbara Heeb is beginning to push the pace and she won the first mountain sprint. The speed climbing Mount Royal was 30 kmph. It has just begun to rain.

end of lap 3

At the end of the Third Lap there is a break of 3 - 20 seconds off the front.

Barbara HEEB (SUI) and Edita POCINSKAITE (LTU) went away together to contest the mountain sprint (Heeb won and has won all 3 so far). The pack chased with Linda Jackson (CAN) in the lead, but Longo attacked at the top of the climb got away alone and caught the two leaders. The three now have a strong break and are 20 seconds free of the pack. The rain has reamained and the road is beginning to get slick. there has been one crash already at the back of the pack.

(There is a lot of crowd and announcer noise in the background, so I hope that I heard the name of the Lithuanian rider correctly)

end of lap 5

At the end of the fifth Lap the break of 3 has extended the lead to 55 seconds

Lap 4, at the top of the climb, the 3 leaders, Heeb, Longo and Pocinskaite had 39 seconds. The pack chased to the top of the climb and then backed off. At the beginning of lap 5 (at the base of the climb) the 3 had 46 seconds, but this was shortened to 40 by the top of the climb because the pack decided to chase again on the climb. At the end of lap 5 and starting lap 6 the leaders have 55 seconds on the pack and it appears Longo is doing most of the work, with the Lithuanian sitting in.

Eighth lap starts

At the end of lap 7 the group of 3 still had a good lead of 47 seconds on the pack. Diana Zilute of Lithuania (currently 2nd in the UCI World Cup Rankings) went away from the pack during lap 7 and was within 22 seconds of the leaders by the end of the lap. At the base of the climb she caught the leaders. By the top of the climb on lap 8 the now group of 4 have put a distance of 1:25 on the pack.

Lap 9
 Lithuanians setting the pace in Lap 9 with one lap to go

The two riders from Lithuania (Zilute and Pocinskaite) have taken over control of the break and are setting the pace. They are alternately jumping and forcing Longo or Heeb to chase. This will be hard on both Longo and Heeb as they have done most of the work for 8 laps with Pocinscaite sitting in, staying fresh. The lead is now 1:10 and the pack is not chasing.

Lap 10

Pocinskaite had broken free and had a near 10 second lead on Longo, Heeb and Zilute at the beginning of the lap. Longo chased hard with Zilute glued to her wheel, but seemed to be not making much time. Longo then launched a massive attack on the hill and caught Pocinskate dragging Heeb and Zilute with her, at which point Zilute went, taking Longo with her and dropping Heeb and Pocinskaite.The pack seemed to have gotten it‚s head around the fact that this is the last lap and launched an attack on the final climb lead by Linda Jackson and decreased the lead to 50 seconds

June 13 3:45 pm EDT - Lithuanian Zilute Wins Montreal Women‚s World Cup Zilute gets the best of Longo

It was going to be Longo or Zilute and Longo gave it her all, but just couldn‚t shake Zilute. Longo tried to go with 1 km to go, but Zilute was on her wheel. Then with 30 meters to go Zilute went hard to the opposite side of the rode and went for the win. Longo had nothing left and took second.

Pocinscate takes 3rd with Heeb in 4th. This should move Zilute into the lead of the Women‚s World Cup points.

Final Results

1. ZILIUTE, Diana LTU 02:29:00
2. LONGO-CIPRELLI, Jeannie FRA Longo/Ebly @ :02
3. HEEB, Barbara QT/AT SUI @ :23
4. POCINSKAITE, Edita LTU Vittorio/Venetto @st
5.WILSON, Anna AUS @1:15
6. CRISTOFOLI, Nada ITA
7. PRYDE, Susy Saeco-Timex NZL
8. MELCHERS, Mirjam NED
9. MARSAL, Catherine Vittorio/Venetto FRA
10. VAN DE VIJVER, Heidi QT/AT BE all s.t.
CANADIANS

13. HOBSON, Leigh QT/AT CAN
24. BESSETTE, Lynn CAN
26. JACKSON, Linda Saeco-Timex CAN all s.t.
39. DI GUISTINI, Cybil Elita CAN @ 5:38
50. MILLER, Kathleen ON CAN @ 14:09
52. SAMPLONIUS, Anne QT/AT CAN
53. COLE, Heather CAN .
54. NADEAU, Melanie Elita CAN
55 DORIAN, Melanie Elita CAN
56. ST JACQUES, Sophie Elita CAN
60. GERVAIS, Marie-José QT/AT CAN
62. GARIEPY, Annie Elita CAN
63. LANGTON, Kimberly Elita CAN all @s.t.


World Cup Standings:
1.1. ZILIUTE, Diana LTU 131pts
2. DEMET, Deirdre USA 96
3. ROSSNER, Petra GER 75


Only Canadian Listed:
25. HOBSON, Leigh 15