March 8/04 9:13 am - Jeanson Injures Knee, Spring?

Posted by Editor on 03/8/04
 

Jeanson Re-injures Knee in Tucson
Report from Team Rona

Montreal, March 7, 2004 ˆ Team RONA rookie, Émilie Roy, won the Tucson Bicycle Classic, a three-stage race held this week-end in Arizona. The young St. Cuthbert, Québec athlete scored a win in the first race she ever completed at the elite level. Mexico's Gabriela Gonzales de Ferrat (Velo Bella) finished second, 1 minute and 10 seconds behind the lead. American Heather Woodhouse (KendaTire) finished third, before Jeannie Longo and another other RONA rider, Anna Milkowski.

Team RONA leader Geneviève Jeanson dominated the first two stages, leading by more than 10 minutes after two days of racing. But she had serious trouble declipping one of her shoes after the second stage Saturday and felt uncomfortable during her warm-up Sunday morning before the third and last stage. She chose to be extra careful and decided not to start. Her physiotherapist examined her Sunday afternoon and Jeanson will be able to resume training this week. Her race program is unchanged and she will be at Redlands on March 23.

Émilie Roy won general classification thanks to a good performance in the first and third stages, but even more thanks to a convincing second stage, a 101-kilometre road race Saturday. Roy launched a solo attack. After a while Jeanson, Gonzales de Ferrat and Heather Woodhouse bridged up to her. The foursome rode together in front until Jeanson left them behind when the course started to rise. Jeanson finished with a more than 9 minute lead. But Roy later managed to drop her breakaway companions and finished second of the stage, with a comfortable safety margin over her main rivals for GC. Nobody could make any significant time on Roy during the third stage Sunday.


Spring?

Donna MacKenzie of the Waterloo Flying Dogs sent us some photos (taken by Gus Rungis on Saturday, March 6th). A slight setback in the spring training plans...

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