Vars DH Semi's, Bessette Extends HP Lead, Birthday

World Cup Downhill - Vars, France
Courtesy Warwick Patterson

Morning Semi-Finals

Mens
1. Nico Vouilloz
2. Fabien Barel
3. Mickael Pascal

Womens
1. Anne-Caro Chausson
2. Missy Giove
3. Tracy Moseley


HP Women's Challenge

Stage 5 - Elkhorn Village Circuit Race 46 km

1	Chantal Beltman	Netherlands	Dutch National	1:18:24
2	Lyne Bessette	Canada	Saturn	at 0:08
3	Rasa Polikeviciute	Lithuania	Acca Due O Hewlett - Packard	s.t.
4	Andrea Ratkovic	The United States	800.com	1:23
5	Petra Rossner	Germany	Saturn	1:28
6	Alison Dunlap	The United States	Boise Cascade Office Products
7	Jolanta Polikeviciute	Lithuania	Acca Due O Hewlett - Packard
8	Jeannie Longo	France	Office Depot
9	Katia Longhin	Italy	Acca Due O Hewlett - Packard
10	Roz Reekie-May	New Zealand	Boise Cascade Office Products
11	Caroline Alexander	Great Britain	Intersports
12	Dotsie Cowden	The United States	Earthlink
13	Sarah Konrad	The United States	Boise Cascade Office Products
14	Ceris Gilfillan	Great Britain	British National
15	Sandrine Marcuz	France	Canadian/French Composite
16	Kimberly Bruckner	The United States	Saturn
17	Ghita Beltman	Netherlands	Dutch National
18	Trixi Worrack	Germany	German National
19	Judith Arndt	Germany	German National
20	Muffy Roy	The United States	Voler
21	Katrina Berger	The United States	AutoTrader.com
22	Julie Young	The United States	AutoTrader.com
23	Sandy Espeseth	Canada	Intersports
24	Nicole Demars	Canada	800.com
25	Anna Millward	Australia	Saturn
26	Vera Hohlfeld	Germany	Acca Due O Hewlett - Packard
27	Susy Pryde	New Zealand	AutoTrader.com
28	Amber Neben	The United States	Earthlink
29	Pam Schuster	The United States	AutoTrader.com
30	Joan Wilson	The United States	Office Depot
31	Kimberly Smith	The United States	AutoTrader.com
32	Cybil DiGuistini	Canada	Canadian/French Composite
33	Rachel Heal	Great Britain	Contender Bicycles
34	Lysle Wilhelmi	The United States	800.com
35	Pia Sundstedt	Finland	Intersports
36	Alison Sydor	Canada	Canadian/French Composite
37	Meshy Holt	New Zealand	Boise Cascade Office Products
38	Leah Goldstein	Canada	800.com
39	Tina Liebig	Germany	German National
40	Anne Samplonius	Canada	Intersports
41	Sarah Ulmer	New Zealand	AutoTrader.com	all s.t.
42	Emma Davies	Great Britain	British National	1:51
43	Jen Dial	The United States	Office Depot	s.t.
44	Pam Wolkoff	The United States	Earthlink	1:57
45	Ina-Yoko Teutenberg	Germany	Saturn	2:20
46	Alison Bergeson	The United States	Contender Bicycles	4:03
47	Suzanne Thomas	Great Britain	Contender Bicycles	4:34
48	Stacey Peters	The United States	800.com	4:37
49	Kristy Scrymgeour	Australia	Saturn	4:46
50	Becky Bjork	The United States	Goldy's/Grove Street Place	4:55
51	Brooke Blackwelder	The United States	Goldy's/Grove Street Place
52	Angela Brodtka	Germany	German National
53	Gail Longenecker	The United States	Boise Cascade Office Products
54	Laura Shuford	The United States	TREK
55	Jessica Phillips	The United States	Office Depot
56	Jennifer Stevens	The United States	Earthlink
57	Katrina Davis	The United States	TREK
58	Brenda Black	The United States	Webcor-AV/TALGO
59	Emily Westbrook	The United States	Contender Bicycles
60	Mirella van Melis	Netherlands	Dutch National
61	Charmain Breon	The United States	Webcor-AV/TALGO
62	Melanie Sears	Great Britain	British National
63	Marielle van Scheppingen	Netherlands	Dutch National
64	Letizia Giardinelli	Italy	Acca Due O Hewlett - Packard
65	Krystyna Kras	The United States	Webcor-AV/TALGO	all s.t.
66	Elizabeth Emery	The United States	Intersports	6:36
67	Catherine Marsal	France	Intersports	s.t.
68	Emily Thorne	The United States	TREK	7:02
69	Naomi Williams	Australia	Office Depot
70	Jaqueline Brabenetz	Germany	German National
71	Cathy Moncassin	France	Canadian/French Composite
72	Angela Hillenga	Netherlands	Dutch National
73	Mary Ann Fleckenstein	The United States	Goldy's/Grove Street Place	all s.t.
74	Nicole Freedman	The United States	Voler	7:22
75	Ann Marie Miller	The United States	Voler	7:28
76	Mary McLaurin	The United States	Contender Bicycles
77	Andrea Foster	The United States	Goldy's/Grove Street Place
78	Amy Williams	The United States	Contender Bicycles
79	Catherine Cardwell	The United States	800.com
80	Helen Kelly	Australia	Office Depot
81	Tina Skelley-Kunstbeck	The United States	Webcor-AV/TALGO
82	Liza Rachetto	The United States	Goldy's/Grove Street Place
83	Sima Trapp	The United States	Goldy's/Grove Street Place
84	Sue Carter	Great Britain	British National
85	Sara Symington	Great Britain	British National	all s.t.
86	Theresa Korn	The United States	Webcor-AV/TALGO	11:42
87	Troy Watson	The United States	Webcor-AV/TALGO	s.t.
88	Kate Farrell Gray	The United States	TREK	12:23
DNF	Jeanne McFall	The United States	Boise Cascade Office Products
GC
1	Lyne Bessette	Canada	Saturn	9:06:03
2	Jeannie Longo	France	Office Depot	at 1:39
3	Rasa Polikeviciute	Lithuania	Acca Due O Hewlett - Packard	2:15
4	Judith Arndt	Germany	German National	3:10
5	Kimberly Bruckner	The United States	Saturn	3:16
6	Chantal Beltman	Netherlands	Dutch National	3:35
7	Katrina Berger	The United States	AutoTrader.com	4:51
8	Anna Millward	Australia	Saturn	4:55
9	Petra Rossner	Germany	Saturn	4:59
10	Sarah Ulmer	New Zealand	AutoTrader.com	5:03
11	Sandy Espeseth	Canada	Intersports	5:19
12	Jolanta Polikeviciute	Lithuania	Acca Due O Hewlett - Packard	5:22
13	Ceris Gilfillan	Great Britain	British National	5:23
14	Caroline Alexander	Great Britain	Intersports	5:28
15	Pia Sundstedt	Finland	Intersports	5:31
16	Vera Hohlfeld	Germany	Acca Due O Hewlett - Packard	5:39
17	Roz Reekie-May	New Zealand	Boise Cascade Office Products	5:48
18	Rachel Heal	Great Britain	Contender Bicycles	5:54
19	Katia Longhin	Italy	Acca Due O Hewlett - Packard	6:47
20	Susy Pryde	New Zealand	AutoTrader.com	8:18
21	Suzanne Thomas	Great Britain	Contender Bicycles	8:42
22	Jessica Phillips	The United States	Office Depot	9:09
23	Emma Davies	Great Britain	British National	10:45
24	Alison Dunlap	The United States	Boise Cascade Office Products	12:52
25	Joan Wilson	The United States	Office Depot	12:53
26	Amber Neben	The United States	Earthlink	13:17
27	Trixi Worrack	Germany	German National	13:19
28	Kimberly Smith	The United States	AutoTrader.com	13:43
29	Leah Goldstein	Canada	800.com	13:52
30	Dotsie Cowden	The United States	Earthlink	14:07
31	Julie Young	The United States	AutoTrader.com	14:09
32	Lysle Wilhelmi	The United States	800.com	14:12
33	Sarah Konrad	The United States	Boise Cascade Office Products	14:17
34	Alison Sydor	Canada	Canadian/French Composite	14:21
35	Cybil DiGuistini	Canada	Canadian/French Composite	14:28
36	Nicole Demars	Canada	800.com	14:30
37	Sandrine Marcuz	France	Canadian/French Composite	14:42
38	Tina Liebig	Germany	German National	14:42
39	Sara Symington	Great Britain	British National	15:04
40	Andrea Ratkovic	The United States	800.com	16:53
41	Melanie Sears	Great Britain	British National	16:54
42	Elizabeth Emery	The United States	Intersports	19:43
43	Ina-Yoko Teutenberg	Germany	Saturn	19:51
44	Kristy Scrymgeour	Australia	Saturn	20:03
45	Anne Samplonius	Canada	Intersports	20:05
46	Meshy Holt	New Zealand	Boise Cascade Office Products	20:37
47	Brooke Blackwelder	The United States	Goldy's/Grove Street Place	20:54
48	Muffy Roy	The United States	Voler	21:19
49	Jen Dial	The United States	Office Depot	21:30
50	Brenda Black	The United States	Webcor-AV/TALGO	23:19
51	Pam Schuster	The United States	AutoTrader.com	23:49
52	Becky Bjork	The United States	Goldy's/Grove Street Place	23:51
53	Pam Wolkoff	The United States	Earthlink	24:41
54	Stacey Peters	The United States	800.com	25:01
55	Ghita Beltman	Netherlands	Dutch National	25:12
56	Catherine Marsal	France	Intersports	26:43
57	Catherine Cardwell	The United States	800.com	26:52
58	Alison Bergeson	The United States	Contender Bicycles	29:17
59	Laura Shuford	The United States	TREK	30:06
60	Krystyna Kras	The United States	Webcor-AV/TALGO	30:12
61	Letizia Giardinelli	Italy	Acca Due O Hewlett - Packard	31:02
62	Emily Thorne	The United States	TREK	32:10
63	Gail Longenecker	The United States	Boise Cascade Office Products	32:13
64	Charmain Breon	The United States	Webcor-AV/TALGO	34:26
65	Marielle van Scheppingen	Netherlands	Dutch National	34:37
66	Katrina Davis	The United States	TREK	35:09
67	Mary Ann Fleckenstein	The United States	Goldy's/Grove Street Place	36:04
68	Naomi Williams	Australia	Office Depot	37:26
69	Andrea Foster	The United States	Goldy's/Grove Street Place	37:34
70	Sima Trapp	The United States	Goldy's/Grove Street Place	37:44
71	Liza Rachetto	The United States	Goldy's/Grove Street Place	37:46
72	Helen Kelly	Australia	Office Depot	38:20
73	Jaqueline Brabenetz	Germany	German National	41:06
74	Sue Carter	Great Britain	British National	41:44
75	Angela Hillenga	Netherlands	Dutch National	44:53
76	Mary McLaurin	The United States	Contender Bicycles	45:00
77	Nicole Freedman	The United States	Voler	45:34
78	Jennifer Stevens	The United States	Earthlink	47:04
79	Tina Skelley-Kunstbeck	The United States	Webcor-AV/TALGO	48:01
80	Angela Brodtka	Germany	German National	48:50
81	Ann Marie Miller	The United States	Voler	51:09
82	Cathy Moncassin	France	Canadian/French Composite	52:26
83	Amy Williams	The United States	Contender Bicycles	56:48
84	Emily Westbrook	The United States	Contender Bicycles	1:02:59
85	Mirella van Melis	Netherlands	Dutch National	1:07:44
86	Theresa Korn	The United States	Webcor-AV/TALGO	1:09:27
87	Kate Farrell Gray	The United States	TREK	1:12:20
88	Troy Watson	The United States	Webcor-AV/TALGO	1:25:40

Report courtesy HP organizers.

Boise, Idaho - In a three-woman break for the last four of 18 laps, Chantal Beltman of the Dutch National Team raced ahead of Saturn's Lyne Bessette to grab the first place spot in the 28.8-mile Stage Five circuit race in the 18th Annual HP Women's Challenge finishing is one hour, 18 minutes and 24 seconds. Bessette came in second finishing eight seconds behind Beltman and Rasa Polikeviciute of the Acca Due O HP Team made an impressive third place finish after taking a spill in the first lap.

After catching French cycling legend Jeannie Longo from the Office Depot Team napping in the back of the pack, Bessette launched a wicked attack in the 14th lap and took Beltman and Polikeviciute with her. Bessette drove the break to the finish but Beltman was able to sprint past her to claim the winning spot. Bessette wasn't the only one to initiate an unexpected attack as Saturn teammate Ina-Yoko Teutenberg worked to create a one-minute gap to take away time bonus points away from Longo to help Bessette by attacking Longo in Lap 6.

Bessette remains the overall race leader and has widened the gap between her and Longo who is in second place overall by one minute, 39 seconds. Longo could still reclaim her leadership position though as she is known to excel in Stage Seven's 3,500 foot climb to Pomerelle Ski Area.

Stage Five is considered to be one of the most difficult stages in the entire 13-stage race and one of the most popular among spectators. Starting at an elevation of 6,320 feet with thousands of enthusiastic fans watching, the racers must complete 18 laps - each 1.6 miles long with a difficult 140-foot climb at the end of each lap. The total distance of the course is 28.8 miles long and has four Mountain Sprints and two Time Bonus Sprints. The course record was set by Diana Zilute in 2000, with a finishing time of one hour, 17 minutes and eight seconds.


Happy Birthday To...

Trackie Jim Fisher, today.