June 1, 2008 (Montreal, QC) — Saturday’s Montreal Women’s World Cup (MWWC) race featured a strong showing for Canada with five Canadians in the top 20, including Leigh Hobson (Can) Canadian National Team on the podium in 3rd.

Germany’s Judith Arndt (Team High Road) won with a time of 3:11:34 over last year’s winner, Fabiani Luperini (Ita) Specialized Menikini in a sprint finish on Park Ave. The finish was a dramatic climax to an exciting race that saw numerous race leaders until the final lap when Arndt, who won in 2006, and Luperini got away to form the winning break as Canada’s Hobson, Erinne Willock and Anne Samplonius, chased them down with Hobson claiming the bronze in the end.

“I felt sick this morning, but it was an all-or-nothing race,” said Hobson. “You’re never really completely ready for any race as anything can happen. I only realized as we got close to the finish that I could do it (finish third). I’m overwhelmed and will celebrate with a glass of wine this evening. I believe that now I have a good chance of going to the Beijing Olympics. I am retiring from cycling this year after a 10-year career and this is my first World Cup podium ever,” claimed Hobson.

Her father David told us that for Saturday’s race Hobson carried a good luck cycling medal that he had won in a hill climbing contest in Yorkshire some 30 years ago. “I flew in from Scotland at midnight last night to give her that.”

With light rain falling the 11-lap, 110.66km race began, amidst careful anticipation as the peloton rolled along smoothly with thinner crowds on hand likely due to the rain which had been much heavier earlier in the day. On the third lap Ina Teutenberg (Ger) Team High Road Women jumped and soon had a 50-second lead. She extended it to 1:18 at one point as the rain let up on lap five, while the chasing field exchanged leaders with Canada’s Alex Wrubleski, Willock and Hobson hovering near the front.

By lap eight the peloton had swallowed up Teutenberg’s gap and now the race became more animated with 2007 winner Luperini, Arndt, and Kristen Armstrong (USA) Cervelo-Lifeforce moving to the front.

As riders jostled for the lead it wasn’t until lap 10, the penultimate lap, that a group of eight riders broke away lead by Luperini and Arndt with three Canadians in the mix – Willock, Samplonius and Hobson — Wrubleski had missed the jump. Yet this break was caught as the peloton regrouped for the final lap where again Arndt and Luperini took the lead on the climb and pushed ahead to establish a 40-second gap with Hobson, Willock and Samplonius in the chase group behind.

Finally it was Arndt besting Luperini at the line with Canada’s Hobson taking third in the biggest win of her career.

We caught up with Hobson again to let her know that the FQSC’s director general, Louis Barbeau, had noted that her third place podium finish should be enough to give her a berth on Canada’s national team going to Beijing. “I am going to change that wine for champagne,” quipped Hobson. If Hobson does make it to Beijing in August, when she returns her plans are to return to her job teaching high school in Cambridge, Ont.

Alex Wrubleski (Can) Webcor has also unofficially secured a berth on Canada’s national team going to the Beijing Games with her two 4th place World Cup finishes (Berne and Fleche Wallonne). Wrubleski, who celebrated her 24th birthday on Saturday, seemed disappointed with her 20th place finish at the MWWC. “It was not a good day for me or for my team.”

Joelle Numainville, who is racing this year with French-based GSD Gestion, described the race as difficult. Numainville doesn’t like racing in the rain and was visibly cold after DNFing. She will also be competing in the Tour du Grand Montreal (TGM) June 2-5 and noted that the weather forecast is good. She will spend much of the summer riding at UCI races in France.

Canada’s Sophie Matt (EMD Serono), who has happy to complete eight out of 11 laps, described the climb as long and the pavement in need of repair. “We did a ride last evening and saw a city truck still filling in potholes.”

Jessica Burns (Cascades) told Pedal that she had raced the MWWC cup but never in the rain. “You can’t see in the rain and have to change your braking distance. But I feel good”¦,” said Burns.

Chloe St Arnaud-Watt (Ultralink) called the race “bumpy and scary.” She also spoke highly of the race organization, noting how quickly a crash was moved aside. She and team mate Sarah Coney were pleased with how the MWWC dovetails with the TGM and the Tour de PEI. “It makes for two weeks of solid racing.”

Veronique Labonte (Cascades), who was also racing at her first MWWC, said she DNF’d when the race started to become disagreeable. “But there are lots of good races coming up,” she added.

Among those apparently caught up in a crash was Jeannie Longo-Ciprelli (les Carroz) of France. Longo, who turns 50 this year, has an incredible 1,024 cycling victories in her career and was among the leaders early in the race. It was rumoured that she hurt her hip and we wish her a speedy recovery.

Results

1. Judith Arndt (Ger) Team High Road Women 3:11:34
2. Fabiana Luperini (Ita) Menikini-Selle Italia Master Colors
3. Leigh Hobson (Can) Canadian National Team 0:32
4. Sara Carrigan (Aus) Australian National Team 0:34
5. Kristen Armstrong (USA) Cervelo-Lifeforce
6. Anne Samplonius (Can) Canadian National Team
7. Erinne Willock (Can) Webcor Builders
8. Emma Pooley (GBr) Specialized Designs for Women 0:38
9. Priska Doppman (Sui) Cervelo-Lifeforce 0:51
10. Nikki Egyed (Aus) Australian National Team
11. Edwige Pittel (Fra) Team Pro Feminin Les Carroz 0:53
12. Lauren Franges (USA) Team Tibco 1:10
13. Joanne Kiesanowski (NZl) Team Tibco 1:23
14. Lang Meng (Chn) Giant Pro Cycling
15. Chantal Beltman (Ned) High Road Women
16. Modesta Vzesniauskaite (Ltu) Equipe Nurnberger Versicherung
17. Felicia Gomez (Can) Aaron’s Professional Cycling Team
18. Kimberly Anderson (USA) High Road Women
19. Giuseppina Grassi (Mex) Equipe Nationale Mexique
20. Alex Wrubleski (Can) Webcor Builders
21. Ruth Corset (Aus) Australian National Team
22. Julie Beveridge (Can) Aaron’s Professional Cycling Team
23. Kori Kelley Seehafer (USA) Menikini-Selle Italia Master Colors 1:26
24. Monika Schachl (Aut) Uniqua 3:00
25. Rochelle Gilmore (Aus) Menikini-Selle Italia Master Colors 9:11
26. Nathalie Bates (Aus) Menikini-Selle Italia Master Colors 9:13
27. Karin Aune (Swe) Uniqua
28. Audrey Cordon (Fra) Vienne Futuroscope 9:15
29. Suzanne De Goede (Ned) Equipe Nurnberger Versicherung
30. Sarah Grab (Sui) Specialized Designs for Women
31. Victoria Bastide (Swe) Team Tibco
32. Christine Majerus (Lux) ESGL 93 GSD Gestion
33. Sue Schlatter (Can) EMD Seronon Stevens
34. Rachel Heal (GBr) Team Tibco
35. Patricia Schwager (Sui) Cervelo-Lifeforce
36. Brooke Miller (USA) Team Tibco
37. Oenone Wood (Aus) Team High Road Women
38. Lorian Graham (Aus) Australian National Team
39. Tiffany Cromwell (Aus) Australian National Team
40. Yeugeniya Vysotska (Ukr) Ukrainian National Team 14:18
41. Johanne Cyr (Can) Equipe Cascades
42. Kristin Sanders (USA) Aaron’s Professional Cycling Team 17:17
43. Bettina Hold (Can) Canadian National Team
44. Moriah Jo Macgregor (Can) Canadian National Team
45. Sarah Duster (Ger) Cervelo-Lifeforce
46. Julie Bellerose (Can) Equipe Cascades
47. Min Gao (Chn) Giant Pro Cycling
48. Sufen Ma (Chn) Giant Pro Cycling
49. Daniela Pintarelli (Aut) Uniqua
50. Jennifer Stephenson (Can) Ultralink
51. Svitlana Galyuk (Ukr) Ukrainian National Team 17:20
HD Yeima Torres (Cub) Cuban National Team
HD Iraida Garcia (Cub) Cuban National Team
HD Belem Guerrero (Mex) Equipe Nationale Mexique
HD Bernadette Schober (Aut) Uniqua
HD Fei Wang (Chn) Giant Pro Cycling
HD Li Ping Zhang (Chn) Giant Pro Cycling
HD Marie Lindberg (Swe) Equipe Nurnberger Versicherung
HD Sophie Matte (Can) EMD Serono Stevens
HD Yong Li Liu (Chn) Giant Pro Cycling
HD Mary Zider (USA) Advil-Chapstick
HD Sophie Creux (Fra) ESGL 93 GSD Gestion
HD Kateryna Krasova (Ukr) Ukrainian National Team
HD Julia Bradley (Can) EMD Serono Stevens
HD Alyssa Mellon (Can) Ultralink
HD Catherine Hogan (Can) Specialized Carrefour Multisport
HD Eugenie Mermillod (Fra) Team Pro Feminin Les Carroz
HD Beatrice Thomas (Fra) ESGL 93 GSD Gestion
HD Dalila Rodriguez (Cub) Cuban National Team
HD Tricia K Spooner (Can) EMD Serono Stevens
HD Trine Schmidt (Den) Menikini-Selle Italia Master Colors
HD Yumari Gonzalez (Cub) Cuban National Team
HD Yoanka Gonzalez (Cub) Cuban National Team
HD Joanie Caron (Can) Equipe Cascades
HD Anne Guzman (Dom) Equipe Cascades
HD Fanny Riberot (Fra) Team Pro Feminin Les Carroz
HD Genevieve Gauthier (Can) Specialized Carrefour Multisport
DNF Estelle Patou (Fra) ESGL 93 GSD Gestion
DNF Carmen Mcnellis (USA) Aaron’s Professional Cycling Team
DNF Natasha Elliott (Can) EMD Serono Stevens
DNF Jeannie Longo-Ciprelli (Fra) Team Pro Feminin Les Carroz
DNF Mathilde Hupin (Can) Specialized Carrefour Multisport
DNF Jessica Burns (Can) Equipe Cascades
DNF Sarah Coney (Can) Ultralink
DNF Louise Moriarty (Irl) Specialized Carrefour Multisport
DNF Allison Lampi (Can) Ultralink
DNF Veronique Labonte (Can) Equipe Cascades
DNF Karol-Ann Canuel (Can) Specialized Carrefour Multisport
DNF Lorena Foresi (Ita) Menikini-Selle Italia Master
DNF Ina Teutenberg (Ger) Team High Road Women
DNF Katherine Bates (Aus) Team High Road Women
DNF Larissa Kleinmann (Ger) Equipe Nurnberger Versicherung
DNF Regina Schleicher (Ger) Equipe Nurnberger Versicherung
DNF Janel Holcomb (USA) Webcor Builders
DNF Christine Thorburn (USA) Webcor Builders
DNF Joelle Numainville (Can) ESGL 93 GSD Gestion
DNF Jocelyn Loane (Aus) Australian National Team
DNF Emma Rickards (Aus) Cervelo-Lifeforce
DNF Pascale Schnider (Sui) Cervelo-Lifeforce
DNF Tanja Hennes (Ger) Specialized Designs for Women
DNF Kristen Lasasso (USA) Specialized Designs for Women
DNF Mirjam Hauser-Senn (Sui) Specialized Designs for Women
DNF Andrea Knecht (Sui) Specialized Designs for Women
DNF Julia Farell (Can) Ultralink
DNF Chloe St-Arnaud-Watt (Can) Ultralink
DNF Elizaveta Bochkarova (Ukr) Ukrainian National Team
DNF Tetiana Stiajkina (Ukr) Ukrainian National Team
DNF Olena Andruk (Ukr) Ukrainian National Team
DNF Nathalie Lamborelle (Lux) Uniqua
DNF Alison Testroete (Can) Aaron’s Professional Cycling
DNF Meredith Miller (USA) Aaron’s Professional Cycling
DNF Julie Dheruelle (Fra) Vienne Futuroscope
DNF Fiona Dutriaux (Fra) Vienne Futuroscope
DNF Emmanuelle Merlot (Fra) Vienne Futuroscope
DNF Carissa Wilkes (NZl) Team Pro Feminin Les Carroz
DNF Brei Gudsell (NZl) Team Pro Feminin Les Carroz
DNF Sue Palmer-Komar (Can) Advil-Chapstick
DNF Kirsten Robbins (Can) Advil-Chapstick
DNF Elisa Gagnon (Can) Advil-Chapstick
DNF Helen Kelly (Aus) Team Tibco
DNF Julie Marceau (Can) Specialized Carrefour Multisport
DNF Veronica Leal (Mex) Equipe Nationale Mexique
DNF Mayra Rocha (Mex) Equipe Nationale Mexique