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Tour du Grand Montreal – Final

June 2, 2005 (Montreal, Quebec) — Australian Oenone Wood (Nurnberger — Versicherung) won a brilliant and well-deserved GC victory at the Tour du Grand Montréal. She and her team controlled a last, animated stage full of attacks and counter-attacks. Wood took fourth place in today’s stage, beating all GC contenders, confirming her domination of the previous days. In final GC Wood beat, in that order, Switzerland’s Annette Beutler (Quark), Denmark’s Dorte Lohse Rasmussen (S.A.T.S.) and young Canadians Erinne Willock (Webcor) and Geneviève Jeanson (ACDA — RONA).

“I think that Tuesday’s Rigaud stage was the turning point of this stage race, analysed Wood after the race. The Rigaud stage (one of the two stages won by Wood) limited the number of GC contenders. It caused a lot of tiredness in the field, which created opportunities for the next stage.”

Today’s stage, held in the hilly and picturesque Saint-Hilaire region, was won by 20 year old Italian Danielle Fusar Poli (Nobili Rubinetterie — Menikini Cogeas). She outsprinted her two breakaway companions Melissa Sanborn (USA, Subway) and Melissa Holt (NZL, S.A.T.S.). The stage was a continuous succession of attacks and counter-attacks. American Nicole Wangsgard (Subway) was the first to signal that the race was on five kilometres after the start of this 115-km stage. Her venture did not last, but the tone was set for the day. Sometimes alone and sometimes two, three or four at a time, riders tried to get away. At times the field let them go — but never for long. The first one to lose sight of the pack, after 30 kilometres, was Monica Mendez Ortiz of the Columbian National Team, whose lead climbed to 35 seconds – this break would hold for 16 kilometres. Meanwhile eight racers crashed, some of them badly — among them was GC contender Willock, whose fourth place was threatened by the accident. All except for Jennifer Chapman (Velo Bella) got back on their saddles and eventually caught up with the peloton.

Meanwhile at the front attacks were fusing as the kilometres went by. Wangsgard, then Fusar Poli, then British racer Rachel Heal (S.A.T.S.), then Japan’s Hiroko Shimada (Velo Bella) tried to open a gap. The “right” one took place at the 59th kilometre. Sanborn, who obviously had recovered from her participation in the collective crash 20 kilometres earlier, got away by herself. Five kilometres later she had built up a one minute lead. Holt came in between, and then was joined by Fusar Poli. Then a group of six started a chase, until two of its members, ACDA RONA’s Long and Benjamin, slowed down and waited for the main field.

Just after kilometre 80, Holt and Fusar Poli bridged to Sanborn and smoothly integrated her in their rotation. Sanborn would say later, “When I heard they were getting closer, I decided to wait for them to finish.” Behind, for a while the pack fought to reel them in. From more than two minutes, the gap came down to 48 seconds, before going up again as the peloton eased off. Obviously the leading trio was not an issue.

Toward the red flame, the three escapees started to watch each other. Entering the last uphill stretch leading the way to the finish line, Sanborn sprinted from the 200 metre mark. Holt reacted quickly — but Fusar Poli reacted instantly. She crossed the line with less than a bicycle length over Sanborn and Holt.

The field arrived two minutes 20 later. In spite of Jeanson’s effort, it was Wood — again — who won the sprint.

Stage 4 Results

1 Fusar Poli,Daniella ITA Nobili Rubinetterie – Menikini Cogeas (NMC) 3:07:15
2 Sanborn,Melissa USA Subway (SUB) 3:07:15
3 Holt,Melissa NZL Team S.A.T.S (TSA) 3:07:15
4 Wood,Oenone AUS Équipe Nurnberger Versicherung (NUR) 3:09:35
5 Arndt,Judith GER Équipe Nurnberger Versicherung (NUR) 3:09:35
6 Jeanson,Geneviève CAN ACDA -Rona (ACD) 3:09:35
7 Beutler,Annette SUI QUARK (QRK) 3:09:35
8 Gaggioli,Lynn USA Biovail (BIO) 3:09:35
9 Pucinskaite,Edita LTU Nobili Rubinetterie – Menikini Cogeas (NMC) 3:09:35
10 Fleury,Grace USA QUARK (QRK) 3:09:35

18 Willock,Erinne CAN Webcor Builders Women’s Cycling Team (WEB) 3:09:48
19 Tratnyek,Anna CAN Équipe Nationale du Canada (ENC) 3:09:48
24 Lemieux,Audrey CAN QUARK (QRK) 3:09:54
27 Stephenson,Jennifer CAN Biovail (BIO) 3:10:03
28 Lamson,Heather CAN Diet Cheerwine (DCH) 3:10:05
31 Ross,Tara CAN Diet Cheerwine (DCH) 3:10:08
33 Caron,Joanie CAN Ellicyle Sport expert Louis Garneau (ELI) 3:10:08
38 Robbin ,Kirsten CAN Équipe Nationale du Canada (ENC) 3:10:18
39 Numainville,Joelle CAN Équipe Mixte espoirs Laval 3:10:18
41 Gagnon,Geneviève CAN Ellicyle Sport expert Louis Garneau (ELI) 3:10:18
42 Sweeney,Lisa CAN Ellicyle Sport expert Louis Garneau (ELI) 3:10:18
50 Farell,Julia CAN Diet Cheerwine (DCH) 3:11:21
51 Trew,Jenny CAN Équipe Nationale du Canada (ENC) 3:11:48
52 Hold,Betina CAN Webcor Builders Women’s Cycling Team (WEB) 3:11:48
53 Bourbeau,Stéphanie CAN Équipe du Québec (QUE) 3:11:48
DNF Macht,Suzanne CAN Équipe Nationale du Canada (ENC)
DNF Bédard,Marie-Pierre CAN Équipe Nationale du Canada (ENC)
DNF Bélanger,Julie CAN Diet Cheerwine (DCH)
DNF Montminy,Caroline CAN Équipe du Québec (QUE)
DNF Gagnon,Élisa CAN Équipe du Québec (QUE)
DNF St-Laurent,Kathy CAN Équipe du Québec (QUE)
DNF Hutsebault,Julie CAN Équipe du Québec (QUE)

GC

1 Wood,Oenone AUS Équipe Nurnberger Versicherung (NUR) 9:53:05
2 Beutler,Annette SUI QUARK (QRK) 9:53:18
3 Rasmussen,Dorte Lohse DEN Team S.A.T.S (TSA) 9:53:24
4 Willock,Erinne CAN Webcor Builders Women’s Cycling Team (WEB) 9:53:44
5 Jeanson,Geneviève CAN ACDA -Rona (ACD) 9:56:56
6 Thorburn ,Christine USA Webcor Builders Women’s Cycling Team (WEB) 9:57:03
7 Fleury,Grace USA QUARK (QRK) 9:57:10
8 Arndt,Judith GER Équipe Nurnberger Versicherung (NUR) 9:57:12
9 Gaggioli,Lynn USA Biovail (BIO) 9:57:17
10 Pucinskaite,Edita LTU Nobili Rubinetterie – Menikini Cogeas (NMC) 9:57:29

15 Robbin ,Kirsten CAN Équipe Nationale du Canada (ENC) 9:59:29
17 Lemieux,Audrey CAN QUARK (QRK) 10:01:42
28 Stephenson,Jennifer CAN Biovail (BIO) 10:24:14
30 Gagnon,Geneviève CAN Ellicyle Sport expert Louis Garneau (ELI) 10:24:21
32 Lamson,Heather CAN Diet Cheerwine (DCH) 10:24:21
33 Ross,Tara CAN Diet Cheerwine (DCH) 10:24:22
34 Caron,Joanie CAN Ellicyle Sport expert Louis Garneau (ELI) 10:24:25
35 Sweeney,Lisa CAN Ellicyle Sport expert Louis Garneau (ELI) 10:24:31
37 Numainville,Joelle CAN Équipe Mixte espoirs Laval 10:24:34
46 Bourbeau,Stéphanie CAN Équipe du Québec (QUE) 10:26:12
47 Tratnyek,Anna CAN Équipe Nationale du Canada (ENC) 10:26:34
51 Farell,Julia CAN Diet Cheerwine (DCH) 10:26:46
52 Trew,Jenny CAN Équipe Nationale du Canada (ENC) 10:31:04
53 Hold,Betina CAN Webcor Builders Women’s Cycling Team (WEB) 10:39:50

Team GC

1 QUARK (QRK) 29:48:54
2 Team S.A.T.S (TSA) 30:08:21
3 Équipe Nurnberger Versicherung (NUR) 30:10:27
4 Webcor Builders Women’s Cycling Team (WEB) 30:11:26
5 Nobili Rubinetterie – Menikini Cogeas (NMC) 30:17:13
6 Federacion Colombiana de Ciclismo (FFC) 30:30:00
7 Équipe Nationale du Canada (ENC) 30:37:03
8 ACDA -Rona (ACD) 30:46:39
9 Safi-Pasta Zara Manhattan(SAF) 30:47:07
10 Subway (SUB) 30:56:41





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