June 2, 2007 (Montreal, QC) — Italy’s Fabiana Luperini (Menikini-Selle Italia-Gysko) won the Montreal round of the World Cup today, beating Mara Abbott (Webcor) from the United States and Judith Arndt (T-Mobile) from Germany.

The winner completed the 110.7 kilometre race in 3:07:35 seconds with an average speed of 35.4 km/h. Despite falling on the last turn leading to the final sprint, Arndt finished 1:11 behind Luperini and Abbott.

Nicole Cooke’s (Gbr, Raleigh Lifeforce Creation) fifth place finish enabled her to hold on to the leader’s jersey with 278 points, ahead of 2006 world road champion Marianne Vos by 53 points. Third in the overall rankings, Australian Oenone Wood (Nurnberger Versicherung), finished in sixth place today.

A more boisterous crowd of Montrealers than ever were gathered at the start/finish line and along the arduous Montée Camilien-Houde this year. The new location of the start/finish line made it easier for the public to access the site and enabled a greater number of spectators to enjoy the race from this location.

This initiative also led to a different race strategy this year. The race was much livelier, especially due to the efforts of Ekaterina Malomoura (Rus) Russian Cycling Federation from Russia and Jeannie Longo-Ciprelli (Fra) Team Uniqua, the senior member of the race, who turns 49 this year. Longo-Ciprelli was very satisfied with her 7th place finish.

The eighth lap featured the race’s final escape when Luperini broke away from the pack and established a one-minute lead. Abbott caught up to her on the ninth lap. Luperini finished the race by winning the final sprint and celebrated her victory.

“Fabiana successfully implemented the race strategy we established this morning. All members of the team worked very well, which led to our victory today,” said the Menikini team’s Sports Manager Walter Ricci Petitoni.

The top Quebecker was to finish was Anne Samplonius (Team expresscopy.com) who came in 44th. Another high-profile Quebecker, Émilie Roy (Specialized-Menikini), was unable to make it to the start due to a fracture to her arm when she crashed while training yesterday.

The Montreal Women’s Road World Cup will be followed by the Tour du Grand Montréal, which begins Monday, June 4, and ends Thursday, June 7.

Most of the racers will then head to Prince Edward Island to participate in the first ever Tour de PEI, which will take place from June 10-14.

Results

1. Fabiana Luperini (Ita) Menikini-Selle Italia-Gysko 3:07:35
2. Mara Abbott (USA) Webcor Builders 0:02
3. Judith Arndt (Ger) T-Mobile 0:57
4. Marianne Vos (Ned) Team DSB Bank 1:11
5. Nicole Cooke (Gbr) Raleigh Lifeforce Creation
6. Oenone Wood (Aus) T-Mobile
7. Jeannie Longo-Ciprelli (Fra) Team Uniqua
8. Trixi Worrack (Ger) Nürnberger Versicherung
9. Amber Neben (USA) Team Flexpoint 1:17
10. Claudia Heusler (Ger) Nürnberger Versicherung 1:22
11. Christine Thorburn (USA) Webcor Builders
12. Edwige Pitel (Fra) Team UNIQA both
13. Annette Beutler (Sui) Vinci-Specialized-Menikini 1:43
14. Andrea Graus (Aut) Nürnberger Versicherung 1:45
15. Tina Liebig (Ger) Getranke-Hoffmann
16. Alex Wrubleski (Can) Colavita/Sutter Home p/b Cooking Light 1:57
17. Sigrid Corneo (Ita) Menikini-Selle Italia-Gysko 2:03
18. Joanne Kiesanowski (Nzl) Raleigh Lifeforce Creation
19. Kristin Armstrong (USA) TEAm Lipton both
20. Monika Schachl (Aut) Team UNIQA 2:05
21. Chantal Beltman (Ned) T-Mobile 2:55
22. Tina Mayolo Pic (USA) Colavita/Sutter Home p/b Cooking Light 3:04
23. Andrea Bosman (Ned) Team DSB Bank
24. Yulia Arustamova (Rus) Russian Cycling Federation
25. Leigh Hobson (Can) Cheerwine
26. Catherine Cheatley (Nzl) Cheerwine
27. Lorian Graham (Aus) Australian National Team
28. Nikki Egyed (Aus) Raleigh Lifeforce Creation
29. Betina Hold (Can) Cheerwine
30. Brooke Ourada (Nzl) Cheerwine
31. Toni Bradshaw (Nzl) New Zealand National Team
32. Olivia Gollan (Aus) Menikini-Selle Italia-Gysko
33. Vicki Whitelaw (Aus) Australian National Team
34. Chrissy Ruiter (USA) Cheerwine
35. Serena Sheridan (Nzl) New Zealand National Team
36. Nathalie Bates (Aus) Getranke-Hoffmann
37. Ekaterina Malomoura (Rus) Russian Cycling Federation
38. Marisa Asplund (USA) Team TIBCO
39. Elena Novikova (Rus) Russian Cycling Federation 3:09
40. Karin Aune (Swe) Menikini-Selle Italia-Gysko 3:52
41. Stacy Marple (USA) Team TIBCO
42. Jocelyn Loane (Aus) Australian National Team 3:54
43. Georgina Waibl (Nzl) New Zealand National Team 3:55
44. Anne Samplonius (Can) Team expresscopy.com 4:02
45. Rachel Heal (GBr) Webcor Builders 4:08
46. Katheryn Curi (USA) Webcor Builders
47. Dotsie Bausch (USA) Colavita/Sutter Home p/b Cooking Light 5:57
48. Alison Powers (USA) Colavita/Sutter Home p/b Cooking Light 6:04
49. Kori Kelley Seehafer (USA) TEAm Lipton 6:06
50. Kristen Lasasso (USA) TEAm Lipton
51. Alexandra Burchenkova (Rus) Russian Cycling Federation 7:50
52. Carla Ryan (Aus) Australian National Team 8:20
53. Veronika Sprügl (Aut) Team UNIQA 8:21
54. Carissa Wilkes (Nzl) New Zealand National Team 10:43
55. Marie Lindberg (Swe) Nürnberger Versicherung
56. Verena Absalyamova (Rus) Russian Cycling Federation 14:58
57. Jennifer Stephenson (Can) Marinoni-Cadence
58. Sufen Ma (Chn) Giant Pro Cycling 14:59
59. Suzanne Van Veen (Ned) Team Flexpoint
60. Yudelmis Dominguez (Cub) Cuba National Team 18:15
61. Eléna Gayun (Rus) Russian Cycling Federation 18:19
62. Elisa Gagnon-Gascon (Can) Advil/Chapstick 19:31
63. Xiang Yin Ruan (Chn) Giant Pro Cycling
64. Heather Lachance (USA) Advil/Chapstick
65. Michelle Hyland (Nzl) New Zealand National Team
66. Johanne Cyr (Can) Cascades
67. Anna Milkowski (USA) Target Training
68. Hiroko Shimada (Jpn) Target Training
69. Amanda Sin (Can) Advil/Chapstick
70. Victoria Bastide (Swe) Team TIBCO
71. Kerry Litka (USA) Terry Precision
72. Erinne Willock (Can) Team expresscopy.com
DNF Sarah Düster (Ger) Raleigh Lifeforce Creation
DNF Patricia Schwager (Sui) Raleigh Lifeforce Creation
DNF Tanja Slater (GBr) Raleigh Lifeforce Creation
DNF Adrie Visser (Ned) Team DSB Bank
DNF Noortje Tabak (Ned) Team DSB Bank
DNF Katherine Bates (Aus) T-Mobile
DNF Anke Wichmann (Ger) T-Mobile
DNF Kimberly Anderson (USA) T-Mobile
DNF Regina Schleicher (Ger) Nürnberger Versicherung
DNF Claudia Stumpf (Ger) Nürnberger Versicherung
DNF Elodie Touffet (Fra) Menikini-Selle Italia-Gysko
DNF Rochelle Gilmore (Aus) Menikini-Selle Italia-Gysko
DNF Loes Markerink (Ned) Team Flexpoint
DNF Iris Slappendel (Ned) Team Flexpoint
DNF Lauren Franges (USA) TEAm Lipton
DNF Lara Kroepsch (USA) TEAm Lipton
DNF Meredith Miller (USA) TEAm Lipton
DNF Karol-Ann Canuel (Can) Vinci-Specialized-Menikini
DNF Marie-Pier Bedard (Can) Vinci-Specialized-Menikini
DNF Giorgia Bronzini (Ita) Safi-Pasta Zara Manhattan
DNF Alessandra Borchi (Ita) Safi-Pasta Zara Manhattan
DNF Daniela Fusar Poli (Ita) Safi-Pasta Zara Manhattan
DNF Luisa Tamanini (Ita) Safi-Pasta Zara Manhattan
DNF Diana Ziliute (Ltu) Safi-Pasta Zara Manhattan
DNF Bernadette Schober (Aut) Team UNIQA
DNF Candice Sullivan (Aus) Australian National Team
DNF Sara Carrigan (Aus) Australian National Team
DNF Iona Wynter (Jam) Colavita/Sutter Home p/b Cooking Light
DNF Stacey Spencer (Can) Colavita/Sutter Home p/b Cooking Light
DNF Brooke Miller (USA) Team TIBCO
DNF Katherine Lambden (USA) Team TIBCO
DNF Theresa Senff (Ger) Getranke-Hoffmann
DNF Virginia Hennig (Ger) Getranke-Hoffmann
DNF Elke Gebhardt (Ger) Getranke-Hoffmann
DNF Kathleen Billington (USA) Target Training
DNF Mandy Lozano (USA) Target Training
DNF Andrea Meyers (USA) Target Training
DNF Yoanka Gonzalez Perez (Cub) Cuba National Team
DNF Yumari Gonzalez Valdiuieso (Cub) Cuba National Team
DNF Dalila Rodriguez (Cub) Cuba National Team
DNF Yeima Torres (Cub) Cuba National Team
DNF Amber Rais (USA) Webcor Builders
DNF Helen Kelly (Aus) Webcor Builders
DNF Tara Ross (Can) Advil/Chapstick
DNF Kirsten Robbins (Can) Advil/Chapstick
DNF Jessica Phillips (USA) Team expresscopy.com
DNF Melissa Holt (Nzl) Team expresscopy.com
DNF Joelle Numainville (Can) Team expresscopy.com
DNF Gina Grain (Can) Team expresscopy.com
DNF Marina Duvnjak (Nzl) New Zealand National Team
DNF Xiaoning Gao (Chn) Giant Pro Cycling
DNF Fei Wang (Chn) Giant Pro Cycling
DNF Jessica Burns (Can) Cascades
DNF Caroline Montminy (Can) Cascades
DNF Joanie Caron (Can) Cascades
DNF Genevieve Gagnon (Can) Cascades
DNF Naomi Cermak (Can) Terry Precision
DNF Ireen Wieditz (Can) Terry Precision
DNF Julie Bellerose (USA) Cascades
DNF Megan Guarnier (USA) Terry Precision
DNF Rosie Coleman (USA) Terry Precision
DNF Ann Hansgate (USA) Terry Precision
DNF Julie Marceau (Can) Marinoni-Cadence
DNF Kathleen Villeneuve (Can) Marinoni-Cadence
DNF Magali Tisseyre (Can) Marinoni-Cadence
DNF Jennifer Wilson (USA) Marinoni-Cadence
DNF Jennifer Reither (USA) Marinoni-Cadence
DNS. Anna Zugno (Ita) Safi-Pasta Zara Manhattan
DNS Emilie Roy (Can) Vinci-Specialized-Menikini
DNS Liza Rachetto (USA) Team TIBCO
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