April 01, 2012 (Oudenaarde, Belgium) – Canadian rider Joëlle Numainville of Montréal, QC sprinted to the third place at the famous and coveted West Flanders women’s World Cup race today in Belgium.

Wearing the Team Canada colours, Numainville went on to cross the finish line third in a sprint against Kristen Wild of the Netherlands after 127 kilometers of racing, with long stretches on cobbled streets.

“I’m so stoked to be on the podium. I was so nervous last night because I knew my form is good and my capabilities.  It’s also the first race in Europe. It went from the worst night to the best day,” said Numainville. “I was at the front for a long time in the sprint, but I thought it was better to stay there. I was really calm.  I saw Kristen Wild beside me and knew we would be pushing the same watts as we had the same fatigue from the race.  I just gave it everything I had.”

She then added, speaking of the course: ““I thought it was an easier course than last year plus I felt better. It is a great course for me because there are climbs but they don’t last for 20km. The Oude-Karemont climb which was second to last was the hardest climb and I rode it quite well.”

Judith Arndt of Germany and Kirsten Armstrong of the United States finished first and second, and managed to separate themselves at the famous Oude-Karemont climb, and rode together to the finish line.

The Canadian team racing in Belgium today was headed by Denise Kelly, the Canadian Cycling Association’s women’s road head coach, and she was proud of the accomplishment by Numainville: “It’s a thrill to be part of Flanders and getting on the podium for Joelle and Canada is amazing. She’s had some good results in the States prior to coming here but it’s completely different racing as all the best in the world were here. It’s fantastic to carry the momentum from UCI Pan-American Championships to Europe for our spring campaign.  The entire team is looking strong which bodes well for the rest of the month over here.”

The women’s program will continue its course in Europe until the end of April with a series of races across many European countries, and then will come back to Canada in May for the Chrono Gatineau and the 2012 IMMUNITY-FX Canadian Road Championships in June.

Results

1. Judith Arndt (Ger) Greenedge-Ais  3:19:05
2. Kristin Armstrong (USA) USA National Team  0:02
3. Joelle Numainville (Can) Canada National Team  0:30
4. Kirsten Wild (Ned) AA Drink-Leontien.nl Cycling Team
5. Adrie Visser (Ned) Skil 1T4I
6. Eleonora Van Dijk (Ned) Team Specialized-Lululemon
7. Evelyn Arys (Bel) Kleo Ladies Team
8. Christine Majerus (Lux) Team GSD Gestion
9. Anna Van Der Breggen (Ned) Sengers Ladies Cycling Team
10. Alena Amialiusik (Blr) Be Pink
11. Pauline Ferrand Prevot (Fra) Stichting Rabo Women Cycling Team
12. Emma Johansson (Swe) Hitec Products-Mistral Home Cycling Team
13. Carmen Mcnellis Small (USA) USA National Team
14. Maaike Polspoel (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen-Ridley 2012
15. Tiffany Cromwell (Aus) Greenedge-Ais
16. Hanka Kupfernagel (Ger) Rusvelo
17. Audrey Cordon (Fra) Vienne Futuroscope
18. Tatiana Antoshina (Rus) Stichting Rabo Women Cycling Team
19. Rasa Leleivyte (Ltu) Vaiano Tepso
20. Amélie Rivat (Fra) Vienne Futuroscope
21. Megan Guarnier (USA) Tibco-To The Top
22. Trixi Worrack (Ger) Team Specialized-Lululemon
23. Elisa Longo Borghini (Ita) Hitec Products-Mistral Home Cycling Team
24. Lieselot Decroix (Bel) Dolmans-Boels Cyclingteam
25. Tatiana Guderzo (Ita) Mcipollini Giambenini
26. Denise Ramsden (Can) Canada National Team
27. Chantal Blaak (Ned) AA Drink-Leontien.nl Cycling Team
28. Andrea Dvorak (USA) USA National Team
29. Olga Zabelinskaya (Rus) Rusvelo
30. Tayler Wiles (USA) USA National Team
31. Noemi Cantele (Ita) Be Pink
32. Evelyn Stevens (USA) Team Specialized-Lululemon
33. Amanda Spratt (Aus) Greenedge-Ais
34. Elizabeth Armitstead (Gbr) AA Drink-Leontien.nl Cycling Team
35. Emma Pooley (Gbr) AA Drink-Leontien.nl Cycling Team  0:54
36. Liesbet De Vocht (Bel) Stichting Rabo Women Cycling Team  1:52
37. Martina Corazza (Ita) Kleo Ladies Team
38. Samantha Schneider (USA) Tibco-To The Top
39. Svetlana Bubnenkova (Rus) Rusvelo
40. Monia Baccaille (Ita) Mcipollini Giambenini
41. Leah Kirchmann (Can) Canada National Team  
42. Ina Teutenberg (Ger) Team Specialized-Lululemon
43. Kristin Mcgrath (USA) USA National Team
44. Irina Molicheva (Rus) Rusvelo
45. Clara Hughes (Can) Team Specialized-Lululemon  
46. Alexis Rhodes (Aus) Greenedge-Ais
47. Sarah Düster (Ger) Stichting Rabo Women Cycling Team
48. Lauren Hall (USA) Tibco-To The Top
49. Ludivine Henrion (Bel) Lotto Belisol Ladies  1:57
50. Annelies Van Doorslaer (Bel) Kleo Ladies Team  4:46
51. Julia Martisova (Rus) Be Pink
52. Ine Beyen (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen-Ridley 2012
53. Inga Cilvinaite (Ltu) Diadora-Pasta Zara
54. Valentina Carretta (Ita) Mcipollini Giambenini
55. Josien Van Wingerden (Ned) Netherlands National Team
56. Lucinda Brand (Ned) AA Drink-Leontien.nl Cycling Team
57. Amanda Miller (USA) Tibco-To The Top
58. Kaat Hannes (Bel) Lotto Belisol Ladies
59. Lise Nöstvold (Nor) Hitec Products-Mistral Home Cycling Team  7:44
60. Romy Kasper (Ger) Rusvelo
61. Christel Ferrier-Bruneau (Fra) Hitec Products-Mistral Home Cycling Team
62. Mascha Pijnenborg (Ned) Dolmans-Boels Cyclingteam  8:56
63. Lucy Martin (Gbr) AA Drink-Leontien.nl Cycling Team
64. Oxana Kozonchuk (Rus) Be Pink
65. Marta Tagliaferro (Ita) Mcipollini Giambenini
66. Anne Arnouts (Bel) Kleo Ladies Team
67. Polona Batagelj (Slo) Diadora-Pasta Zara
68. Valentina Scandolara (Ita) S.C. Michela Fanini Rox
69. Regina Bruins (Ned) Skil 1T4I
70. Alona Andruk (Ukr) Diadora-Pasta Zara