San Dimas, California, March 9, 2003 – Canadian Geneviève Jeanson, of Team RONA/Esker, clinched her final victory at the Pomona Valley Stage Race today, while her RONA/Esker teammate Karen Bockel won the fourth and final stage of the race. Bockel outsprinted Helen Kelly (TDS Women's Cycling) and Alison Dunlap (T-Mobile) at the end of a 55-minute criterium held in the streets of San Dimas.

With Jeanson leading by 2 minutes 16 seconds after three days of racing, the GC was not an issue today. Teams were shooting for a stage win. Except that RONA/Esker would have liked Bockel to shave enough seconds to climb a notch in the GC.

Bockel broke away early (after the seventh lap) and aimed to dig a gap. Kelly, Dunlap and Saturn's Megan Elliott went with her. Winning intermediary sprints, Bockel almost made it. Winning the stage with an eight-second lead over the field, she was missed fifth spot overall by only five seconds.

“We had a great weekend,” said André Aubut, RONA/Esker's team manager, after the race. “With only three racers while most other teams had full lineups, we took the overall, with four stage podiums, including three stage wins. I think that Geneviève, Karen and Kristen (LaSasso) can be proud of their work. It sure bodes well for Redlands”, he added, referring to the Redlands Classic, in which Team RONA/Esker will compete April 1-6.

The Pomona Valley Stage Race's web site can be found at www.scvelo.com/2003pvsr.html.

Pomona Valley Stage Race
Fourth Stage: Old Town Criterium
Stage classification
1 Karen Bockel (ALL) RONA/Esker
2 Helen Kelly (USA) TDS Women's Cycling Team s.t.
3 Alison Dunlap (USA) T-Mobile s.t.
4 Megan Elliott (USA) Saturn s.t.

Final General Classification
1 Geneviève Jeanson (CAN) RONA/Esker 6h 11'01''
2 Amber Neben (USA) T Mobile 2'16''
3 Sue Palmer-Komar (CAN) Genesis Scuba/FFCC 2'46''
4 Manon Jutras (CAN) Saturn 2'58''
5 Lyne Bessette (CAN) Saturn 3'27''
6 Karen Bockel (ALL) RONA/Esker 3'31''
13 Kristen LaSasso (USA) RONA/Esker