March 2, 2007 (Geelong Australia) — World number one Nicole Cooke (Raleigh Lifeforce) has taken out the opening round of the 2007 UCI Women’s Road World Cup in Geelong sprinting home ahead of Australians Oenone Wood (T-Mobile) and Nikki Egyed (Australian National Team) at the end of the 120 kilometre race.

The win capped off a week of success for the defending World Cup Series Champion who on Thursday claimed overall victory in the three day Geelong Tour.

“The way it all panned out, holding off the bunch, beating such a fantastic sprinter like Oenone Wood, who’s a past winner here, it was one of the most fantastic wins of my career,” said the Welsh woman after her victory.

97 riders from 17 countries began the race from Waterfront Geelong and almost immediately had to contend with a fierce thunderstorm but the skies cleared by the time they headed into the second of eight laps of the 15 kilometre circuit.

Eleven riders formed a leading group on the second lap including Commonwealth Games Champion, Natalie Bates (AUS), former World Champion, Edita Pucinskaite of Lithuania and Australian road time trial champion, Carla Ryan (QAS). They managed to amass a lead over the main field of almost four minutes before the pink train of the T-Mobile team turned up the heat in the chasing bunch.

The northerly winds picked up speed towards the end of the race as did the chase with Wood powering up the climb on the second last lap to bridge the gap to the leaders and bring all the favourites back into contention.

The pressure of the chase split the bunch with 35 riders forming a lead group. On the final time up the climb Cooke launched her attack. Wood responded to join her in the front while Sydney’s Kate Nichols, who had worked all race in the lead group, put in a huge effort to tow team mate Egyed up to the lead pair.

“(The early break) meant the other five of us could sit in the bunch and just wait,” said Cooke who’s team mate Sarah Duster (GER) was in the early break. “The pressure and the responsibility fell to the other teams and we could just watch while they put the work in.

“I had to do two or three attacks before I actually went, but it was a case of attacking and keeping on going and keeping on believing,” said Cooke.

“I would have been disappointed if we hadn’t given everything, but we put in there and made it a really good race,” said Wood who won in Geelong in 2004. “Nicole’s form at this point is just that little bit better than mine and I couldn’t hold her off at the finish.”

Egyed, a member of the Australian Institute of Sport development program and silver medallist in the road race at the Australian Open Championships in January was thrilled with her podium performance.

“Second place at nationals, it felt like the biggest loss for me,” said Egyed. “Third place here, it feels like a win, I couldn’t be happier.”

The second round of the World Cup Series will be raced in Belgium in April.

The Geelong World Cup is proudly sponsored by the Victorian Government and the City of Greater Geelong.

Results

1. Nicole Cooke (GBr) Raleigh Lifeforce Creation 3.07.42
2. Oenone Wood (Aus) T-Mobile Women
3. Nikki Egyed (Aus) Australian National Team
4. Ina-Yoko Teutenberg (Ger) T-Mobile Women 0:06
5. Angela Brodtka (Ger) German National Team
6. Joanne Kiesanowski (NZl) Raleigh Lifeforce Creation
7. Regina Schleicher (Ger) Equipe Nürnberger Versicherung
8. Trixi Worrack (Ger) Equipe Nürnberger Versicherung
9. Annette Beutler (Swi) Team Flexpoint
10. Emma Rickards (Aus) Raleigh Lifeforce Creation
11. Tina Pic (USA) Colavita/Sutter Home presented by Cooking Light
12. Madeleine Sandig (Ger) Team Flexpoint
13. Laura Van Gilder (USA) Cheerwine
14. Karin Aune (Swe) Menikini Gysko
15. Miho Oki (Jpn) Menikini Gysko
16. Tiffany Cromwell (Aus) NSW Institute of Sport
17. Catherine Cheatley (NZl) Cheerwine
18. Sarah Düster (Ger) Raleigh Lifeforce Creation
19. Priska Doppmann (Swi) Raleigh Lifeforce Creation
20. Lorian Graham (Aus) Queensland Academy of Sport
21. Loes Gunnewijk (Ned) Team Flexpoint
22. Peta Mullens (Aus) NSW Institute of Sport
23. Edita Pucinskaite (Ltu) Equipe Nürnberger Versicherung
24. Emma Pooley (GBr) Great Britain National Team
25. Dotsie Bausch (USA) Colavita/Sutter Home presented by Cooking Light
26. Leigh Hobson (Can) Cheerwine
27. Susanne Ljungskog (Swe) Team Flexpoint
28. Toni Bradshaw (NZl) BikeNZ New Zealand National Team
29. Andrea Graus (Aut) Equipe Nürnberger Versicherung
30. Melissa Holt (NZl) BikeNZ New Zealand National Team
31. Kate Nichols (Aus) Australian National Team
32. Charlotte Becker (Ger) Equipe Nürnberger Versicherung
33. Judith Arndt (Ger) T-Mobile Women
34. Rochelle Gilmore (Aus) Menikini Gysko
35. Olivia Gollan (Aus) Menikini Gysko 0.32
36. Natalie Bates (Aus) NSW Institute of Sport 0.52
37. Gina Waibl (NZl) Team Kiwi
38. Betina Hold (Can) Cheerwine
39. Tanja Slater (GBr) Great Britain National Team
40. Alex Wrubleski (Can) Colavita/Sutter Home presented by Cooking Light
41. Linda Villumsen (Den) T-Mobile Women
42. Loes Markerink (Ned) Team Flexpoint
43. Alexis Rhodes (Aus) T-Mobile Women
44. Amanda Spratt (Aus) Australian National Team
45. Sarah Ulmer (NZl) BikeNZ New Zealand National Team
46. Larissa Kleinmann (Ger) German National Team
47. Eva Lutz (Ger) Equipe Nürnberger Versicherung
48. Alison Powers (USA) Colavita/Sutter Home presented by Cooking Light 1.12
49. Sigrid Corneo (Ita) Menikini Gysko 2.02
50. Carla Ryan (Aus) Queensland Academy of Sport 2.3
51. Amber Jenkins (Aus) Landlink Cycling Team 4
52. Janine Ridsdale (Aus) Team South Coast – raceconcept.net
53. Clemilda Fernandes (Bra) Brazilian National Team
54. Helen Kelly (Aus) NSW Institute of Sport
55. Rachel O’connell (Aus) Cheerwine
56. Uenia Fernandes (Bra) Brazilian National Team
57. Patricia Schwager (Swi) Raleigh Lifeforce Creation
58. Brooke Ourada (USA) Cheerwine
59. Janildes Fernandes (Bra) Brazilian National Team
60. Annelies Basten (NZl) Team Kiwi
61. Louise Kerr (Aus) Queensland Academy of Sport
62. Brei Gudsell (NZl) Team Kiwi
63. Sara Carrigan (Aus) Queensland Academy of Sport
64. Jocelyn Loane (Aus) Australian National Team
65. Patricia Palmer (Aus) MB Coaching
66. Liz Young (Aus) MB Coaching
67. Kathryn Watt (Aus) Kathy Watt Cycling 4.28
68. Jemma O’brien (Aus) Team South Coast – raceconcept.net
69. Jenny Macpherson (Aus) Australian National Team
70. Kerri-Anne Torckler (NZl) Team Kiwi
71. Rachel Rademaker (Aus) Kathy Watt Cycling 5.11
72. Virgina Henning (Ger) German National Team
73. Anneliese Heard (GBr) Great Britain National Team
74. Kerryn Charman (Aus) Landlink Cycling Team
75. Nina Köhn (Ger) German National Team
76. Liz Hayman (Aus) Team South Coast – raceconcept.net
77. Maryam Rogers (GBr) Great Britain National Team 7.43
78. Niki Fisher (Aus) Team South Coast – raceconcept.net 8.26
79. Jessie Maclean (Aus) Landlink Cycling Team 9.43
80. Stephanie Frawley (Aus) Kathy Watt Cycling 9.46
DNF Marina Duvnjak (NZl) BikeNZ New Zealand National Team
DNF Naomi Williams (Aus) NSW Institute of Sport
DNF Toireasa Gallagher (Aus) NSW Institute of Sport
DNF Sarah Murdoch (NZl) Team Kiwi
DNF Deborah Fagg (Aus) Landlink Cycling Team
DNF Sheree Richmond (Aus) MB Coaching
DNF Leeanne Manderson (Aus) MB Coaching
DNF Emma Lovelock (Aus) Team South Coast – raceconcept.net
DNF Camila Rodrigues (Bra) Brazilian National Team
DNF Katherine Bates (Aus) T-Mobile Women
DNF Candice Sullivan (Aus) Australian National Team Light
DNF Michelle Hyland (NZl) BikeNZ New Zealand National Team
DNF Hannah Banks (Aus) Queensland Academy of Sport
DNF Vicki Whitelaw (Aus) Landlink Cycling Team
DNF Belinda Goss (Aus) Landlink Cycling Team
DNF Gail Johnston (Aus) Team South Coast – raceconcept.net
DNF Monique Hanley (Aus) Kathy Watt Cycling
DNF Dorte Rasmussen (Den) Menikini Gysko
DNF Rushlee Buchanan (NZl) BikeNZ New Zealand National Team
DNF Nicole Whitburn (Aus) Kathy Watt Cycling