June 4, 2007 (Montreal, QC) — The Italian Champion, Fabiana Luperini (Menikini-Selle Italia-Gysko) won the 10th edition of the Montreal Women’s Road World Cup with her strength and savvy. She out-sprinted Mara Abbott (USA, Webcor) in a two-up sprint after the pair were able to breakaway with 30km to go.

The attrition of the 141 starters continued leaving the top contenders continuing to mount attacks against each other in hopes of bridging to the two leaders. Germany’s Judith Arndt (T-Mobile) was the only successful rider to get away from the group after the descent on the last lap to finish solo and take the final spot on the podium. Road world champion Marianne Vos (Ned) Team DSB and World Cup leader, Nicole Cooke (Gbr) Raleigh Lifeforce Creation, fought it out in the final sprint to gain valuable World Cup and UCI points.

Arguably one of the toughest races in the UCI Women’s Road World Cup series, the 110km course took the riders 11 times up the 2km Mont Royal ascent, followed by a very fast descent with fast corners. The end of the loop descends onto Parc Avenue where the riders had to maneuver an 180 degree turn and rebuild their speed within the 250 meters to the finish line.

Prior to the start the buzz from the riders before the race was about the new start/finish line, as previous editions had always finished at the top of the climb. Tactics would now change for the pure climbers who traditionally waited to unleash their climbing prowess on the final ascent. With the finish now at the base of the descent, it was expected that the climbers would be even more aggressive on the climbs to separate themselves from any large bunch coming into the finish together, as the risk of crashes was much higher with the tight turns leading to the finish.

Although Montreal was plagued with rain all week, the riders were relieved to have an overcast, muggy, but dry day for the 12 pm start. The pace was brisk as the 140 women strong field started with the first climb and descent after which the attacks came early. The field was strung out for most of the first 3 laps which saw Meshy Holt (Nzl) Expresscopy.com and Eketerina Malomura (Russian National Team) try there chances. But eventually they were absorbed by the chasing teams as Holt was caught on her third time up the climb, and Eketerina one lap later.

The field continued to shatter on their 5th time up the climb where the top teams had their support riders sacrificing themselves by setting a high pace. This did not stop the American team Webcor Builders from attacking. It was an obvious tactic for this group to separate one of their world-class climbers from the bunch. Kathryn Curi attacked hard and was caught soon after by a strung out pack. The moves gave spectators an indication of who was feeling good and hoping to get away early. Before the half way mark over half the riders had abandoned the unrelenting pace of the leaders.

The decisive move came from the Webcor team again when Curi attacked again on the 8th climb. Luperini countered this attack when Curi was caught. In the action, Abbott and Edwige Pitel (Fra) Uniqua managed to find Luperini’s wheel and help keep the pressure on to the top of the climb with a 30 sec. lead on a dwindling bunch.

The trio automatically formed an alliance and went into team time trial mode, swapping turns at setting a blistering pace around the course. The chasing bunch was now 30 strong, too large a field to successfully work together, so the attacks continued out of the main bunch to try and bridge up to the leaders. Notably, Jeannie Longo-Ciprelli (Fra) Team Uniqua, the most accomplished women cyclist at 48 years of age, is still very competitive and made numerous attempts to free herself from the pack without success.

Abbott continued to unleash her strength on each successive climb where she led the entire way with Luperini holding her wheel. Pitel was not able to match their pace and eventually dropped back to the chasing field. The question at this point for the crowd, the journalists and the European riders was “˜who is Mara Abbott?’

A newcomer to the sport, having never raced in Europe Abbott was a virtual unknown to the international field. It was much less of a surprise to the North American peloton who have witnessed her sheer strength and success that has come this year winning the hardest stage at Redlands as well as an overall win at the Tour of Gila. Her background in competitive swimming has helped in her transition to one of America’s top cyclists. Unrestrained by the intimidation that often comes with the palamares of a great champion such as Luperini, Abbott went to work in what looked like effortless determination as she further separated the two from the chasing bunch who were now over a minute and a half behind.

With only 20 kms to go, time was running out for the chasers who continued to attack each other on the climb which brought the group down to 18 riders including Canada’s Alex Wrubleski (Colavita/Sutter Home p/b Cooking Light). At the front of the race Luperini and Abbott continued to work together and hold their lead.

With one lap to go it was evident that the winner would come from one of breakaway riders. The chasers made every effort with what was left in their legs to gain a final advantage on the last climb with only seven riders making it up the final ascent together. After the descent, Arndt used her skills, tactical knowledge and huge aerobic engine to attack away from the chasing group of riders. As the two leaders came into the finish, Abbott lead Luperini into the final 500 meters with Luperini being able to come around in the last 100 meters to take the win at the Montreal Road World Cup.

Luperini was elated to take a World Cup win, praised her breakaway companion, and expressed her delight in her result as it will help in her pursuit to secure a place on the Italian Olympic Team for 2008.

Abbott is most likely still unsure of the magnitude of the result she has just accomplished. With her fresh outlook to the sport, she was overjoyed to be able to break away and finish in second place at her first ever World Cup event.

Canadian Notes

Alex Wrubleski was Canada’s top placed finisher in 16th place. She felt very confident and strong coming into the race, and was only disappointed in her hesitation when the decisive breakaway formed. Wrubleski continues to gain experience in the international scene and will learn from these opportunities to race at home against the best in the world. She is with her first professional team this year — Colavita/Sutter Home Presented by Cooking Light, and is enjoying her role within the team.

Leigh Hobson (Cheerwine) is a veteran of the sport and, in jest, was hoping that the course would get easier this year. This was not the case, as she pointed out that “it’s a race of suffering every time up the climb.” Hobson is riding with the new UCI Cheerwine Team and started the year with great success racing in Australia gaining valuable UCI points in her quest to represent Canada at the Road World Championships and the Olympic Games.

Bettina Hold is also a member of the Cheerwine team and finished on Saturday with the same time as Hobson. Hold felt the added pressure of performing in front of a hometown crowd. She showed her fitness is steadily improving with recent successes at the Joe Martin and Tri-Peaks stage races as well at the Montreal World Cup. She gained valuable international experience last year and is working towards her goal of a high result at the National Championships in order to be selected for Canada’s Road Worlds team.

Anne Samplonious (Team Expresscopy.com) confirmed the hard racing and circuit on Mont Royal. She recently returned from the grueling 10-day Tour de l’Aude in France where the Canadian Team Expresscopy.com made their debut overseas with fellow Canucks Erinne Willock and Joelle Numainville. Samplonious was feeling tired from racing at l’Aude and will both races along with a hard block of training in preparation to her ultimate goal of top performances in both the time trial and the road race at the National Championships in July.

Erinne Willock has been suffering from an injury to her knee and missed the entire spring racing season. She has been gaining fitness through the Tour de l’Aude and will continue to do so in the upcoming events. She is happy to report that her knee is not causing her any problems. With a little recovery time after the next block of races, we will see huge jumps in her fitness level as she gets some mileage back in her legs.

Gina Grain also riding with Team Expresscopy.com recently returned from the Pan Am Championships in Venezuela with a bronze medal in the road race and strong performances on the track. She is back racing on the road and is hoping to unleash her sprinting prowess with great results at ]upcoming races.

Emilie Roy (Specialized-Menikini) was an unexpected non-starter at the Montreal Road WC after an unfortunate accident in training the day before the race lead to a fractured arm.

The women’s peloton continues to race this week at the Tour du Grand Montreal, June 4-7, followed by the first edition of the Tour de PEI, June 10-14, which will allow our Canadian women riders with the opportunity to race against world-class riders and gain valuable UCI points in the hunt to for maximum start positions for the 2008 Bejing Olympic Games.