August 20, 2003 (Montreal, PQ) РIn the days ahead, the RONA/Esker women's cycling team will compete for the first time outside North America, arriving in France in time for the Plouay Women's World Cup race on August 23 and the Troph̩e d'Or cycling competition August 27 to August 31.

Team members competing at Plouay and Trophée d'Or will include Magali Le Floc'h and Catherine Marsal, both French nationals, Canadians Andrea Hannos and Erinne Willock, Karen Bockel of Germany and New Zealander Melissa Holt. So Geneviève Jeanson, who won Saturday's Mount Washington Hill Climb, will not be joining the team for the French tour.

“I had some tough choices to make,” coach André Aubut explains. “A women's cycling team is limited to six riders and I had constraints. For our first races in France, Catherine (Marsal) and Magali (Le Floc'h) were inevitable choices, obviously. As for the four others, they absolutely had to ride in these races, either because I had already committed myself when I negotiated their contract this year, or else because they have to maximize their chances of gaining an entry into the Worlds. As Canadian champion, Geneviève is automatically guaranteed a spot on the Canadian team, but other girls on the team have a good chance of being chosen by their respective national cycling formations. I owe them this opportunity to stand out in these races where they can really demonstrate their potential.”

Geneviève Jeanson is taking it all philosophically. “Sure, I would have liked to go along,” she says, “but there will be another time. My teammates have worked very hard for me since the start of this season. If the best way to help them now is to keep out of these races and give them a break, I'm glad to do it. Besides, it'll give people more of an opportunity to see just how much depth there is on our team.”

Jeanson won't be sitting idle in any case. From August 29 to September 2, she'll take part in the Green Mountain Stage Race in Vermont, where she'll meet up with teammate Kristen LaSasso. For this race, the two RONA/Esker cyclists can count on one-time backup from New Zealander Johanna Buick, American Katheryn Curi and Israeli Shani Bloch.