March 8, 2004 – Team RONA rookie, Emilie Roy, won the Tucson Bicycle Classic, a three-stage race held this week-end in Arizona. The young St. Cuthbert, Quebec athlete scored a win in the first race she ever completed at the elite level. Mexico's Gabriela Gonzales de Ferrat (Velo Bella) finished second, 1.10 behind the lead. American Heather Woodhouse (KendaTire) finished third, before Jeannie Longo and  other RONA team member Anna Milkowski.

Team RONA leader Genevieve Jeanson dominated the first two stages, leading by more than 10 minutes after two days of racing. But , on Saturday, she had serious trouble unclipping one of her shoes after the second stage and felt uncomfortable during her warm-up Sunday morning before the third and last stage. She chose to be extra careful and decided not to start. Her physiotherapist examined her Sunday afternoon and Jeanson will be able to resume training this week. Her race program is unchanged and she will be at Redlands on March 23.

Emilie Roy won general classification thanks to a good performance in the first and third stages, but even more thanks to a convincing second stage, a 101K road race Saturday. Roy launched a solo attack.  After a while Jeanson, Gonzales de Ferrat and Heather Woodhouse bridged up to her. The foursome rode together in front until Jeanson left them behind when the course started to rise. Jeanson finished with a more than a nine minute lead.  But Roy later managed to drop her breakaway companions and finished second of the stage, with a comfortable safety margin over her main rivals for GC.  Nobody could make any significant time on Roy during the third stage Sunday.