May 29, 2006 — Summer finally arrived in Montreal, bringing with it the World’s top female cyclists for the 2006 edition of the Tour du Grand Montreal. Following a rest day day after the Montreal Road World Cup on Mont Royal, won by German Judith Arndt (T-Mobile), today’s Stage 1, an 11 km time trial, took place in Lachine, Quebec.

The day did not begin well as riders were delayed by about an hour due to an awkward fall at the start by Team Mexico rider Hilda Gutierrez Mota. Finally underway the TT presented its own challenges. The two-and-a-half-loop course offered a somewhat complicated, boxy design with sharp corners and several portions with typical Montreal pavement which Arndt described on Saturday as “in need of repair.”

The loop design meant multiple riders on-course with their follow-up vehicles, which was almost immediately stopped to preserve rider safety. However this was not before eventual third place finisher Kristin Armstrong (Team Lipton) was a victim, having to put on the brakes coming out a corner as she saw an expected vehicle in her line.

The podium belonged to the Americans today – blazing the trail in 14:49 was USA’s Christine Thorburn (Webcor Platinum) flanked by Kori Seehafer (Team Lipton) at 9 seconds back. Rounding out the podium was Seehafer’s teammate, Kristin Armstrong (Team Lipton) 11 seconds down. The top Canadian coming in eighth was wonderkind Alexandra Wrubleski (Canadian National Team) at 28 seconds behind Thorburn.

Stage 2, a 100 km plus road race begins Tuesday in Rigaud, Quebec.


Results

1 Christine Thorburn (USA) Webcor-Platinum 14.49
2 Kori Seehafer (USA) Lipton 0.09
3 Kristin Armstrong (USA) Lipton 0.11
4 Trixi Worrack (Ger) Nurnberger Versicherung 0.18
5 Rachel Heal (GBr) Victory Brewing 0.24
6 Grace Fleury (USA) Lipton 0.26
7 Judith Arndt (Ger) T-Mobile
8 Alex Wrubleski (Can) Canadian National Team 0.28
9 Edwige Pitel (Fra) Pruneaux d’Agen-Bianchi Aliverti Kookai
10 Anne Samplonius (Can) Biovail 0.31
11 Kimberly Bruckner Baldwin (USA) T-Mobile 0.32
12 Felicia Gomez (Can) Webcor-Platinum 0.34
13 Oenone Wood (Aus) Nurnberger Versicherung
14 Leigh Hobson (Can) Victory Brewing 0.37
15 Alison Shanks (NZl) New Zealand National Team 0.38
16 Christina Ruiter (USA) Victory Brewing 0.39
17 Lauren Franges (USA) Victory Brewing 0.41
18 Meredith Miller (USA) Lipton 0.42
19 Jessica Phillips (USA) Argon 18-Champion System 0.43
20 Katheryn Curi (USA) Webcor-Platinum 0.46
21 Katharine Carroll (USA) Victory Brewing 0.48
22 Kimberly Anderson (USA) T-Mobile 0.53
23 Olivia Gollan (Aus) Nobili Rubinetterie Menikini Cogeas
24 Anna Tratnyek (Can) Canadian National Team 0.54
25 Marisa Asplund (USA) Colorado Premier Training 0.55
26 Amy Moore (Can) T-Mobile 0.58
27 Erinne Willock (Can) Webcor-Platinum 0.59
28 Katie Mactier (Aus) Argon 18-Champion System 1.01
29 Liza Rachetto (USA) Lipton 1.04
30 Annette Beutler (Swi) Elk Haus No 1.05
31 Nicky Wangsgard (USA) Colorado Premier Training 1.06
32 Jennifer Stephenson (Can) Biovail 1.09
33 Marina Duvnjak (NZl) New Zealand National Team
34 Joanie Caron (Can) Équipe du Québec
35 Heather Lamson (Can) Canadian National Team 1.10
36 Toni Bradshaw (NZl) Pruneaux d’Agen-Bianchi Aliverti Kookai
37 Lisa Sweeney (Can) Colorado Premier Training 1.11
38 Claudia Hecht (Ger) Nurnberger Versicherung 1.15
39 Tamara Boyd NSZ19800213 Pruneaux d’Agen-Bianchi Aliverti Kookai 1.21
40 Alison Testroete (Can) Canadian National Team
41 Elodie Touffet (Fra) Nobili Rubinetterie Menikini Cogeas 1.23
42 Moriah Macgregor (Can) Canadian National Team
43 Christina Becker (Ger) T-Mobile
44 Katherine Bates (Aus) Nurnberger Versicherung 1.25
45 Audrey Lemieux (Can) Équipe du Québec
46 Christen King (USA) Argon 18-Champion System 1.26
47 Karol-Ann Canuel (Can) Équipe du Québec 1.28
48 Krystal Jeffs (Can) Canadian National Team 1.29
49 Emilie Roy (Can) Équipe du Québec 1.30
50 Gussepina Grassi (Mex) Mexican National Team 1.31
51 Sigrid Corneo (Ita) Nobili Rubinetterie Menikini Cogeas
52 Marta Vilajosana Andreu (Spa) Nobili Rubinetterie Menikini Cogeas
53 Rochelle Gilmore (Aus) Colorado Premier Training
54 Hiroko Shimada (Jpn) Argon 18-Champion System 1.32
55 Helen Kelly (Aus) Elk Haus No
56 Tina Liebig (Ger) Nurnberger Versicherung 1.33
57 Amanda Shaw (Can) Biovail 1.35
58 Kami Tremblay (USA) Colorado Premier Training
59 Kirsten Robbins (Can) Victory Brewing 1.38
60 Anke Wichmann (Ger) Nurnberger Versicherung 1.39
61 Dale Tye (NZl) New Zealand National Team 1.41
62 Stephanie Bourbeau (Can) Biovail 1.44
63 Min Gao (Chn) Giant Pro Cycling
64 Gina Grain (Can) Giant Pro Cycling 1.45
65 Milena Pirola (Ita) Nobili Rubinetterie Menikini Cogeas 1.46
66 Miho Oki (Jpn) Nobili Rubinetterie Menikini Cogeas 1.48
67 Joëlle Numainville (Can) Biovail 1.52
68 Patricia Schwager (Swi) Elk Haus No 1.53
69 Maribel Diaz (Mex) Mexican National Team
70 Barbara Zimich (Can) BC Coastal 1.54
71 Xiangyin Ruan (Chn) Giant Pro Cycling
72 Elisabeth Chevanne Brunel (Fra) Pruneaux d’Agen-Bianchi Aliverti Kookai
73 Julie Bellerose (Can) Ann Arbor Velo club 1.57
74 Marie-Pier Bédard (Can) Équipe du Québec
75 Alexandra Le Henaff (Fra) Pruneaux d’Agen-Bianchi Aliverti Kookai 1.58
76 Amy Mosen (NZl) New Zealand National Team 2.02
77 Alena Radomsky (Can) BC Coastal 2.03
78 Leah Guloien (Can) BC Coastal
79 Yunmei Wu (Chn) Giant Pro Cycling 2.05
80 Michelle Beltran (USA) Argon 18-Champion System
81 Lang Meng (Chn) Giant Pro Cycling 2.13
82 Élisa Gagnon (Can) Équipe du Québec 2.14
83 Johanna Buick (NZl) New Zealand National Team 2.17
84 Marie-Caroline Côté (Can) Cascades 2.21
85 Yanxia Jiang (Chn) Giant Pro Cycling 2.22
86 Lnna Teutenberg (Ger) T-Mobile 2.23
87 Christina Briante (Can) BC Coastal 2.32
88 Betina Hold (Can) Webcor-Platinum
89 Jodi Bilek-Deville (Can) Cascades 2.39
90 Megan Elliott (USA) Argon 18-Champion System 2.41
91 Karin Ruso (Aut) Elk Haus No 2.44
92 Berenice Castro (Mex) Mexican National Team 2.59
93 Anna Garnette (Can) Biovail 3.00
94 Dawn Lovejoy (USA) Ann Arbor Velo club 3.03
95 Laura Johnson (USA) Ann Arbor Velo club 3.12
96 Amanda Cox (Can) Cascades 3.25
97 Annet Rios (Mex) Mexican National Team 3.32
98 Catherine Bovet (Can) Cascades 3.59
99 Wendy Caldwell (USA) Ann Arbor Velo club 10.17
100 Rosario Peralta (Mex) Mexican National Team
101 Aimee Vasse (USA) Colorado Premier Training
102 Lee Darling (Can) BC Coastal
103 Ilda Guiterez Mota (Mex) Mexican National Team