May 31, 2006 (Montreal, Quebec) – Katherine Bates of Australia won the third stage of the Tour cycliste du Grand Montréal on Wednesday in front of thousands of spectators gathered in spite of the rain around Montreal’s Little Italy circuit. She pulled ahead of her three breakaway companions, Alexandra Le Henaff (Pruneaux d’agen — Bianchi), Christina Ruiter (USA) Victory Brewing, and Élodie Touffet (Nobili), in a sprint, gaining over a 40-second lead on the pack.

Breaking away on the 23rd lap, the four racers took advantage of their respective team’s work to slow the pack. Rain that began to fall just after the half-way point of the race also required the racers to ride carefully. Thus, the leaders maintained a gap that never fell under 40 seconds.

Oenone Wood (Nurnberger), Ina Teutenberg (T-Mobile) and Kori Seehafer (Lipton) had broken away on the 5th lap of the race, but this charge only lasted a few laps. Their move raised the alarm among the favourites, who did not look favourably upon the fact that Seehafer, only 8 seconds behind the overall race leader, could so easily steal the yellow jersey.

The remarkable Alex Wrubleski of Canada once again won fame by leading the pack in a beautiful sprint, placing fifth behind two high calibre sprinters, Oenone Wood and Rochelle Gilmore (Colorado Premier Training).

Christine Thorburn of the United States (Webcor-Platinum) keeps the yellow jersey at the overall leader, followed by Trixi Worrack of Germany (Nurnberger) at 8 seconds and Kori Seehafer (Lipton) at 9 seconds.

Olivia Gollan of Australia (Nobili) keeps the points jersey while Trixi Worrack holds on to the sprint jersey. The queen of the mountain jersey remains with Annette Beutler’s (Helk Haus) while Anne Samplonius (Biovail) keeps the best Quebecer jersey after three stages.

The racers are heading to the South Shore of Montreal, in Mont Saint-Hilaire, in order to battle out the fourth and final stage of the Tour cycliste du Grand Montréal, a 115 km race that will start at 4:15 p.m. in front of the Centre de la nature du Mont Saint-Hilaire.

Results

1 Katherine Bates (Aus) Nurnberger Versicherung 1.12.51
2 Kimberly Anderson (USA) T-Mobile
3 Christina Ruiter (USA) Victory Brewing
4 Elodie Touffet (Fra) Nobili Rubinetterie Menikini Cogeas
5 Alex Wrubleski (Can) Canadian national team 0.51
6 Oenone Wood (Aus) Nurnberger Versicherung
7 Rochelle Gilmore (Aus) Colorado Premier Training
8 Lisa Sweeney (Can) Colorado Premier Training
9 Kori Seehafer (USA) Lipton
10 Olivia Gollan (Aus) Nobili Rubinetterie Menikini Cogeas
—
17 Amy Moore (Can) T-Mobile
23 Emilie Roy (Can) Équipe du Québec
24 Betina Hold (Can) Webcor-Platinum
27 Audrey Lemieux (Can) Équipe du Québec
28 Joëlle Numainville (Can) Biovail
29 Jennifer Stephenson (Can) Biovail
30 Leigh Hobson (Can) Victory Brewing
33 Gina Grain (Can) Giant pro cycling
34 Anne Samplonius (Can) Biovail
36 Moriah Macgregor (Can) Canadian national team
37 Joanie Caron (Can) Équipe du Québec
42 Marie-Pier Bédard (Can) Équipe du Québec
45 Heather Lamson (Can) Canadian national team
47 Alison Testroete (Can) Canadian national team
49 Karol-Ann Canuel (Can) Équipe du Québec
50 Felicia Gomez (Can) Webcor-Platinum
52 Élisa Gagnon (Can) Équipe du Québec
67 Erinne Willock (Can) Webcor-Platinum
71 Leah Guloien (Can) BC Coastal
73 Barbara Zimich (Can) BC Coastal
75 Anna Tratnyek (Can) Canadian national team
76 Marie-Caroline Côté (Can) Cascades


Overall

1 Christine Thorburn (USA) Webcor-Platinum 4.40.33
2 Trixi Worrack (Ger) Nurnberger Versicherung 0.08
3 Kori Seehafer (USA) Lipton 0.09
4 Kristin Armstrong (USA) Lipton 0.12
5 Judith Arndt (Ger) T-Mobile 0.18
6 Rachel Heal (GBr) Victory Brewing 0.25
7 Alex Wrubleski (Can) Canadian national team 0.29
8 Edwige Pitel (Fra) Pruneaux d’Agen-Bianchi Aliverti Kookai
9 Anne Samplonius (Can) Biovail 0.32
10 Kimberly Bruckner Baldwin (USA) T-Mobile 0.33
—
13 Erinne Willock (Can) Webcor-Platinum 1.00
19 Felicia Gomez (Can) Webcor-Platinum 3.32
20 Leigh Hobson (Can) Victory Brewing 3.35
24 Amy Moore (Can) T-Mobile 3.56
27 Jennifer Stephenson (Can) Biovail 4.07
33 Amanda Shaw (Can) Biovail 4.33
40 Betina Hold (Can) Webcor-Platinum 5.30
44 Heather Lamson (Can) Canadian national team 9.30
51 Joanie Caron (Can) Équipe du Québec
52 Lisa Sweeney (Can) Colorado Premier Training 11.32
54 Alison Testroete (Can) Canadian national team 11.42
55 Audrey Lemieux (Can) Équipe du Québec 11.46
56 Karol-Ann Canuel (Can) Équipe du Québec 11.49
60 Gina Grain (Can) Giant pro cycling 12.07
61 Leah Guloien (Can) BC Coastal 12.24
68 Moriah Macgregor (Can) Canadian national team 24.08
69 Anna Tratnyek (Can) Canadian national team 24.23
70 Stephanie Bourbeau (Can) Biovail 24.29
71 Élisa Gagnon (Can) Équipe du Québec 24.59
73 Marie-Caroline Côté (Can) Cascades 30.40
74 Barbara Zimich (Can) BC Coastal 30.45
75 Marie-Pier Bédard (Can) Équipe du Québec 30.48
76 Emilie Roy (Can) Équipe du Québec 32.28
77 Joëlle Numainville (Can) Biovail 32.50