June 6, 2004 – German Petra Rossner (Nurnberger/Lietzsport) won her seventh
Liberty Classic today in Philadelphia, outsprinting Canadian Gina Grain
(Victory Brewing) and American Laura Van Gilder (Genesis Scuba). Rossner
and 76 other riders completed the race’s 90.56 kilometres in 2 hours, 25
minutes and 55 seconds, at an average speed of 37.24 km/h.

Team RONA’s Erinne Willock, from Victoria, B.C., won the Queen of the
Mountain classification, as she accumulated the most points in the race’s
eight climbing sprints. Her teammate Andrea Hannos was RONA’s top finisher
with a 12th place.

The Wachovia Liberty Classic completes four laps of a 23K course in the
streets of Philadelphia. The course includes two climbs, especially the
short, steep Lemon Hill. The first three laps were marked by a few attacks
with no consequence. In the last climb up Lemon Hill, RONA’s Katrina Grove
attacked and, by the time she reached the top, had created a real gap on the
pack. “Historically, that’s where a break will go in the end,” Grove
explained. “You give it a chance, because what have you got to lose?”

But Grove was not completely alone. On her wheel
was Judith Arndt, Rossner’s teammate, who merely
wanted to cover Grove until the pack came back.
Grove managed to increase the gap to about 5 seconds, but the peloton came
back on the pair in the last straight. Arndt led out the sprint for
Rossner, who did not need a photo finish to confirm her victory.

Team RONA is now headed to Minnesota where they will race the Nature Valley
Grand Prix, a stage race to be held from Wednesday, June 9 to Sunday,
June 13.

Wachovia Liberty Classic
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

1. Petra Rossner (GER), Nürnburger/Lietzsport, 2:25:55
2. Gina Grain (CAN), Victory Brewing
3. Laura Vangilder (USA), Genesis Scuba
4. Becky Conzelman (USA), Spin Cycle
5. Laura Yoisten (CAN), Canadian National
6. Sarah Uhl (USA), Quark
7. Anita Valen (NOR), S.A.T.S.
8. Alison Wright (Aus), Nobili Rubinetterie-Guerciotti
9. Joanne Kiesanowski (NZl), Colavita Olive Oil
10. Regina Schleicher (GER), Safi-Pasta Zara Manhattan
11. Magali Le Floch (FRA), Quark
12. Andrea Hannos (CAN), Rona
13. Mari Holden (USA), T-Mobile
14. Magen Long (USA), Sportsbook.com
15. Jennifer Eyerman (USA), Webcor