Courtesy of Team Rona

July 6, 2002 (Columbus, Ohio) – Laura Van Gilder of Trek/VW won the Easton
Town Center Criterium today, the fifth of the six races in the Wendy’s
International Sports Festival. Canadian Kim Davidge of Saturn Timex
finished second. New Zealander Meshy Holt, of Team RONA, finished fifth.

Overall Classification of the Wendy’s Sports Festival is determined by
adding points earned in each of the races. Overall leader Tina Mayolo-Pic
(Diet Rite) finished 10th today, while second-place Nicole Freedman of Team
RONA finished 11th. Mayolo-Pic thus increased her lead on Freedman by
another point. Entering the last race tomorrow, Mayolo-Pic will lead
Freedman by just five points.

Today’s race was a 48-km criterium; 30 laps around a 1.6-km, technical
course with a 180-degree hairpin. Two laps into the race, RONA’s Gail
Longenecker broke away with two other riders. Six laps later, as the trio
seemed to be slowing down, Longenecker attacked again and got away. Emily
Gloeckner (Veritas) stayed with her. Back in the main field, a group of six
girls, which included Laura Van Gilder, Kim Davidge and RONA’s Andrea Hannos
from Vancouver, chased and bridged to the two leaders. Then RONA’s Meshy
Holt succeeded in bridging to the lead group.

With 18 laps to go, RONA had three riders in a group of nine which had a
45-second lead on the peloton. The group maintained that lead for several
laps. With seven laps to go, Andrea Hannos left the lead group behind her
and created a gap. She stayed alone in front for several laps. But the
chase group finally reeled her in with a lap and a half to go. Meshy Holt
counterattacked immediately. But after a few seconds, turning back to see
what sort of a gap she had opened, she found her teammate Longenecker on her
wheel, with the rest of the lead group in her wake. It was then left to the
very strong Laura Van Gilder to reap the fruits of the situation. She beat
Kim Davidge on the line.

Back in the main field, Mayolo-Pic won the mass sprint to finish 10th, just
in front of Nicole Freedman.

“We rode a perfect race for 28 laps and a half”, said assistant team manager
Jim Williams who is managing Team RONA this week in Columbus. But it’s no
real comfort in a 30-lap race. So with one race left, Nicole (Freedman) has
nothing to lose and we’ll sure support her for the overall win. I know she
can make up that five-point gap.”

Tomorrow’s race s the Wendy’s International Classic, a 55-km race in
Columbus.

Wendy’s International Sports Festival
Fifth Stage: Easton Town Center Criterium

1. Laura Van Gilder (USA, Trek/VW

2. Kim Davidge (CAN, Saturn Timex)

5. Melissa ìMeshyî Holt (NZL, RONA)

Wendy’s International Sports Festival

General Classification after five stages

1. Tina Mayolo-Pic (Diet Rite) 176 pts

2. Nicole Freedman (RONA) 171

Race information can be found on the following website:
www.wendyscycling.com.

The RONA cycling team is one of only two Canadian womenís elite cycling
teams acknowledged by the International Cycling Union.

RONA is the leading distributor and retailer of hardware, renovation and
gardening products in Canada. Team RONA receives additional financial
support from Quebecor World, the worldís largest commercial printer.

Team RONA receives equipment sponsorship from several manufacturers,
including Colnago, Biemme, Shimano, Michelin, Mavic, Diadora, Limar, Selle
Italia, Speedplay, ITM, CatEye, Tacx and Finish Line.

courtesy of Team Rona

July 4, 2002 (Hilliard, Ohio) – French rider Catherine Marsal of the Saturn
Timex team robbed the Americans of an Independence Day victory today at the
Wendy’s International Sports Festival. However all was not lost for the
Americans as Ohio native Gail Longenecker of Team RONA finished second.
Tina Mayolo-Pic of Diet Rite took third place, beating Nicole Freedman of
Team RONA by a bicycle length.

Mayolo-Pic now leads Freedman by four points in General Classification.
Wendy’s International is a series of six races held until Sunday, July 7.
General Classification is determined by adding points earned in each of the
races.

Today’s race was a 48-km criterium, being 50 laps around a short, flat
course. About 20 laps into the race, a six-member break formed, which
included Cathy Marsal, Joanne Kiesanowski (NZL, Diet Rite) and Gail
Longenecker. “Joanne was well-placed in General Classification”, said
Longenecker, “so she was on our short list of girls to watch to protect
Nicoleís (Freedman) chances for overall. One of us had to join the break
and I went.”

Marsal, Kiesanowski and Longenecker earned the points for the half-race
sprint. With 20 laps to go, Marsal attacked again and left the break behind
her. On a short course, she quickly lapped the field. Five laps later,
Longenecker attacked, three other raiders bridged to her, but she attacked
again. This time she made a gap, while the rest of the break was absorbed
by the peloton. Longenecker crossed the line alone, a few seconds behind
Marsal.

Behind the break there were a few crashes and Freedman was one of the
victims. “I had no help”, she said, “I just cornered badly and slipped.”
She got back on her bicycle and eventually positioned herself at the front
of the pack for the final sprint. Mayolo-Pic was a little quicker and beat
her by a bicycle length. “I’m sore, said Freedman, “but I think I’m OK,
we’ll see tomorrow how it feels. I’m just four points behind first place
overall, so this is very win-able.”

A happy Longenecker said “It’s nice to have a podium in my home state, but
that’s not the main point today. The team was counting on me to execute the
strategy and that went well. That’s what feels great. I’m just sorry that
Nicole crashed, I hope she’ll be OK tomorrow.”

Tomorrow, the riders will compete in the Worthington Criterium, a 48-km race
dubbed “The Hardest Criterium in America”.

Wendy’s International Sports Festival

Third Stage: Hilliard Criterium

1. Cathy Marsal (FRA, Saturn Timex)

2. Gail Longenecker (USA, RONA)

3. Tina Mayolo-Pic (USA, Diet Rite)

4. Nicole Freedman (USA, RONA)

Wendy’s International Sports Festival

General Classification after three stages

1. Tina Mayolo-Pic (Diet Rite) 116

pts
2. Nicole Freedman (RONA) 112

Race information can be found on the following website:
www.wendyscycling.com.

The RONA cycling team is one of only two Canadian women’s elite cycling
teams acknowledged by the International Cycling Union.

RONA is the leading distributor and retailer of hardware, renovation and
gardening products in Canada. Team RONA receives additional financial
support from Quebecor World, the world’s largest commercial printer.

Team RONA receives equipment sponsorship from several manufacturers,
including Colnago, Biemme, Shimano, Michelin, Mavic, Diadora, Limar, Selle
Italia, Speedplay, ITM, CatEye, Tacx and Finish Line.