WomensCycling.net
WomensCycling.net
Race Results
Commonwealth Games Time Trial
Rivington, Lancashire
14.6 miles (23.4km)
Race time for the women's event was early - first rider starting at 10:00am. It was warm - 18'C and cloudy for most of the riders.
The time trial covered 2 laps of the circuit based upon Rivington Village, about 25 miles (40km) from Manchester. The road race will cover the circuit 8 times - 3rd August - 09:00hrs.
Intermediate / half way times were a good indication of the final results, although Lyne Bassette went through in second, dropping back to third by the end of the race. Third fastest at halfway, Anna Milward came through to take the silver medal at full distance.
Scotland's Sally Ashbridge and Caroline Cook showed at 7th and 8th at half-way for a while and Bermuda's Julia Hawley was 10th fastest at 11.7km for a while too. England's Frances Newstead was 5th at halfway, dropping to an eventual 8th overall. This was the best "home nation" performance on a day when many people's hopes were with Nicole Cooke (Wales), who finished disappointingly. "There was a problem - not with the bike, with me" commented Cooke, who defended her decision to ride a road bike with tri-bars fitted rather than a dedicated TT bike. She said she would have to go away and think about what had gone wrong - not wishing to identify anything in particular when asked about her performance just after finishing.
Commentating for a BBC TV sport programme, Chris Boardman showed his ignorance of women's cycle sport when he noted that Frances Newstead "freewheeled on her way down the starting ramp because she's probably never started down one before". He is obviously unaware of the many European stage races which many of the "home nation" riders, including Frances, has ridden - which almost always have a start ramp when a TT is included......
RESULTS
1/2 distance Final
1 Clara Hughes Canada 17:29.52 34:51.66
2 Anna Millward Australia 17:37.70 35:00.77
3 Lyne Bassette Canada 17:30.80 35:10.42
4 Margeret Hemsley Australia 35: 41.83
5 Sara Carrigan Australia 35:43.65
6 Kirsty Robb New Zealand 35:47.88
7 Susan Palmer-Komar Canada 35:53.14
8 Frances Newstead England 18:03.54 36:09.02
9 Melissa Holt New Zealansd 36:24.81
10 Nicole Cooke Wales 37:15.50
11 Sally Ashbridge
Scotland
37:22.67
12 Melanie Sears
England
38:06.66
13 Caroline Cook
Scotland
38:07.75
14 Melanie Claude
Bermuda
38:37.79
15 Julia Hawley
Bermuda
38:50.98
16 Nina Davies
Wales
39:15.59
17 Ann Bowditch
Guernsey
39:27.15
18 Katrina Hair
Scotland
39:45.29
19 Jacqui Fletcher Isle of
Man
40:03.56
20
Sharon Watterson Isle of
Man
40:29.41
