TOUR DE SNOWY  

Entering the final stage of the Tour de Snowy with just one second lead overall, Mirjam Melchers was looking to take the 20 seconds on offer for the stage win to make certain of her win but she knew that she would have to fight all the way with such a slender lead. 

And fight she did but she was against the full might of the Saturn team and they were just too strong for her when Judith Arndt came in second place to win the Tour outright by just 14 seconds; she was quick to praise her Saturn team mates “Did you see the team ? They are so strong, they lead me out for the last 20 laps of the criterium”.

 The last stage was held as a criterium in the town of Cooma and true to form, the Saturn team sent Cathy Marsal and Kristy Scyrmgeour to the front of the peleton for the final 20 laps and they swapped the lead with Alsion Wright and Naomi Williams - Australia never allowing Melchers to gain any time on the peleton.

 With Arndt second on GC the plan was obvious, get her to the final 200 metres and the race would be won; Arndt needed to save some of her strength after the morning stage when she pulled back time from being a minute down to just one second.

It is just likely that Melchers would have the quicker sprint at the end but into the final lap and Arndt was in third place with Melchers on her wheel, the German rider clipped her pedal on the final uphill corner and this threw off  the Dutch rider who had to brake and left a gap; of course the peleton would not help and it was left to Melchers to try to close that gap. 

She did this superbly on the downhill section but she also took Aussie Rachel Gilmore with her but it was Saturn at the front pushing the speed ever higher. Gilmore just proved the stronger hitting the line first with Arndt in second and Swedish rider Susanne Ljungskog in third.

For Gilmore it was an up and won win as she learnt that her grandmother, who had travelled to see the final stage, had a stroke and was taken to the local hospital

 Placed head to head, then Melchers should have won , she is the better climber but the deciding factor was the Saturn team who controlled so much of the day. Melchers do win the points and mountain titles however.

British interest in the race was heightened by the participation of Julie Hooper and Nikki Bedwell. Both raced well and enjoyed the experience. They both climbed well and were pleased with their performances at this stage of the (UK) season.

(Final) STAGE RESULT

 1 Rochelle Gilmore (Aus) NSWIS Trek Team                 42.25 (42.4 km/h)                                    

2 Judith Arndt (Ger) Saturn

3 Susanne Ljungskog (Swe) Vlaanderen

4 Priska Doppmann (Swi) International

5 Mirjam Melchers (Ned) The Netherlands

6 Alison Wright (Aus) AIS

7 Miho Oki (Jpn) Japan 1

8 Hayley Rutherford (Aus) AIS

9 Naomi Williams (Aus) AIS

10 Catherine Marsal (Fra) Saturn

11 Melissa Holt (NZl) New Zealand

12 Margaret Hemsley (Aus) Australian National Team

13 Hanka Kupfernagel (Ger) Vlaanderen

14 Lorain Graham (Aus) Cycle Cooma

15 Liz Tadich (Aus) AIS

DNF Kimberly Anderson (USA) Cannondale USA

DNF Esther van der Helm (Ned) The Netherlands

DNS Julie Hooper (GBr) International

DNS Nicola Bedwell (GBr) International

FINAL GENERAL CLASSIFICATION

1 Judith Arndt (Ger) Saturn                                                                8.35.50

2 Mirjam Melchers (Ned) The Netherlands                                            0.14

3 Susanne Ljungskog (Swe) Vlaanderen                                              0.29

4 Priska Doppmann (Swi) International                                                 0.38

5 Kimberly Bruckner (USA) Saturn                                                         0.52

6 Margaret Hemsley (Aus) Australian National Team                          1.19

7 Emma James (Aus) NSWIS Trek Team                                             1.41

8 Catherine Marsal (Fra) Saturn                                                             1.56

9 Rosalind Reekie-May (NZl) New Zealand                                          1.59

10 Hanka Kupfernagel (Ger) Vlaanderen                                              2.35

11 Susie Wood (NZl) New Zealand                                                        2.36

12 Miho Oki (Jpn) Japan 1                                                                      2.59

13 Hayley Rutherford (Aus) AIS                                                              3.25

14 Kirstie Robb (NZl) New Zealand

15 Naomi Williams (Aus) AIS                                                                 3.38

MOUNTAIN CLASSIFICATION 

1 Mirjam Melchers (Ned) The Netherlands                                             24 pts

2 Emma James (Aus) NSWIS Trek Team                                             14

3 Priska Doppmann (Swi) International                                                  14

4 Kimberly Bruckner (USA) Saturn                                                          11

6 Susanne Ljungskog (Swe) Vlaanderen                                                  9

7 Margaret Hemsley (Aus) Australian National Team                              6

8 Sara Carrigan (Aus) AIS                                                                          6

9 Petra Rossner (Ger) Saturn                                                                     3

10 Rosalind Reekie-May (NZl) New Zealand                                            2

POINTS CLASSIFICATION 

1 Mirjam Melchers (Ned) The Netherlands                                    7 pts

2 Rochelle Gilmore (Aus) NSWIS Trek Team                               7

3 Judith Arndt (Ger) Saturn                                                              6

4 Susanne Ljungskog (Swe) Vlaanderen                                      6

5 Emma James (Aus) NSWIS Trek Team                                    5

6 Liz Tadich (Aus) AIS                                                                     5

7 Alison Wright (Aus) AIS                                                                5

8 Priska Doppmann (Swi) International                                         4

9 Melissa Holt (NZl) New Zealand                                                  3

10 Margaret Hemsley (Aus) Australian National Team               2

U23 CLASSIFICATION