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Race Results

Tour Of Montreal

Montreal, Canada

Stage 1     Stage 2    Stage 3    Stage 4

50km

GINA GRAIN WINS THE LITTLE ITALY CRITERIUM, JEANSON KEEPS THE YELLOW JERSEY

The Little Italy criterium honored its young reputation tonight.  World-class cyclists supplied a spectacular show while some 10,000 spectators supplied a unique atmosphere form this second stage of the Tour du Grand Montréal.

After 50 kilometres of fast and aggressive racing, fueled by frequent money primes-sprints, Canadian Gina Grain from Victoria outsprinted everybody and won the criterium.  Attack upon attack punctuated the race, but the peloton was always quick to react.  Nicole Cooke and her Ausra Gruodis-Safi and the Acca Due rode an aggressive race and attacked often, but the Saturns, RONA/Esker and T Mobile managed the race and prevented any attack from developing into any real threat.

The winner and the majority of riders were credited with the same time, 1h 11’ 15” for an average speed of 42.1 km/h.

The criterium had no significant influence on general classification.  RONA/Esker’s Geneviève Jeanson keeps her yellow jersey with a 4 second lead over Australian Katie MacTier and 5 seconds over Canadian Lyne Bessette, both of Saturn.

 “Tonight we wanted to protect our place in general classification”, said Jeanson after the stage.  “And the whole team was working for Magali (Le Floc’h), because it would have been great for her to win this stage.  But the line is so thin between winning and losing a criterium, tonight it didn’t work.”

 “The race unfolded perfectly until the 300 metre mark”, said Magali Le Floc’h.  “But then I was squeezed in the next to last corner and when I got out of it I stood in about 15^th place.  There was no space left to reposition myself for the final sprint.  There is always a random factor in these situations.  Sometimes it works.  Sometimes not.” 

 For the third stage tomorrow, the field will compete in the gruelling Rigaud stage, a 111-km race on a new, hilly course.  The final victory will probably be decided there.  The Tour ends Wednesday.  The race’s web site is at www.worldcupmontreal.org.

Second stage :  Little Italy Criterium

Stage Rankings

 General Classification after two stages

Team RONA/Esker is one of only two Canadian women’s cycling teams in the Elite Category that are recognized by the International Cycling Union. The team is made up of four Canadian racers (Geneviève Jeanson, Andrea Hannos, Carrie Tuck and Erinne Willock), French racers Catherine Marsal and Magali Le Floc’h, New Zealander Melissa Holt, German Karen Bockel and American Kristen LaSasso.

 RONA is Canada’s leading hardware and home renovation retailer (www.rona.ca). Esker is a natural spring water from the north of Canada, sold in North America and Asia (www.eskerwater.com).

 The team also receives equipment and service sponsorships from many companies, including Colnago, Biemme, Shimano, Michelin, Mavic, Diadora, Limar, Selle Italia, ITM, Look, CatEye, Tacx, Finish Line, Cane Creek, Saris, Power Tap, Cycles Lambert and Club Médico-Sportif. 

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