Race Results

Nature Valley Grand Prix 

5 stages in 5 days, June 9^th - June 13^th

Race Review

Click here to go to other Stages >  Stage 1  

                                                      General Classification

Katrina Grove of the RONA Cycling Team took second place in overall rankings at the Nature Valley Grand Prix, a five-stage event held in Minnesota between June 9 and June 13.  Grove finished 23 seconds behind Canadian Lyne Bessette of Team Quark.  Annette Beutler (Lietzport Cycling) completed the general classification podium, 55 seconds from Bessette. 

Team RONA’s youngest rider, Erinne Willock of Victoria B.C., finished fourth overall, 56 seconds behind Bessette.  Just one second off the podium, Willock won the overall best young rider award.  RONA had a third top-ten rider in Katheryn Curi, who finished 9^th overall, 1 minute 49 seconds down.  Andrea Hannos and Helen Kelly finished respectively 29th and 33rd.  Anna Milkowski did not finish the last stage today.

 Lyne Bessette wore the leader’s jersey from the first stage and never let go.  She gained three seconds on Grove in the first stage, an 8.7-kilometre time trial.  The following day, a long, 136-kilometre stage changed nothing in that gap.  On a very windy day, riders sought the protection of the peloton and did not attack – except for a 30-kilometre solo raid by Erinne Willock.  The stage ended in a mass sprint won by Gina Grain (Victory Brewing).

 The third stage, a Criterium in Virginia, Minnesota, was neutralized because rain became a safety hazard.  Quark’s Sarah Uhl won it pro forma, but the stage had no impact on any standings.

 It was Saturday that Bessette added 20 seconds to her lead, thank to bonus seconds earned by her second place in the stage, which ended in some confusion.  Grove could not compete for stage win or bonus seconds, because she was led off course by young Audrey Lemieux, who followed wrong directions given by a policeman 500 metres from the finish line.  Grove eventually finished in the same time as Bessette, but the incident frustrated her of any chance to compete for precious bonus seconds in the final sprint.  RONA’s Andrea Hannos finished third in the stage.

Annette Beutler won today’s final stage, followed by Bessette, Grove and Willock.  It was a very selective Criterium with a 24-percent grade hill that came back every two kilometres.  The first four finishers had a solid lead on the other riders, which brought Willock from the 17^th to the 4^th place overall.

 “Team RONA had a good week”, said assistant team manager Jim Williams.  We placed three riders in the top ten – Katrina, Erinne and Katheryn.  All RONA riders rode well every day, and today they just rode fantastic.  But Lyne (Bessette) rode a strong race and responded to our repeated attacks.”

Final General Classification

There were 107 starters

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