Race Overview

Tour de Grand Montréal

^{30 May - 2 June 2005}

Once the race starts, you will be able to click below to go to Stage results > 

Day 1 Review - Stages 1a & 1b

CHRISTINE THORNBURN TAKES THE LEAD IN THE TOUR DU GRAND MONTRÉAL

Click here to jump on this page to >>   Stage 1b Results      General Classification after Stage 1b

American time-trial champion Christine Thornburn (Webcor Cycling) took the maillot jaune at this morning’s prologue and kept it after the first stage of the 2005 Tour du Grand Montréal.  Thornburn has a one-second lead over the local star Geneviève Jeanson (ACDA-RONA), and five seconds over Australian Oenone Wood (Nurnburger Versicherung).  Two Quark riders, Grace Fleury (USA) and Annette Beutler (Switzerland), and Webcor’s Canadian Erinne Willock complete the top six. 

This morning’s prologue was a 2.82-kilometre time trial on an out-and-back course in the Montreal borough of Lachine.  Jeanson was the nineteenth starter and stopped the clock at 3 minutes, 56.11 seconds.  Jeanson had a comfortable lead and was the leader for a long while.  Then one of the last starters, Thornburn, who finished fourth last year in the Athens time trial, crossed the line in 3 minutes, 55.97 seconds (avg. 43 km/h) 14 hundredths faster than Jeanson.  That was enough to win the stage and take the lead in GC.  “I knew Geneviève’s time and I wanted to finish in the 3’ 55”, and I did it!” said Thorburn after the race.  So after the prologue, GC stood like this:  Thornburn – Jeanson – Fleury.

Later today, the racers competed in a 50-kilometre Criterium in Montreal’s Little Italy – a race brought to life, as always, by numerous cash sprints, to get the enthusiastic crowd cheering. 

Oenone Wood won the stage … twice.  Hearing the bell announcing the “gambler’s sprint”, a cash sprint fought at the end of the penultimate lap, Wood thought she heard the bell launching the last lap.  So a lap later she crossed the line, raised her arms and relaxed.  “Then I turned around and realized that others were still racing and I said ‘Oh, no!’ but I could take wheels and get up to speed again.” Wood confirmed her form by winning the next – and final! – sprint, beating New Zealand’s Joanne Kiesanowski (Nobili Rubinetterie – Menikini Cogeas) and Australian Rochelle Gilmore (Safi Pasta Zara Manhattan).  Geneviève Jeanson came in fourth.  Thanks to her times bonus, Wood climbed from 12^th to third place.  

A break by Lyne Bessette (Ellicycle Sport Expert Louis Garneau) was a salient fact of the stage.  Bessette stayed away for eight kilometres and managed to build a 15-second lead.  But the pack got organized and Erinne Willock took matters in her hands to protect her teammate Thornburn’s maillot jaune.  In a lap and a half, Willock brought the peloton back and reeled in Bessette.   

Le Tour du Grand Montréal is a four-day, five-stage race held from May 30 to June 2.  Tomorrow’s stage is a 120-kilometre race in Rigaud, where the racers will climb the infamous Bourget hill three times

Back to top

Results - Stage 1b   

50km, 41.6km/h, 79 starters, 1 did not finish, 2 did not start

Back to top

General Classification After Stages 1a & 1b

Total Distance so far - 52.82km at 41km/h average