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                                                                                                                                                                                   2004 Coverage

Race Overview

Geelong Women's Tour

^{February 22 - 24, 2005}

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Preview

With the Geelong Tour now over, indications for form for Sunday's first World Cup event of 2005 have been seen. Top of the list must be Team Nürnberger's Oenone Wood, who won the 4 stage Tour of Geelong in style, with 2 stage wins and top honours in the sprint competition. Wood is non-committal, though, pointing out that on current form, her team-mates are also potential victors. Indeed, Judith Arndt, the current World Champion, was third overall in the Tour and spent much of the race providing assistance and lead-outs to Wood. If Wood were to win, she would claim a unique series of wins - she has successfully defended the Geelong Tour title, she is the defending World Cup champion and she won the Geelong Round last year. 

Other teams with potential race winners include Mirjam Melchers-Van Poppel - leader of the new Dutch team, Buitenpoort-Flexpoint. Another contender from that team is ex-World Champion, Susanne Ljungskog who rode strongly in the Geelong Tour. Kate Bates (Ton Van Bemmelen AA Drink) has had a good season so far and was strong in the shorter stages of the Geelong Tour. But, as she admits herself, she has 'track legs' rather than road racing legs, so the distance and climbing involved in the World Cup are likely to prove her downfall. Her team-mate, Sara Carrigan cannot be overlooked, though. The Olympic Champion only returned to racing in January, having taken a break after Athens. Her form is improving rapidly and she worked to support Kate Bates in the Geelong Tour, who was high up on the General Classification for much of the week. The Ton Van Bemmelen AA Drink team is strong, Natalie Bates also rode strongly in support of Kate in the Geelong Tour and Suzanne De Goede was 25th overall, having also fulfilled a support role.

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