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Prestige Women's Series details

International Tour de Toona is second stop in North American  Series

The Women’s Prestige Cycling Series continues today with the International Tour de Toona.  This is the second in the three-race Series and so is pivotal to the final outcome of the Series.  The standings at the end of this race will also determine that teams receive travel grants for the CD&P Bermuda Grand Prix, the brass ring of the Series.   

Kristin Armstrong (TEAm Lipton) is the clear favorite to defend the Series individual leader’s jersey that she won at the Nature Valley Grand Prix.  Armstrong is having a strong Summer, winning two stages and the overall at June’s Nature Valley GP and the two US National Championships in July.  She’ll be tough to catch if she continues to hold form.  Second place is currently held by Armstrong’s teammate Kori Seehafer while third is held by last year’s Series Champion, Christine Thorburn (Webcor – Platinum), who is not racing this week.  Thorburn’s teammate Erinne Wilcock, currently in fourth, would need some help to challenge Armstrong’s lead, but her strong performance in winning the Joe Martin Stage Race demonstrates that she’s still a rider to watch for the overall.

While Wilcock may be a bit of a long shot for the overall, she’s in a strong position to repeat as the Series Best Young Rider.  She secured the lead with an impressive fifth place overall finish at the Nature Valley GP.  Her most likely competitor will be Katherine Carroll (Victory Brewing), currently sitting in second place.  Look for Alex Wrubleski to rapidly move up the standings.  The newly crowned Canadian National Champion won the BMC Best Young Rider competition at Nature Valley, but was not added to Team Biovail’s Series roster until after that event.

The sprinters competition will prove to be interesting, when relative newcomer Brooke Miller  (PABW Powered by TIBCO) works to defend the jersey that she won at Nature Valley.  Her competition should  come from the TEAm Lipton trio of Kristin Armstrong, Kori Seehafer and Laura Van Gilder, currently holding second through fourth in this competition.

The lead in the team competition is currently held by TEAm Lipton with Webcor – Platinum close behind (450 vs. 418 points).  However, without Thorburn, Webcor – Platinum will be hard pressed to challenge Lipton.  However, Webcor - Platinum has two U26 riders, Wilcock and Amber Rais, while Lipton has none.  The Series team competition offers bonus points to young riders, so Webcor – Platinum may be competitive if both Wilcock and Rais ride well. 

About the Women’s Prestige Cycling Series 

The Women’s Prestige Cycling Series began in 2004 with the goal of highlighting women’s racing by giving them a spotlight that they don’t have to share with the men. The Series grew out of meetings that began in Minnesota in 2003 at the first Yoplait Women’s Cycling Summit Conference hosted at the Nature Valley Grand Prix. The Summits, now sponsored by Yoplait Nouriche, take place twice a year: at the Nature Valley Grand Prix in June and at the Interbike trade show in September.

Visit www.WomenCyclists.com for more information.