A star studded line up of
international cycling talent, including the world's top three ranked
cyclists, will line up in Geelong to contest the opening round of the 2006
UCI Women's Road Cycling World Cup Series and the preceding Geelong Tour.
The World Cup round will be raced from 10am on Sunday February 26th with 139
riders representing 17 nations contesting 119.2km (8 laps of the 14.9km
circuit) in a bid to become the first cyclist of 2006 to wear the World Cup
Leader's Jersey. The field is the largest ever assembled for the opening
round of the World Cup.
The week prior to the World Cup the women will race in the three day, four
stage Geelong Tour.
Headlining the start list is world ranked number one cyclist, Oenone Wood,
from Canberra who has claimed the Series Crown for the past two years and is
fine tuning her preparation for the Melbourne Commonwealth Games. Wood, who
won the Geelong round in 2004, rides with the world's top ranked team Nürnberger.
The team will also include new recruit, Australia's Kate Bates, who was
recently crowned Australian Road Race Champion.
2004 World Champion, Judith Arndt of Germany returns to Geelong as the world
ranked number three but this time with her new T-Mobile Team. Joining her in
the team is four time American Champion Kimberly Bruckner-Baldwin and ten
time German champion, Ina Teutenberg. The Univega Pro Team boasts 2002 Commonwealth
Games road race gold medallist, Nicole Cooke. The Welsh rider also claimed
the silver medal at the World Championships in Madrid in 2005. New Zealand's
reigning points race champion on the track, Joanne Kiesanowski is also on
the Univega roster.
Back in a bid to defend her 2005 Geelong victory is NSW cyclist Rochelle
Gilmore who's team will also boast Commonwealth Games mountain biker, Emma
Colson. Two time World Champion (2002-2003) and currently world ranked
number two, Susanne Ljungskog of Sweden will be looking for early season
form and points after her 2005 efforts saw her finish second overall in the
Series behind Wood.
Japan's Miho Oki, who placed third in the 2004 Geelong World Cup will join
Australian Olivia Gollan in the Italian registered Nobili Rubinetterie team.
Athens Olympic Champion, Sara Carrigan will line up in QAS colours this year
while Barcelona Olympic Champion, Kathy Watt will have support from fellow
Commonwealth Games team member, mountain biker, Claire Baxter in the
Eunectes team.
2004 Olympic points race champion and bronze medallist in the road race Olga
Slyusareva heads the Russian team which makes its Geelong debut in 2006.
Another Olympic gold medallist, Sarah UImer, will also line up in Geelong.
The Athens individual pursuit champion and world record holder will race
with New Zealand as she finalises her preparation for the Commonwealth Games
where she is targeting the road time trial.
The riders will kick off their Australian campaign in the Geelong Tour which
begins on February 21st with an 8km time trial at Portarlington before a 30
lap criterium later in the day. Stage 3 takes the race to Barwon Heads for
five laps of a scenic 15 kilometre circuit along the Barwon Coast. The final
day of the race is a testing 113km course out and back from the town of Lara
and includes a tough climb up Mt Wallace at the halfway mark of the stage.
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