UCI Road World Cup 2006

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Teutenberg first World Cup Leader, 2006

World Cup Round 1 - Geelong results

Race date - 26th February 2006

Geelong World Cup website

135 riders rolled out to start the first World Cup of the season. The expectations for some riders were high, given the performances in the Geelong Tour in the previous week. The pressure was also on for the New Zealand riders, with 12 of the top New Zealanders in the race, all of whom were in possible contention for a spots on the yet to be named Commonwealth Games team.  However there were some “form unknowns”, with strong riders like Nicole Cooke (Univega and British Road Champion) and Olympic Champion Sara Carrigan (Australia and Queensland Academy of Sport) choosing not to ride the Geelong Tour.

Over 8 laps of a 14.9km circuit, the 119.2km race was similar to previous World Cup races in Geelong with attacks, counter attacks and a final bunch sprint.

Unfortunately a crash involving a few riders in the first lap could have raised serious concerns for Australia with the up coming Commonwealth Games, as it included Sara Carrigan. Thankfully for Carrigan, but unfortunate for one rider Bernadette Schober (ACR-2ZU), she was able to get back on her bike and rejoin the race.

  It seemed that the place to attack for the whole race was at the back of the circuit, on Aberdeen St, as the Chinese rider Pux Lang Zaheng (Giant Pro Cycling) made the first of many attacks. She quickly managed to get a 30m gap on the peleton. However she was caught at the base of the climb up Hyland St before she attacked again and gained a 100m gap. Instrumental in pulling her back in was Emma Rickards (Univega) and Natalie Boyarskaya (Russian National Team). The experienced pro-teams of T-Mobile, Univega, the New Zealand National Team and the Russian National Team controlled the peleton for the remainder of the first lap.

Continuous attacks from the New Zealanders: Melissa Holt, Marian Duvnjak and Sarah Ulmer, Univega riders Priska Doppmann, Sarah Duester and Christine Soeder and some of the Australia riders, Emma James (Chase Sydney- Smart-Mercedes Benz) and Helen Kelly (Team Cheerwine/Bicisport) were quickly closed down by the experience teams of T-Mobile, Nobili Rubinetterie Menikini Cogeas and Equipe Nürnberger Versicherung. Notable of these attacks were when Ulmer attacked. She was closed down by the experienced T-Mobile power rider Judith Arndt.

At the half way point, a decisive attack from Marina Duvnjak (New Zealand), just before the feed zone stretched out to 55 seconds before Australia Kate Bates (Equipe Nürnberger Versicherung) and Australian Road Race Champion) showed her impressive form by pulling the peleton up close the lone rider. This enabled team mate Oenone Wood, Christine Soeder (Univega), Kate Nichols (NSW Institute of Sport) and Miho Oki (Nobili Rubinetterie Menikini Cogeas) and Japanese Champion) to join the New Zealander in the attack. The group of six riders managed to get a 15 second gap before the T-Mobile team took control at the front of the peleton and caught the group just before the start/finish area. Unfortunately for T-Mobile, Lynn Bassette had to retire from the race, apparently suffering from headaches after her fall during the final stages of the Geelong Tour last Thursday.

The speed for completion of the laps increased considerably with two laps to go. The bunch had been covering each lap in around 24 minutes; the penultimate laps was covered in just over 22 minutes. The speed of coverage was as a direct result of the number of attacks, which came from all of the key riders and teams including Oliva Gollan (Nobili Rubinetterie Menikini Cogeas), Priska Doppman (Univega),and NSWIS riders Natalie Bates and Sara Carrigan (QAS).  

At the bell, the bunch had split into two large groups with the top riders all well positioned in the lead group. Again at the back of the course the attacks came strong and fast with Susie Wood (New Zealand), Sara Carrigan (NSWIS) and Trixi Worrack (Equipe Nürnberger Versicherung) gaining a small advantage over the peleton. This did not last long as the (Nobili Rubinetterie Menikini Cogeas) riders again closed the gap.

At the base of the climb for the final time, Oenone Wood attacked, closely followed by Nicole Cooke and Ina Tuetenberg. Cooke and Tuetenberg could not hold the wheel of the strong Australian rider as she quickly gained an advantage over the bunch. Wood looked strong and for a while it seemed she might succeed. She could not hold her solo attack in the strong headwinds along the Western Beach as the teams organized themselves behind her to make the catch 2km out from the finish. Sarah Ulmer (New Zealand), T-Mobile's Judith Arndt (T-Mobile) working for Teutenberg and the Univega team, who were trying to set up 2003 World Cup Champion, Nicole Cooke for the final sprint, reeled in Wood with two kilometers to go to the finish.

Teutenberg proved too powerful over the final 200 meters holding off Japan's Miho Oki (Nobili Rubinetterie) and 2006 Australian road champion, Kate Bates ((Equipe Nürnberger Versicherung)) who collected the minor placings just ahead of Tina Pic (USA), Rochelle Gilmore (SAFI- Pasta Zara Manhattan), and Gina Grain the Canadian rider racing for the Chinese (Giant Pro Cycling) team in 3 hours 8 minutes 51 sec  

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Results

144 starters
118 finishers

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Race Comments

"Winning the first World Cup - it doesn't go any better," said Teutenberg after the race. "The team can relax now a little bit until we go back to Europe."

"Oenone did an amazing attack on the last lap and I thought I did pretty good to get up the hill in like second, third position," said Teutenberg. "She was just amazing going up there, (but) I think it was just a little too windy on the downhill (for her to stay away). She's so strong but the field was just so much faster on the run in and it's hard by yourself," explained Teutenberg. "Univega and Judith (Arndt) pretty much rode her in until we came to the ocean road and then she (Wood) helped Kate (Bates) get into the right position for the sprint but Kate went a little too early and I could jump on her and bring it home the last hundred meters."

WCN caught up with Kate Bates after the race "it was pretty hard there towards the end, it’s a shame, we thought we had set it up perfectly for Oenone but she didn’t manage to hold on for the win. We took a bit of a gamble and it nearly paid off, I got blocked in on the sprint and it took me longer to come round. Ina came past me like I was standing still, so she's the best bike rider out there today and we can only be happy that we've put all our cards on the table," said Bates who had hoped for a win but had to be satisfied with her third place. "It's bike riding, it's a long season and I think that Nürnberg and T-Mobile are going to be head to head the whole year. It really depends on T-Mobile's tactics but we'll be riding a little bit more for race wins rather than conservatively for the overall," said Bates. "We've got the World Champion (Regina Schleicher) in our team who's not even here this week”.

Oenone Wood, who last week claimed overall honors in the Geelong Tour for the third straight year, said “the team plan for the day had been for her to try and surprise the field with an attack on the final climb; you've got to give it a go. Our team plan was to have me go on that last hill and have Kate(Bates)  waiting there for the sprint, but today she got boxed in and she had to sprint from four hundred meters out so she didn't have enough to come around Ina today. It could have worked, and it could have been the other way."

"I didn't actually realise how much of a gap I had until just at the top corner before you turn right, and then I realized I had a bit of a gap there so I kept going. Unfortunately I got chased back. Sprinting is about putting yourself in the right position, Ina did that today. She’s pretty strong and skillful in that respect and put herself in the position to win”

What made the decision to go on the hill rather than sprint it out? “I knew I had a good chance of getting away on the hill, it gave our team two options rather than having both Kate and I sitting in waiting for the sprint. It is sometimes better to put the pressure on the teams to chase and forcing them to chase and takes the edge off their lead out”

Looking at the team, are you pleased with the performance? “ this is going to be a fantastic year, you look a the talent we have here, then you look at other riders back in Germany, like World Champion Regina Schleicher and a number of other riders in our team. It’s all looking good.

On the races ahead Wood added “I want to have a really good go at this season and be more aggressive in racing and this is just the start of it. One hundred per cent for the win, that’s how our team want to race this year, we want to win races. Last year I sort of sat in waiting for the sprints and I didn’t actually win a World Cup (round) so this year I want to win a World Cup (round).” On her reflection of her own start to the season as world number one, Wood said “It would have been nice to pull off the win today, but I am really happy with my form. Mt Torrans was a bit of a shock for me, I went away from there thinking I had a bit of work to do, I can come away from this thinking I am on the right track and where I want to be at this time of year.” 

WCN had the opportunity to chat with Judith Arndt after the race she had this to say about Wood’s attack “we had to bring Oenone back otherwise she would have taken the win. In nearly all the breaks we brought the back to keep control of the race”. On losing team mate Lynn Bessette, Judith added “yes it was unexpected, we made a plan before the race and when one rider has to go out of the race it matters, its really important for everyone to be there. I hope she is ok.”  About New Zealand, Arndt expressed her thoughts on the next series of races, “we have won two races already, we can relax a little now, and there is not so much pressure on us now”. Switching from Nürnberg this year to T-Mobile Judith explained her decision “I had a great time with Nürnberg and raced with them for three years and we won many races, but it the same people and surroundings for many years. It is hard to motivate yourself 100% when you see the same people for three years and a change was really important for my career. I am looking for to racing in Europe, particularly the Tour of Flanders and La Fleche Wallone.”

Australian Chances for the Commonwealth Games - Some rider thoughts

A number of the Australian riders have thrown down the gauntlet for the rest of the world with the performances in the Tour and World Cup events. Oenone Wood commented “the ‘kiwis’ are riding really well as a team, all the Aussies are riding against each other currently for their own teams but I think when we get together as one team we will give them a good run for their  money.”

Natalie Bates “There were so many times today that you looked at who were riding in the teams. We have a lot to work with and so many different ways that we can win the race. Our goal is to win the goal medal and look at the options to get this done .Its a great opportunity for us to race on her home ground”

Rochelle Gilmore “I had a great race today, I am looking forward to the next few races leading into the games. We have the strongest women in the world in the Australian team, anyone of us is capable of winning so it will be an interesting race, and we will work well together to bring home the win on the day. We just want to win as a nation and we are prepared to sacrifice for the team. The British team will work well together, they have always supported Nicole Cooke in the past so it will be interesting to see if they do it even though they will be split up into England, Scotland and Wales, we are looking forward to it. As a nation we have something to prove. Our coach Warren MacDonald puts a lot of effort into all of us individually. It would be great just to win for him.  With everything he has been through, his commitment has been there every day since the accident and we just want to pull it off for him”