WomensCycling.net - Montreal world Cup 2009

The petite British rider Emma Pooley started and finished in impressive style in Montreal, she won more than a minute ahead of Emma Johansson (National Team Sweden ) and Trixi Worrack (Equipe Nurnberger Versicherung)

Cervelo Test Team delivered a second World Cup win in a row, with Emma Pooley taking an audacious win over the 110km race in Montreal. On a day which threatened to be as wet as 2008, the sun finally showed just before the noon start time and the race was run under warm and sunny conditions.

Pooley attacked the field within 16 seconds of the start of the race and did not look back, by the time she passed over the climb of Mont Royal she was well away from the chasing bunch, controlled well by her team mates. Pooley never looked back, she powered her way around the ten kilometre circuit, extending her advantage to over 3 minutes by mid-race and then defending the gap as the chasers behind began to take vital seconds away as they raised their pace.

An early chase by Kath Mattis (Webcor) and Andrea Dvorack (Colavita Sutter) held Pooley at around one minute thirty for about 20 kilometres, but they eventually went back to the bunch. The race was split by the pace and by the ferocity of Mont Royal. Riders lost contact with the back of the bunch and then the groups they found themselves in as the race progressed.

Team Columbia Women’s Judith Arndt and Kim Anderson made several concerted efforts to chase back to the Briton as the final thirty kilometres point was passed. They strung out the chasing group with their pace. These efforts were policed by Regina Bruins and Carla Ryan, Pooley’s team-mates, who were in the chase group. The effect of the more concentrated chases in the closing laps served to reduce Pooley’s gap from over two minutes to just over one minute, but the group behind was unable to get any closer.

After more than three hours of intense solo, Pooley was worth the first place, her time trialing background paid dividends as Pooley was able to keep a great tempo at the front of the race. There was a hint of a smile on her face which turned into a broad smile as she approached the finish line. Visibly tired, she raised her arms in a victory salute, grabbed the bars to steady herself and then crossed the line with both arms raised again. Pooley stopped just beyond the finish line and was congratulated by a clearly delighted Directeur Sportif, Manel Lacambra. As she took a long drink of water and put on some warm clothes, the bunch was approaching the finish line.

The chasing group had a battle of their own in the final lap. Emma Johansson (Sweden) tried to break away on the final time over Mont Royal. She didn’t manage to do so and as a result had to try her chances against the sprinters in the group in order to gain the vital points she needed to regain the World Cup leader’s jersey.

Johansson began her sprint early, aware that Trixi Worrack (Equipe Nurnberger) would be a contender in the race to the line. She accelerated up the finishing straight and kept going as the German chased up the outside and gave a final lunge for the line. A photofinish was required to split the pair, but Johansson was given the decision; second place ahead of Worrack.

The North American based teams performed well, Catherine Cheatley and Tiffany Cromwell (Colavita Sutter Homes p/b Cooking Light) featured in the top 10, along with Errine Willock (Webcor Builders).

Pooley's team mates Regina Bruins and Carla Ryan, who has just returned from a serious crash performed strongly and finished 5th and 9th.They turned almost immediately after finishing, headed to the place where Pooley was recovering and giving immediate TV interviews, found their team-mate amongst the media surrounding her and congratulated their comrade on her stunning win.

With second place, Johansson is now the leader in the ranking of World Cups with 287 points ahead of Marianne Vos (DSB Bank) who sits on 242 points. With her third place Trixi Worrack moves up to 5th on the UCI World Cup ranking.

Canada 's Erinne Willock, known for her talents as a climber, was the best Canadian with 7th position.

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Post Race Comments

Emma Pooley (Cervelo Test Team) could not really believe that she had managed to stay away, "It was very difficult to be alone in front, but thanks to encouragement from my team manager and support of my team, I resisted and won the stage! "

Pooley was visibly tired and sore from her efforts as she climbed on to the podium, a worthwhile victor in Montreal. “I thought they’d [the chasers] leave out ‘to dry’ for a little while. They know that I do that [make solo breakaways, particularly on hilly courses] and normally they catch me again, so I’m normally the sacrificial lamb. I’m used to riding 80 kilometres alone and getting caught and dropped again.” Pooley laughed when asked about the team’s tactics in the race. “But on this course its very hard to chase someone and I knew that my team-mates were in the group behind, so I we had a good chance to win even if I got caught. So I gave it everything and made it hard for the other teams.”

Emma Johansson (Red Sun Cycling) will wear the World Cup leader’s jersey in Sweden at the end of July in the seventh round of the 2009 series. “I had an idea that I was just ahead of Trixi [in the sprint], but you never know for sure.” She said of the sprint. “I know that Trixi’s really fast and I was hoping that we’d ride away in a group over the top [of Mont Royal] on the last lap, but no one really wanted to ride. There were five of us, but no-one wanted to ride. I had my team-manager in the race radio telling I needed to start the sprint early so I did and I just gave it everything."

“Its lovely to be back in the leader’s jersey. I love it.” The next round will see the Swede competing in front of home crowds, “Its really important for the sport in Sweden that I’m able to take it there. I’m very happy.”

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Results - Top 10 - click here to see full result

Position	Name	Team	Time	Gap
1	Emma Pooley	Cervélo TestTeam	3.09.09
2	Emma Johansson	Swedish National Team	3.10.23	1.14
3	Trixi Worrack	Equipe Nuernberger Versicherung	"	"
4	Ruth Corsett	Australian National Team	"	"
5	Regina Bruins	Cervélo TestTeam	"	"
6	Catherine Cheatley	Colavita Sutter Homes p/b Cooking Light	"	"
7	Tiffany Cromwell	Colavita Sutter Homes p/b Cooking Light 3.10.27		1.18
8	Erinne Willock	Webcor Builders	3.10.30	1.21
9	Carla Ryan	Cervélo TestTeam	3.10.33	1.24
10	Amber Neben	Equipe Nuernberger Versicherung 3.10.34		1.25

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Standings Top 10 - click here to see full standings

Position	Name		Team	Points
1	Emma	Johansson	Red Sun Cycling Team	287
2	Marianne	Vos	Netherlands National Team	242
3	Ina-Yoko	Teutenberg	Team Columbia Highroad Women	96
4	Kirsten	Wild	Cervélo Test Team	88
5	Trixi	Worrack	Equipe Nurnberger Versicherung	71
6	Eva	Lutz	Equipe Nurnberger Versicherung	67
7	Nicole	Cooke	Vision 1 Racing	65
8	Martine	Bras	Selle Italia Ghezzi	60
9	Andrea	Bosman	Netherlands National Team	49
10	Grace	Verbeke	Lotto-Belisol Ladiesteam	48

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