Click to Enlarge photo(s)
 |
| Clara Hughes © Peter Kraiker / Miroir du Cyclisme |
Clean Sweep for Specialized-Lululemon
By Peter Kraiker
May 19, 2012 (Gatineau, QC) –
Clara Hughes (Can) led a Specialized-lululemon sweep in the 18.4km GP Gatineau
Chrono ITT on Saturday as she topped the field in 23:56.76 with Evelyn Stevens
in second and Amber Neben 3rd. Tara Whitten (Can) TIBCO-To The Top was just off
the podium in 4th as four Canadians made the top 10 including Rhae Christie
Shaw (Can) Canada National Team in 6th and former ITT Canadian champ, Julie
Beveridge (Can) Canada National Team, in 10th.
The Specialized-lululemon
team put on a show in today’s ITT at the Grand Prix Cycliste Gatineau taking
all three podium steps, with Clara Hughes defending her title nailing the best
time in the 18.4km Elite Women’s ITT.
The race was held in perfect
conditions with a bright and clear sky, little wind, and good pavement to
contest the event. Five waves were set up, with one hour intervals between each
start. One team member was entered into each wave and all of the teams were
able to learn about the course and conditions from previous waves as the race
went on.
The expanded field for the
2012 event featured teams from around the world including Italy Germany Taiwan Australia Canada Canada
The early fastest time to
beat was set by Marty Shea (Destination Cycling) at 25:44.82 on the undulating
18.4km course. In the second wave it was topped only by Ina-Yoko Teutenberg
(Specialized-lululemon) at 24:38.43. Her time stood up until teammate Evelyn
Stevens took over 30 seconds off it in the third wave.
The last two waves contained
each team’s strongest riders however the early best times were hard to beat.
Canadians Rhae Shaw (Canadian National Team) and Tara Whitten (Tibco – To The
Top) came close, adding their names to the top 10 list with Whitten sitting
second for some time. The fireworks were just getting lit though as the final
riders in wave 5 were setting best times at the half-way mark on the course.
Hughes had her minute-woman
Nicole Cooke of Faren Honda Team in her sights already. Remembering her crash
in the same corner in 2011, Hughes commented after the race that she reminded
herself that taking the corner a bit slower and more safely would only cost her
a second.
Still she rode it fast and
hard, ignoring her own advice scraping a pedal along the way in the same
corner. It was just right balance between her desire to do her best with just
enough caution as she made it through accelerating to close the gap on Cooke.
The crowd was thrilled to see
Hughes heading toward the finish and made sure she could hear their support.
Even with her great time she made sure to throw her bike to line, perhaps to
make up for that bit of time her caution in the corner may have cost her.
In the end she was 7.8
seconds ahead of teammate Stevens and three places ahead of Whitten, her
nearest Canadian rival. For all of the
top Canadians, and Olympic hopefuls from all nations, the UCI points earned
here are invaluable.
Notes:
Ukraine National Team rider
Olena Sharha was the only racer to succumb to a “Hughes corner” crash.
Two Canadian riders missed
the finishing turn, taking the first lap route and lost precious seconds in the
process.
More Photos coming soon ...
Full results
1. Clara Hughes (Can)
Specialized-lululemon 23:56.76
2. Evelyn Stevens (USA)
Specialized-lululemon 7.80
3. Amber Neben (USA)
Specialized-lululemon 19.68
4. Tara Whitten (Can)
TIBCO-To The Top 30.48
5. Ina-Yoko Teutenberg (Ger)
Specialized-lululemon 41.67
6. Rhae Christie Shaw (Can) Canada
7. Carmen Small (USA
8. Shara Gillow (Aus)
GreenEdge-AIS 01:03.47
9. Alexis Rhodes (Aus)
GreenEdge-AIS 01:27.43
10. Julie Beveridge (Can) Canada
11. Megan Guarnier (USA
12. Marty Shea (USA
13. Olivia Dillon (Irl) Now
And Novertis 01:54.44
14. Denise Ramsden (Can)
Optum Pro Cycling p/b Kelly Benefit Strategies 01:57.04
15. Nicole Cooke (Gbr) Faren
Honda Team 02:02.21
16. Olena Pavlukhina (Ukr) Ukraine
17. Jasmin Glaesser (Can)
Colavita ESPN 02:13.38
18. Sari Saarelainen (Fin)
Forno D’asolo Colavita 02:20.27
19. Bridie O’donnell (Aus)
Vanderkkitten Focus 02:21.95
20. Caroline Ryan (Irl) West Quebec Wheelers 02:30.56
21. Claudia Hauesler (Ger)
GreenEdge-AIS 02:33.86
22. Annie Ewart (Can) Canada
23. Olena Sharha (Ukr) Ukraine
24. Moriah MacGregor (Can)
Colavita ESPN 03:01.83
25. Ally Stacher (USA
26. Kacy Wander (USA
27. Evelyne Blouin (Can)
Realdealracing/La Bicicletta 03:32.55
28. Alizée Brien (Can) Equipe du Québec 03:36.92
29. Catherine Dessureault
(Can) Realdealracing/La Bicicletta 03:37.62
30. Whitney Gaggioli (USA
31. Steph Skoreyko (Can)
Kallisto Wheels Of Oakville
32. Allison Bevridge (Can)
Specialized-Mazda-SGC 03:58.25
33. Veronik Bourgon (Can) Infinit Nutrition Cycle 04:11.80
34. Adriane Provost (Can)
Stevens Racing p/b The Cycl 04:19.54
35. Suzie Brown (Can) PK
Express Biemme 04:36.12
36. Sara Byers (Can) Stevens
Racing p/b The Cycl 04:38.04
37. Flavia Oliveira (Bra)
Forno D’asolo Colavita 04:39.59
38. Jessica Hebelhart (Sui)
Forno D’Asolo Colavita 04:44.3
39. Heather Shearer (Can)
Infinit Nutrition Cycle 04:50.39
40. Hsiao-Chia Tseng (Tpe)
Axman Team 05:10.65
41. Ho Hsun Huang (Tpe) Axman
Team 05:34.32
42. Mei-Yu Hsiao (Tpe) Axman
Team 05:53.25
43. Evelyne Gagnon (Can)
Stevens Racing p/b The Cycl 05:53.35
44. Yu-Hsuan Lee (Tpe) Axman
Team 06:57.58
45. Chia-Hui Lin (Tpe) Axman
Team 07:45.50
46. Gabrielle Pilote-Fortin (Can) Equipe du Québec 11:05.65
DNF Pauliena Rooijakkers
(Ned) Dolman-Boels
0 comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.