JEANSON STILL AT THE TOP OF THE TOUR OF THE GILA

Silver City, New Mexico, May 5, 2001 – The sprinters had their day at last, and Ina Teutenberg (ALL, Saturn Timex) was today’s victor in the 34.75-km criterium through the streets of Silver City, with her Australian teammate Anna Millward close behind. Joanne Kiesanowski (NZL, Proctor & Gamble), Lyne Bessette (CAN, Saturn Timex), Geneviève Jeanson (CAN, RONA) and Kim Bruckner (USA, Saturn Timex) crossed the finish line in that order in a group of eight riders, 1'19" after the two leaders. The main pack crossed the line about 2 minutes after Teutenberg, with Amy Jarvis (CAN, RONA) coming in second in the pack sprint.

But with Teutenberg and Millward more than 46 and 19 minutes respectively behind Geneviève Jeanson in the general standings, Jeanson didn’t have much to fear from them. Today’s stage had very little impact on the general standings – in fact, no impact at all on the placement of the race leaders. Geneviève Jeanson is still holding on to her white leader’s jersey and her lead is steady at 7'04" over Bessette and 7'43" over Bruckner.

The stage was fought over twenty laps on a 1.738-km circuit and included four 90º turns per lap. The wind was strong again today, as it has been all week. Teutenberg broke away from the pack shortly after the start. A small group of chasers banded together quickly. The group, which included Anna Millward, played cat and mouse with Teutenberg, until Millward joined her teammate and helped her widen the gap in front of the chasers. Toward the end of the course Jeanson and a couple of other sprinters left the pack to join the chasers. The winner maintained an average speed of 38.5 kph (unofficial results).

The final stage, tomorrow, promises even greater challenges with the Gila Monster Road Race, a 106-km loop with start and finish lines near Silver City and a total ascent of 1,667 meters. The stage ends at the peak of one of the course’s two Category 4 hills and also includes a Category 2 climb near the end.

Information and photos are available on the race’s website at www.tourofthegila.com.

Team RONA is the only Canadian women’s cycling team in the Elite category. The team’s athletic director is André Aubut.

Team RONA’s main sponsor is a major Canadian retailer of hardware, home renovation and gardening supplies. The team also receives financial support from LGS Group and ScotiaMcLeod, with equipment and service sponsorships from Honda Canada, Colnago, Cycles Lambert, Michelin, Mavic and Club Médico Sportif.

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GENEVIÈVE JEANSON CRUSHES THE COMPETITION AT THE TOUR OF THE GILA

Silver City, New Mexico, May 6, 2001 – Eddy Mercks, one of the greatest track racers of the 20th century, was nicknamed "the cannibal" in racing circles because he ate his competitors whole and never seemed to get enough. It was unthinkable for him to begin a race without throwing his heart and soul into his pursuit of victory.

How will Geneviève Jeanson (CAN, RONA) be remembered after her retirement? It is too soon to speculate on the career outcome of a racer who has already made us forget she’s still just a teenager. But today, in the fifth and final stage of the Tour of the Gila, Geneviève Jeanson seems to have satisfied her immense appetite. She devoured everything in sight – the pack, her closest rivals in the general standings, the asphalt, the mountain, everything – finishing the race with a lead in the general standings of nearly 15 minutes over her closest rival, Kim Bruckner.

Play-by-play

The Gila Monster Road Race, a 106-km loop with start and finish lines near Silver City and a total ascent of 1,667 meters, was on today’s program. The stage finished at the summit of one of the track’s two Category 4 hills and included a Category 2 climb near the end of the race.

After five preliminary kilometers behind the police escort, the race began with an initial 9-km portion full of rolling hills and heading into the wind. Here Team RONA rode the pack to prevent any breakaways. Then the pack veered left to begin its ascent of the first of the day’s three challenges, a long, irregular 28-km climb. Manon Jutras (CAN, RONA), suffering from gastric problems for the past two days, dropped out, her mission accomplished. Geneviève Jeanson, in top shape despite the fatigue of four days of high-altitude racing, moved up to the front of the pack and started to pick up the pace. "So soon!" grumbled a few of the other racers in the pack.

The pack quickly spread out and then simply exploded under the Jeanson’s constant pressure. Only Bruckner, third in the general standings, managed to resist, and that for a mere three kilometers. From there Geneviève pursued the course alone, and for the last 75 kilometers the race became one long time trial. Bruckner was outdistanced little by little, but basically rode a solo course as well, farther and farther ahead of the pack.

Thirty-five kilometers into the race, Jeanson was 50" ahead of Bruckner and about 3 minutes ahead of the pack. And her lead grew inexorably. At the summit of the day’s second challenge, a Category 2 hill that peaks 30 km before the finish line, the gap between Jeanson and Bruckner had widened to 4’30". Jeanson added to that during the day’s last climb, finishing 5'56" ahead of Bruckner. Lyne Bessette (CAN, Saturn Timex), third, crossed the line 17 minutes after the Team RONA leader.

Even prouder than at Redlands

To say that Team RONA’s athletic director was happy would be an understatement. "The race went so well, the girls worked together beautifully for this victory. I was surprised by the gap, because I was expecting a slightly stiffer battle from Saturn Timex. Overall, the pack was a little less lively than the pack at Redlands, but this time the whole Saturn Timex team was there from start to finish. There were six of them and only four of us. But that just makes me all the prouder of Geneviève and Team RONA."

As for Geneviève Jeanson, she claimed to be "a bit" tired. "I rode hard every day, and with everything in high altitudes, it’s tough. I was expecting a more aggressive pack today, but I had a lot of fun anyway. "

Gabriela Ferrat (MEX, RONA), who came in twelfth today, said she was thrilled by her first major race with Team RONA. "It was a wonderful experience, the course was fabulous and I worked as hard as I could. In the other big races I’ve been in, I had a tendency to remain somewhat anonymous inside the pack. This was the first time I had the chance to really participate in the battle for victory, and it’s very stimulating to race under those conditions! And the girls are just wonderful. We get along very well on and off the track." Gabriela is looking forward to the race on Mount Royal, which will be her first chance to visit Montreal.

5^th stage: 106-km loop around Silver City

Stage standings

Rank	Name (team)	Time
1	Geneviève Jeanson (RONA)
2	Kim Bruckner (Saturn Timex)	5'56"
3	Lyne Bessette (Saturn Timex)	17'00"
4	Katrina Berger (800.com)	17'32"
5	Ronda Quick (Jane Cosmetics)	m.t.

Final general standings

Rank	Name (team)	Time
1	Geneviève Jeanson (CAN, RONA)
2	Kimberly Bruckner (USA, Saturn Timex)	14'57"
3	Lyne Bessette (CAN, Saturn Timex)	24'44"
4	Katrina Berger (USA, 800.com)	32'45"
5	Jessica Phillips (USA, Intersports)	39'06"

 

Team RONA (www.equiperona.ca) is the only Canadian women’s cycling team in the Elite category. The team’s athletic director is André Aubut.

Team RONA’s main sponsor is a major Canadian retailer of hardware, home renovation and gardening supplies. The team also receives financial support from LGS Group and ScotiaMcLeod, with equipment and service sponsorships from Honda Canada, Colnago, Cycles Lambert, Michelin, Mavic and Club Médico Sportif.

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Information: Daniel Larouche/Cédric Orvoine

GPC International

(514) 282-1100

daniel.larouche@gpcinternational.com

cedric.orvoine@gpcinternational.com