July 18, 2007 (Vancouver, BC) - Mother Nature was unsympathetic as heavy rain fell steadily on Wednesday evening at the 2007 Tour de Gastown. Riders slipped and slid their way around the 3-corner, 1.3km, cobblestone course as spectators lined the streets under a kaleidoscope of umbrellas.
With the stronger riders willing to push the limits of speed through the slick corners, and the less experienced riders struggling to keep up, the pack was quickly strung out in the first three laps of the race. Cash primes announced every few laps served to further push the already relentless pace - among prime winners were Giant Bicycles Canada, Team Symmetrics, Jazz Apple Cycling Team, and Proman/Paradigm.
By halfway point, a solid 3-rider break had formed including Leah Goldstein (Symmetrics), Erinne Willock (Expresscopy.com), and Stephanie Roorda (Giant Bicycles Canada). After two more laps, the punishing pace at which Goldstein was driving the break proved too much for Roorda, and she dropped back to the main pack. Recent White Rock crit champ Rushlee Buchanan (Jazz Apple Cycling) was caught up in a crash around lap 15 and was forced to drop out of the race with a possible injury.
The pack continued to drive the pace behind the break, but to no avail as Goldstein’s crushing effort was steadily widening the gap. Willock was content to sit on Goldstein’s wheel knowing her teammate Gina Grain, recent 2007 Canadian road champ, and powerhouse Shelley Olds (Proman/Paradigm) would be significant threats in the final sprint if the leaders could be caught.
Halfway through the final lap, Willock surged ahead of Goldstein to win the final sprint and take the victory at the 2007 Tour de Gastown. Following her phenomenal 10-lap “time trial” effort, Goldstein crossed the line seconds later in 2nd.
There was much anticipation as the pack made its way to the finish in a showdown for third. In a battle to the line, it was Olds who thrust her wheel over the line mere milimetres ahead of Grain to take the final spot on the podium.
Results
1. Erinne Willock (Can) Expresscopy.com 0:53:00
2. Leah Goldstein (Isr) Symmetrics Cycling 0:53:06
3. Shelley Olds (USA) PROMAN/Paradigm 0:54:06
4. Malindills Maclean (Nzl) JAZZ Apple Cycling Team 0:54:06
5. Gina Grain (Can) Expresscopy.com 0:54:06
6. Jenny Trew (Can) Giant Bicycles Canada 0:54:06
7. Leah Guloien (Can) Team Giant 0:54:07
8. Alison Testroete (Can) Team Expresscopy.com 0:54:07
9. Marni Hambleton (Can) Symmetrics Cycling 0:54:07
10. Lisa Howard (Can) Giant Bicycles Canada 0:54:07
11. Claire Cameron (Can) Giant Bicycles Canada 0:54:08
12. Sarah Stewart (Can) Symmetrics Cycling 0:54:10
13. Marie-Claude Gagnon (Can) Team Integrale 0:54:10
14. Sarah Kerlin (USA) Velo Bella-Kona 0:54:10
15. Stephanie Ossenbrink (Can) Team Glotman Simpson 0:54:10
16. Gillian Kornell (N/A) Total Restoration Cycling Team 0:54:10
17. Kele Murdin (USA) Ultralink 0:54:11
18. Stephanie Roorda (Can) Giant Bicycles Canada 0:54:11
19. Lisa Tasa (Can) TREK-Red Truck Ale 0:54:13
20. Alison Shanks (Nzl) JAZZ Apple Cycling Team 0:54:15
DNF Rushlee Buchanan (Nzl) JAZZ Apple Cycling Team
DNF Alena Radomsky (Can) Giant Bicycles Canada
DNF Laura Brown (Can) Giant Bicycles Canada
DNF Anna Webb (USA) A E Sport Devolpment
DNF Lee Darling (Can) Team Integrale
DNF Heather Kay (Can) ERTC/redbike
DNF Ryan Hostetter (USA) Velo Bella-Kona
DNF Stella Carey (USA) Velo Bella-Kona
DNF Natasha Kuzmak (Can) Synergy Racing Cycle Club
DNF Lisa Dorian (Can) CHICKS CYCLING
DNF Anne-Marie Lefrancois (Can) Team Integrale
DNF Karen Watson (Can) Team Integrale
DNF Kristine Brynjolfson (Can) Team Coastal
DNF Marian Hunting (USA) Velo Bella-Kona
DNF Jenelle Cassidy (Can) Giant Bicycles Canada Women
DNF Leslie Vice (Can) Chicks Cycling Club
DNF Sarah Nathan (Can) Chicks Cycling Club
DNF Margaret Pugh (Can) Chicks Cycling Club
DNF Courtney Albert (Can) TREK-Red Truck Ale
DNF Jennifer Lee (Can) Team Fast Twitch
DNF Susy Pryde (Nzl) JAZZ Apple Cycling Team
DNF Kelly Jones (Can) Sugoi
DNF Patricia Sinclair (Can) Scott
DNS Sarah Murdoch (Nzl) JAZZ Apple Cycling Team
DNS Alex Wrubleski (Can) Colavita/Sutter Home
DNS Jen Chapman (USA) Velo Bella-Kona
DNS Fiona MacLeod (Can) TREK-RED TRUCK ALE
DNS Carrie Eller (USA) Avanti Racing/Ti Cycles
Fined for not obeying Commissaire ()
50. Lee Darling (Can) Team Integrale
50. Stella Carey (USA) Velo Bella-Kona
|
Photo: Greg Descantes
Women's podium (l-r): Leah Goldstein (Isr) Symmetrics Cycling 2nd, Erinne Willock (Can) Expresscopy.com 1st, Shelley Olds (USA) PROMAN/Paradigm 3rd.
Photo: Greg Descantes
Photo: Greg Descantes
Erinne Willock (Can) Expresscopy.com
Photo: Greg Descantes
Photo: Greg Descantes
Leah Goldstein (Isr) Symmetrics Cycling leads Erinne Willock (Can) Expresscopy.com.
Photo: Greg Descantes
|
