June 20, 2010 (Menomonie, WI) - Saturday was bound to be an exciting day at the Nature Valley Grand Prix, as Stage 5 was heading into previously uncharted territory - Wisconsin. Residents of "America's Dairyland" would be treated to a road race (152km/95 miles for men, 121.6km/76 miles for women) whose profile showed constant undulations from start to finish. Yes, the Menomonie Road Race had the potential to shake up the General Classification.
On Stage 4, David Veilleux (Can) Kelly Benefit Strategies had picked up 10 valuable bonus seconds, leaping from 8th to 4th on GC. At the start of the day he sat 17 seconds behind his team mate, leader Scott Zwizanski. United Healthcare's Rory Sutherland was in 2nd, a third member of the KBS squad, Zach Bell, was in 3rd.
You've gotten a chance to see the course on paper and your director Jonas Carney has talked to the team, what do you think of the course and what's Kelly Benefit Strategies' strategy today?
David Veilleux: I think it's a good course, a bit harder than previous years so we'll try to see how it goes on the road.
Is Sutherland the main guy that the three of you have to mark most closely?
DV: There are still some other guys that are pretty close. I think that on a day like today it's a longer race, if there's a break that goes along with the wind which is a factor - anything can happen so we have to watch for all the guys who are in the top 10-15. It's important to make sure that we don't let anyone go. Even a breakaway with a minute, you can have thirty guys with a minute so it's dangerous - we'll try to keep everything in check.
Good luck to you and the team.
DV: Thank you.
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Zach Bell - Kelly Benefit Strategies - 3rd on GC after 5 stages
KBS’s rider of the day on Stage 5 was Whitehorse native Zach Bell. On the circuits in downtown Menomonie, he made an impressive effort to bridge solo to an existing breakaway. When his companions were tiring, he tried to go it alone to win the stage, and perhaps move into the Yellow Jersey. But he was caught on the final lap, finishing in the main peloton after Team Type 1's Ken Hanson won the field sprint. Dangerman Rory Sutherland finished 3rd, to pick up 6 bonus seconds and move to within three seconds of Zwizanski's lead.
Talk about the effort it took to bridge to that break after a long, hilly day.
Zach Bell: It was tough, but it was kind of do or die time. We had to try and take a bit of pressure off the guys because they had been riding (at the front) all day so I figured I'd have a go (laughs!) I mean our guys were riding out front, the group was getting close and it was getting to that time where things could start getting really ugly and if we didn't do anything I think I could've seen them doing something and really putting the pressure on us and then it would have been down to Dave (Veilleux) and me and Zwiz. So it was like I had to get out there and have a go - so I did a little effort up the hill and saw I had a bit of a gap I just put the afterburners on and got there pretty easy. Yeah, I felt pretty good until the second to last time up the hill here.
Were they able to work with you at all?
ZB: I caught them and there were still 6 or 8 there and I just came through with a lot fresher legs and three of 'em kinda hung on. It was me pretty much doing all of the work from when I caught 'em…they'd do one or two pulls for 5 or 6 seconds so. They'd been out there all day and I wasn't really looking for them to do much work. I just took little breaks when I could to keep the pressure on United because we knew that if we could put a little bit of pressure on their leadout before the end that Scott would have a better chance of keeping everything in check.
And despite that work United’s Rory still took 3rd and picked up six time bonus seconds to move that much closer to Scott.
ZB: Yeah, he took 3rd place on got six seconds, it was a really, really good finish for him and he did get a time bonus. But at all of the other races we've seen nobody else has been able to even control the front in the end. Because of the effort I think they only had a couple of guys to look after him in the last K and I think that's why Type 1 was able to take over a little bit and put the pressure back on them. So yeah, he was up there but cutting the losses I guess. It wasn't ideal for us but it's gone pretty good for us so far. It could've been worse, we could have lost the jersey and I think we're in a bit of a manageable position without time bonuses on Sunday.
Three seconds on that course...
ZB: Yeah, it's tough, you know! But if you win Nature Valley you don't win it by much. We're going to have to keep him in check but the nice thing is that we only have to keep him in check. So if we get some rest tonight and have the whole team ready hopefully we'll be able to do that.
Good luck.
ZB: Thanks.
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Joanie Caron - Nanoblur-Gears - 8th place in Stage 4
On Saturday morning we got the news that after Stage 4 the paramedics had tended to Carrie Cartnill of Nanoblur-Gears. We spoke to Joanie Caron to check up on her teammate as well as to congratulate her on her 8th place in the Minneapolis Criterium:
You finished 8th on Friday evening in the Minneapolis Crit - you must have been pleased with that result.
Joanie Caron: Yes, I'm happy, it's my second Top 10 in an NRC stage this year. For sure I'm not entirely satisfied and I want more for the weekend. Hopefully it will come today but yesterday was a good race.
Tell us what happened to Carrie yesterday.
JC: She had a problem with asthma. She raced part of the stage but had a very, very hard time breathing and was feeling very dizzy so she literally fell on the grass. But she's feeling better now but she won't be racing. Hopefully she’ll be back soon.
Will she be in the team car?
JC: Yeah and we'll use her energy today in the race!
That's great, good luck today.
JC: Thank you.
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Pre-race - Erinne Willock (Team Webcor Builders) - 23rd on GC @ 1:04 after 4 stages
After a short time trial and two crits, today is the hilliest stage of Nature Valley. Might it be a good chance for you or one of your teammates to move up on GC?
Erinne Willock: Yes, Katheryn (Curi Mattis - 13th overall @ :49), Amber (Neben - 16th overall @ :53), and I can all move up on GC today. It's also a good opportunity for Joëlle (Numainville) to get a stage win potentially, with the circuits here in town so yeah, we're looking for a stage win or to move up on GC. And Sunday’s obviously decisive, right?
Looking at the profile, how tough do you think the course is?
EW: You know, it's hard to say, I've heard mixed reviews. Our soigneur lives here in town so he rode it and he said it's pretty good, it's rolling, you get into the trees, so you're out of sight, out of mind. It should be a good race!
Alright, good luck.
EW: Yeah, thanks!
So who initiated the decisive break in Stage 5? Yes, it was Erinne Willock. She was joined by HTC-Columbia's Linda Villumsen, who was 3rd on GC entering the day, only 23 seconds behind leader Shelley Evans. Both women were strong and had ample incentive to stay away. The pack couldn't reel the duo in, and Willock outsprinted Villumsen for one of the biggest victories of her career. Villumsen moved into the overall lead, so both women marked their day as a success. We caught up with the ecstatic Willock after she had been congratulated by members of her Webcor Builders team:
Post-race - Erinne Willock (Team Webcor Builders) Winner, Stage 5
Before the race you told me it could be either you, Katheryn or Amber today. What were the circumstances that led to it being you?
Erinne Willock: It was just chance. We crested that 3rd QOM and there was crosswind up at the top and attacks going. Then I just countered one move and then Linda bridged up to me and it was just the two of us.
And did the two of you work well together from the start?
EW: Oh yeah, we just rolled really well together, both of us working perfectly. We were giving it our best, neither one of us had anything to lose. She was moving into Yellow, I was moving up, looking for a stage win so yeah, it was a good move for both teams.
When did you know that you guys would stay away?
EW: Um, pretty much not until about one lap to go (laughs,) yeah, we were driving it pretty hard the whole way. And also we wanted to gain as much time as possible before tomorrow so we kept on moving. We've both been racing a long time so we knew we had to work it hard and work together so we did that.
What did you think of today's course.
EW: It's a good course, really good course. With the rolling hills and the winding roads with trees you get out of sight, out of mind so it's really good for a breakaway
Was there a deal at the end or did you both sprint for the stage?
EW: Ahhh, I sprinted, but Linda pretty much gave me the stage. She was moving into yellow, it was a good stage win for us, that was nice.
You move into top 3 or 4 on GC - do you know?
EW: I'm not sure, you might know better than me, possibly top 3.
Where does this rank among your career accomplishments?
EW: It's huge to win a stage at a big race like this so yeah, this is great. And also leading into Nationals next week it gives a lot of confidence, so I'm super happy with it!
Congratulations.
EW: Thanks.
Willock finished 26 seconds ahead of the peloton and picked up 15 bonus seconds for the stage win, putting her 34 seconds behind new leader Villumsen. Ruth Corset of Team Tibco also sits 34 seconds adrift, so the question was who is ahead of whom on GC? If you're familiar with stage races you'll know that ties are broken by extending the time of the race's time trials to hundredths of a second. Corset's time extended to 83/100 of a second, Willock's to 89/100. So going into the final stage, the leg-breaker called the Stillwater Criterium, Willock trails the Aussie for the final podium spot by a mere 6/100 of a second.
As the Victoria, BC native told us earlier, "tomorrow's obviously decisive." She didn't know just how right she would be - stay tuned!
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Photo: Amy Smolens
Erinne Willock (Can) Webcor Builders wins the stage and most aggressive jersey.
Photo: Amy Smolens
Photo: Amy Smolens
Zach Bell (Can) Kelly Benefit Strategies post race...
Photo: Amy Smolens
Photo: Amy Smolens
Joanie Caron (Can) Nanoblur-Gears
Photo: Amy Smolens
Photo: Amy Smolens
(l-r) Bell, Zwiz, Veilleux...
Photo: Amy Smolens
Photo: Amy Smolens
KBS pre-race...
Photo: Amy Smolens
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