TOUR OF THE GILA JEANSON GRABS FIRST PLACE

Silver City, New Mexico, May 2, 2001 – After the first stage, a 25,3 km time trial, Geneviève Jeanson has taken the lead of the Tour of the Gila. The young cyclist from Lachine flew over the course in 38:48 in difficult weather conditions as the wind reached 40 kilometres per hour.

 

1^st stage: 25,3 km Time Trial

Standings for stage and race

Rank	Name (team)	Time
1	Geneviève Jeanson (RONA)	25,3 km in 38:48 (avg. 38,98 km/h )
2	Kim Bruckner (Saturn – Timex)	1:12
3	Lyne Bessette (Saturn – Timex)	1:30
4	Anna Millward (Saturn – Timex)	1:59
5	Sarah Ulmer (Autotrader.com)	2:41

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

The RONA team’s main sponsor is a leading Canadian retailer of hardware, home renovation and gardening supplies. The RONA 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.

---

JEANSON INCREASES HER LEAD AT THE TOUR OF THE GILA

Silver City, New Mexico, May 3, 2001 – Geneviève Jeanson and her teammates held the powerful Saturn Timex team in check as Jeanson pedaled her way to victory in the second stage of the Tour of the Gila, increasing her lead in the general standings. She finished a difficult mountain stage with a lead of 2'19" over Lyne Bessette (CAN, Saturn Timex) and 2'31" over Kim Bruckner (USA, Saturn Timex).

Counting her bonus time, Geneviève Jeanson now has a lead of 3'53" over Bruckner and 3'54"over Bessette in the general classification.

The 113-km stage was very rugged and ended with a tough Category 1 climb. "I knew that everyone was expecting Geneviève to launch her attack at the foot of the last hill, about 10 km before the finish line," explained André Aubut. "Because of that, we decided to take them all by surprise and attack earlier. We chose a point somewhere around 20 km before the end for the attack."

The day’s mission for RONA's Manon Jutras, Gabriela Ferrat and Amy Jarvis was to control the 95 rider-strong peloton until that strategic point, to allow Geneviève Jeanson to save her strength inside the pack and to prevent any breakaways by the other top contenders. And they fulfilled that mission perfectly for 90 km. "The race was a very aggressive and there were lots of attacks by the Saturn Timex and the Autotrader.com teams", recalled Manon Jutras. "The three of us were out in front, keeping up a pretty fast pace to prevent any dangerous breakaways."

At about 30 km into the race, a group of five women broke away from the pack, with Ina Teutenberg (GER, Saturn Timex), Pam Shuster (NZL, Autotrader.com), and Cathy Marsal (FRA, Intersports) among them. "Their teammates tried hard to slow down the pack to allow them to make their getaway, but we were able to keep the lead down to about 30 or 40 seconds," explained Jutras.

At the pre-determined spot, Geneviève Jeanson launched her attack. Three members of the Saturn Timex team were quickly on her heels: Lyne Bessette, American Kim Bruckner and Australian Anna Millward. This small group quickly caught up to and then overtook the previous leaders. As the single member of her team against three Saturn Timex cyclists, Geneviève Jeanson had to ride like the wind to outdistance them. First Bruckner and then Millward dropped back, leaving Bessette to resist Jeanson’s attack alone. So the two Quebecers reached the foot of the climb together, neck-and-neck, 4.5 km before the finish line. That’s when Jeanson pulled out all the stops and, in just 4.5 km, earned a lead of 2'17" on Bessette.

"I didn’t really feel in top shape," Geneviève Jeanson said after the race. "Luckily Manon, Gabriela and Amy were there, or else the day would probably have ended very differently. I wasn’t worried about the first breakaway. I knew they wouldn’t get far. But the whole stage was edgy from the beginning, and thanks to the girls, I was able to save my strength for that final climb."

How edgy was it? Well, the average speed for the stage was 36.45 km/h, almost 5 km/h faster than the same stage last year…

Tomorrow will be another difficult stage: the cyclists will face three Category 3 climbs over the 117.5-km course, for a total ascent of 1,585 m.

2^nd stage : 113 km from Silver City to Mogollon

Stage results

Rank	Name (team)	Time
1	Geneviève Jeanson (RONA)	113 km in 3h05'59"  (avg. 36,45 km/h); bonus 15"
2	Lyne Bessette (Saturn Timex)	2'19" (bonus 10")
3	Kimberly Bruckner (Saturn-Timex)	2'31" (bonus 5")
4	Andrea Ratkovic (800.com)	6'19"
5	Elizabeth Emery (Intersports)	6'25"
6	Rhonda Quick (Jane Cosmetics)	6'26"
7	Anna Millward (Saturn Timex)	6'32"
8	Jessica Phillips (Intersports)	6'51"
9	Julie Young (Autotrader.com)	6'52"
10	Katrina Berger (800.com)	7'10"
18	Gabriela Ferrat (RONA)	9'16"
35	Amy Jarvis (RONA)	13'45"
36	Manon Jutras (RONA)	15'18"

General Classification after two stages

Rank	Name (team)	Time
1	Geneviève Jeanson (CAN, RONA)	3 h 44' 30"
2	Kimberly Bruckner (USA, Saturn-Timex)	3'53"
3	Lyne Bessette (CAN, Saturn-Timex)	3'54"
4	Anna Millward (AUS, Saturn Timex)	8'46"
5	Elizabeth Emery (USA, Intersports)	9'21"
6	Jessica Phillips (USA, Intersports)	10'01"
7	Andrea Ratkovic (USA, 800.com)	10'37"
8	Katrina Berger (USA, 800.com)	10'43"
9	Julie Young (USA, Autotrader.com)	11'11"
10	Sarah Ulmer (NZL, Autotrader.com)	11'16"
15	Gabriela Ferrat (MEX, RONA)	14'00"
33	Amy Jarvis (CAN, RONA)	20'19"
35	Manon Jutras (CAN, RONA)	20'37"

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.

---

Despite fall JEANSON TIGHTENS HER GRIP ON THE TOUR OF THE GILA

Silver City, New Mexico, May 4, 2001 – Despite falling and hunger, Team RONA’s Geneviève Jeanson still finished today’s stage with a lead of more than three minutes over her closest rival, Lyne Bessette (CAN, Saturn Timex). This brings her lead over Bessette to more than seven minutes in total and tightens her grip on the white winner’s jersey with only two stages left to go.

Today’s stage was a on a 117.5-km loop around Siver City, with three Category 3 hills totaling nearly 1,585 m of ascent, and rapid, technical descents over a winding and twisting course. Strong winds and violent headwinds, gusting up to 60 km per hour, made the tough terrain even more of a challenge.

Today was something of holiday for Jeanson’s three teammates. After yesterday’s heroic efforts, they took it easy today inside the pack. Jeanson, on the other hand, was in better shape today than yesterday and felt prepared to tackle the race solo. She held back for the first 7 km, when the wind was hitting the cyclists square in the face, but as they reached the first climb, after a tight turn that put them sideways to the wind, Geneviève began to accelerate through a 7-km climb up to the summit of the day’s first challenge. The pack quickly fell behind, and only Bessette managed to maintain Jeanson’s pace. One kilometer before the first peak, Jeanson shook her fellow Quebecer and reached the top with a 22" lead.

Jeanson negotiated the first descent and made good time on the second climb, reaching the peak with a 1’50" lead over Bessette. During the long and winding descent from the second peak, Jeanson reached a speed of 75 kph. Coming into a tight turn a little too fast, Geneviève veered toward the side and found herself in the ditch, fortunately escaping with just a few bruises and scratches. She jumped right back in the saddle and took off again. Her lead grew to 2’30" and then, within a few kilometers of the finish line, to 3’30". Weakened by hunger, Jeanson slowed down, but still managed to maintain a lead that totaled 3’05" when Bessette crossed the finish line.

Katrina Berger (USA, Autotrader.com) and Kim Bruckner (USA, Saturn Timex) finished together 3’ 20’’ after Jeanson, and another group of ten women, including Anna Millward, arrived approximately ten minutes after the winner.

Eight races quit or did not finish in the required time today. Out of 94 starters, 72 girls are left to start tomorrow’s stage. Tomorrow’s stage — a criterium through the streets of Silver City — will give the flat racers a chance to test their mettle in a race otherwise cut out for climbers: twenty laps of a 1.738-km circuit, for a total of 34.75 km, with four 90º turns in each lap.

3rd stage : 117.5 km loop around Silver City

Stage classification

Rank	Name (team)	Time
1	Geneviève Jeanson (RONA)	117,5 km in 3h26'58"  (avg 34.06 km/h) ; bonus 30"
2	Lyne Bessette (Saturn Timex)	3’05" (bonus 25")
3	Katrina Berger (800.com)	3’20" (bonus 5")
4	Kimberly Bruckner (Saturn Timex)	3’20"
5	Elizabeth Emery (Intersports)	9’55"
6	Joanne Kiesanowski (Proctor & Gamble)	s.t.
7	Andrea Ratkovic (800.com))	10’05"
8	Jessica Phillips (Intersports)	s.t.
9	Anna Millward (Saturn Timex)	s.t.
10	Lysle Whihelmi (800.com)	s.t.
31	Amy Jarvis (RONA)	24’35"
35	Gabriela Ferrat (RONA)	s.t.
36	Manon Jutras (RONA)	s.t.

General classification after three stages

Rank	Name (team)	Time
1	Geneviève Jeanson (CAN, RONA)	7 h 10' 58"
2	Lyne Bessette (CAN, Saturn-Timex)	7’04"
3	Kimberly Bruckner (USA, Saturn-Timex)	7’43"
4	Katrina Berger (USA, 800.com)	14’28"
5	Anna Millward (AUS, Saturn Timex)	19’21"
6	Elizabeth Emery (USA, Intersports)	19’46"
7	Jessica Phillips (USA, Intersports)	20’36"
8	Andrea Ratkovic (USA, 800.com)	21’12"
9	Sarah Ulmer (NZL, Autotrader.com)	21’51"
19	Gabriela Ferrat (MEX, RONA)	39’05"
34	Amy Jarvis (CAN, RONA)	45’24"
36	Manon Jutras (CAN, RONA)	45’42"

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.

– 30 –

Information: Daniel Larouche/Cédric Orvoine

GPC International

(514) 282-1100

daniel.larouche@gpcinternational.com

cedric.orvoine@gpcinternational.com