Ina Teutenberg claims opening honours in first round of World Cup Series

Ten time German champion, Ina Teutenberg, 31, (T-Mobile) has claimed opening honours for the 2006 UCI Women's Road Cycling World Cup Series with a sprint victory on the 119km (eight lap) course in Geelong, Australia.

Teutenberg proved too powerful over the final 200 metres holding off Japan's Miho Oki (Nobili Rubinetterie) and 2006 Australian road champion, Kate Bates (Team Nurnberger) who collected the minor placings.

"Winning the first world cup it doesn't go any better," said Teutenberg after the race. " The team can relax now a little bit until we go back to Europe."

World ranked number one Oenone Wood (AUS - Nurnberger), who won the World Cup Series in 2004 and 2005, launched a solo attack in the last lap threatening to ride away with another victory to go with her 2004 Geelong win. But T-Mobile's Judith Arndt (GER) on behalf of Teutenberg and the Univega team, who were trying to set up 2003 World Cup Champion, Nicole Cooke (GBR) for the final sprint, reeled in Wood with two kilometres to go to the finish.

"Oenone did an amazing attack on the last lap and I thought I did pretty good to get up the hill in like second, third position," said Teutenberg. "She was just amazing going up there, (but) I think it was just a little too windy on the downhill (for her to stay away).

"She's so strong but the field was just so much faster on the run in and it's hard by yourself," explained Teutenberg.  "Univega and Judith (Arndt) pretty much rode her in until we came to the ocean road and then she (Wood) helped Kate (Bates) get into the right position for the sprint but Kate went a little too early and I could jump on her and bring it home the last hundred metres."

"Ina came past me like I was standing still, so she's the best bike rider out there today and we can only be happy that we've put all our cards on the table," said Bates who had hoped for a win but had to be satisfied with her third place.  "It's bike riding, it's a long season and I think that Nürnberg and T-Mobile are going to be head to head the whole year.

"It really depends on T-Mobile's tactics but we'll be riding a little bit more for race wins rather than conservatively for the overall," said Bates. "We've got the World Champion (Regina Schleicher) in our team who's not even here this week.

The cyclists now head to New Zealand for the second round being raced in Wellington next Sunday.

Wood, who last week claimed overall honours in the Geelong Tour for the third straight year, said the team plan for the day had been for her to try and surprise the field with an attack on the final climb.

"You've gotta give it a go and I mean our team plan was to have me go on that last hill and have Kate waiting there for the sprint..... but today she got boxed in and she had to sprint from four hundred metres out so didn't have enough to come around Ina today," said Wood. "It could have worked, could have been the other way.

"I didn't actually realise how much of a gap I had until just at that top corner before you turn right, and then I realised I had a bit of a gap there, kept going but unfortunately I got chased back," said Wood who last year took out the Series crown without winning any of the individual events. "I want to have a really good go of this season and be more aggressive in racing and this is just the start of it.  One hundred per cent go for the win, that's how our team want to race this year, we want to win races.  Last year I sort of sat in waiting for sprints and I didn't win a World Cup (round) so this year I want to win a World Cup (round)."

In a generous tribute to the memory of cyclist Amy Gillett, who died when a car ploughed into the Australian team training for the Thuringen Tour in
Germany last July, cyclists Tina Mayolo-Pic  and Meredith Miller, on behalf of the USA National Team, presented the organisers with the team's Geelong
Tour prize money to donate to the Amy Gillett Foundation.  The prize money of $500 included the amount won by Mayolo-Pic for her victory in Stage 3 of
the Geelong Tour last Wednesday.

All the riders in the peloton of today's World Cup event wore the Amy Gillett Foundation bracelets which were also on sale at the start/finish area. 

Click here for a gallery of photos from the World Cup. 

Results

1 Ina Teutenberg (Ger) T-Mobile                                   3.08.51
2 Miho Oki (Jpn) Nobili Rubinetterie Menikini Cogeas                     
3 Katherine Bates (Aus) Equipe Nürnberger Versicherung                   
4 Tina Mayola-Pic (USA) USA Cycling Team                                 
5 Rochelle Gilmore (Aus) SAFI - Pasta Zara Manhattan                     
6 Gina Grain (Can) Giant PRO Cycling Team                                
7 Annette Beutler (Swi) ELK Haus NÖ                                      
8 Nicole Cooke (GBr) Univega Pro Cycling Team                            
9 Tamara Boyd (NZl) Bike New Zealand                                     
10 Joanne Kiesanowski (NZl) Univega Pro Cycling Team                     
11 Monia Baccaille (Ita) Italian National Team                           
12 Svetlana Bubnenkova (Rus) Russian National Team                       
13 Hayley Brown (Aus) Chase Sydney - Smart - Mercedes Benz               
14 Giorgia Bronzini (Ita) A S Team FRW                                   
15 Emma Rickards (Aus) Univega Pro Cycling Team                          
16 Sigrid Corneo (Ita) Nobili Rubinetterie Menikini Cogeas               
17 Susanne Ljungskog (Swe) Team Cheerwine/Bicisport                      
18 Larissa Kleinmann (Ger) German National Team                          
19 Kate Nichols (Aus) New South Wales Institute of Sport                 
20 Catherine Sell (NZl) Team New Zealand                                 
21 Charlotte Goldsmith (GBr) SAFI - Pasta Zara Manhattan                 
22 Leonie Aisbett (Aus) Chase Sydney - Smart - Mercedes Benz             
23 Elodie Tuoffet (Fra) Nobili Rubinetterie Menikini Cogeas              
24 Olga Slyusareva (Rus) Russian National Team                           
25 Sally Cowman (Aus) New South Wales Institute of Sport                 
26 Sarah Duester (Ger) Univega Pro Cycling Team                          
27 Kori Seehafer (USA) USA Cycling Team                                  
28 Edwige Pitel (Fra) Japan Businessman Cycling Federation               
29 Susie Wood (NZl) Bike New Zealand                                     
30 Kate Mercer (Aus) Queensland Academy of Sport                         
31 Olivia Gollan (Aus) Nobili Rubinetterie Menikini Cogeas               
32 Kristen Armstrong (USA) USA Cycling Team                       0.00.07
33 Lang Meng (Chn) Giant PRO Cycling Team                                
34 Nikke Egyed (Aus) Queensland Academy of Sport                         
35 Jemma O'Brien (Aus) Key Building - South Coast Academy of Sport       
36 Amy Hunt (GBr) SAFI - Pasta Zara Manhattan                            
37 Masami Mashimo (Jpn) Japanese National Team                           
38 Michelle Hyland (NZl) Bike New Zealand                                
39 Natalie Bates (Aus) New South Wales Institute of Sport                
40 Vicki Eustace (Aus) Key Building - South Coast Academy of Sport       
41 Oenone Wood (Aus) Equipe Nürnberger Versicherung                      
42 Trixi Worrack (Ger) Equipe Nürnberger Versicherung             0.00.11
43 Judith Arndt (Ger) T-Mobile                                           
44 Priska Doppmann (Swi) Univega Pro Cycling Team                        
45 Sara Carrigan (Aus) Queensland Academy of Sport                     
46 Toni Bradshaw (NZl) Bike New Zealand                                  
47 Eva Lutz (Ger) Equipe Nürnberger Versicherung                         
48 Sarah Ulmer (NZl) Bike New Zealand                             0.00.31
49 Mellisa Holt (NZl) Bike New Zealand                            0.00.44
50 Yan Xia Jiang (Chn) Giant PRO Cycling Team                     0.01.04
51 Natalia Boyarskaya (Rus) Russian National Team                        
52 Isabella Wieser (Aut) ELK Haus NÖ                                     
53 Youko Okuda (Jpn) Japanese National Team                              
54 Elke Gebhardt (Ger) German National Team                              
55 Marlen Johrend (Ger) German National Team                             
56 Brei Gudsell (NZl) Team New Zealand                                   
57 Maryam Rogers (Aus) ACR-2XU                                           
58 Helen Kelly (Aus) Team Cheerwine/Bicisport                            
59 Ryoko Yamaguchi (Jpn) Japan Businessman Cycling Federation            
60 Claire Baxter (Aus) ACR-2XU                                           
61 Hannah Banks (Aus) Australian National Team                           
62 Dale Tye (NZl) Team New Zealand                                       
63 Belinda Diprose (Aus) Key Building - South Coast Academy of Sport     
64 Kimberly Bruckner Baldwin (USA) T-Mobile                              
65 Alexis Rhodes (Aus) Australian National Team                          
66 Martina Corazza (Ita) A S Team FRW                                    
67 Lauren Franges (USA) USA Cycling Team                                 
68 Magali Le Floch (Fra) T-Mobile                                        
69 Amy Moore (Can) T-Mobile                                              
70 Amanda Spratt (Aus) Australian National Team                   0.02.04
71 Patricia Schwager (Swi) ELK Haus NÖ                                   
72 Eleonora Soldo (Ita) Italian National Team                     0.08.12
73 Rie Katayama (Jpn) Japan Businessman Cycling Federation               
74 Rachel O'Connor (Aus) Key Building - South Coast Academy of Sport     
75 Emma Mackie (Aus) Australian National Team                            
76 Jeny Trew (Can) Team Cheerwine/Bicisport                              
77 Tatiana Antoschina (Rus) Russian National Team                        
78 Trudy Van Der Straaten (Aus) Team Cheerwine/Bicisport                 
79 Akemi Morimoto (Jpn) Japanese National Team                           
80 Kettj Manfrin (Ita) A S Team FRW                                      
81 Anoushka Edwards (Aus) Queensland Academy of Sport                    
82 Gessica Turato (Ita) Italian National Team                            
83 Sima Trapp (USA) USA Cycling Team                                     
84 Kanako Nishi (Jpn) Japanese National Team                             
85 Lauren Koedyk (NZl) Chase Sydney - Smart - Mercedes Benz              
86 Masumi Sakai (Jpn) Japan Businessman Cycling Federation               
87 Min Gad (Chn) Giant PRO Cycling Team                                  
89 Laura Pisaneschi (Ita) A S Team FRW                                   
90 Xiong Ying Ruan (Chn) Giant PRO Cycling Team                          
91 Jessie Maclean (Aus) Chase Sydney - Smart - Mercedes Benz             
92 Toireasa Gallagher (Aus) New South Wales Institute of Sport    0.08.15
93 Ayako Toyooka (Jpn) Japanese National Team                            
94 Ombretta Ugolini (Ita) A S Team FRW                                   
95 Silvia Valseccai (Ita) Nobili Rubinetterie Menikini Cogeas            
96 Emi Wachi (Jpn) Japan Businessman Cycling Federation                  
96 Louise Kerr (Aus) Queensland Academy of Sport                         
97 Candice Sullivan (Aus) Australian National Team                       
98 Kate Charge (Aus) New South Wales Institute of Sport                  
99 Emma James (Aus) Chase Sydney - Smart - Mercedes Benz                 
100 Anna Sutton (Aus) Landlink Cycling                            0.08.19
101 Marina Duvnjak (NZl) Team New Zealand                         0.08.24
102 Claudia Stumpf (Ger) German National Team                     0.08.25
103 Rosara Joseph (NZl) Team New Zealand                                 
104 Takao Nagayama (Jpn) Japan Businessman Cycling Federation            
105 Carla Ryan (Aus) Landlink                         
DNF Anke Wichmann (Ger) Equipe Nürnberger Versicherung                   
DNF Christiane Soeder (Aut) Univega Pro Cycling Team                     
DNF Lyne Bessette (Can) T-Mobile                                         
DNF Marta Vilajosana (Spa) Nobili Rubinetterie Menikini Cogeas           
DNF Naomi William (Aus) SAFI - Pasta Zara Manhattan                      
DNF Kerryn Charman (Aus) SAFI - Pasta Zara Manhattan                     
DNF Barbel Jungmeier (Aut) ELK Haus NÖ                                   
DNF Alisha Lion (USA) ELK Haus NÖ                                        
DNF Yun Mei Wu (Chn) Giant PRO Cycling Team                              
DNF Jenny Macpherson (Aus) Australian National Team                      
DNF Vera Carrara (Ita) Italian National Team                             
DNF Annalisa Cucinotta (Ita) Italian National Team                       
DNF Lisa Gatto (Ita) Italian National Team                               
DNF Meredith Miller (USA) USA Cycling Team                               
DNF Irina Zemlyanskaya (Rus) Russian National Team                       
DNF Kara Northcott (NZl) Team New Zealand                                
DNF Nicole Magner (Aus) Queensland Academy of Sport                      
DNF Bridie O'Donnell (Aus) ACR-2XU                                       
DNF Kirsty Bortolin (Aus) ACR-2XU                                        
DNF Kelly Benjamin (USA) Team Cheerwine/Bicisport                        
DNF Kerry Cohen (Aus) Team Cheerwine/Bicisport                           
DNF Erin Chamberlen (Aus) Chase Sydney - Smart - Mercedes Benz           
DNF Alicia Evans (Aus) Landlink Cycling                                  
DNF Sophie Ruderman (GBr) ACR-2XU                                        
DNS Bianca Knopfle (Ger) German National Team                            
DNS Hiroko Shimada (Jpn) Japanese National Team                          
DNS Katrina Hair (GBr) Landlink Cycling                                  
DNS Kate Cullen (GBr) Landlink Cycling                                   
DNS Belinda Goss (Aus) Landlink Cycling
 
144 starters
105 finishers