2005 Geelong Tour winner Oenone Wood

Racing underway in Geelong

Stage 1 - Results, report & photos
Stage 2 - Results, report & photos 
Stage 3 - Results, report & photos
Stage 4 - Results & photos

Star studded field for Geelong World Cup and Tour

15 February 2006: A star studded line up of international cycling talent, including the world's top three ranked cyclists, will line up in Geelong to contest the opening round of the 2006  UCI Women's Road Cycling World Cup Series and the preceding Geelong Tour.

The World Cup round will be raced from 10am on Sunday February 26th with 139 riders representing 17 nations contesting 119.2km (8 laps of the 14.9km circuit) in a bid to become the first cyclist of 2006 to wear the World Cup Leader's Jersey. The field is the largest ever assembled for the opening round of the World Cup.

The week prior to the World Cup the women will race in the three day, four stage Geelong Tour.

Headlining the start list is world ranked number one cyclist, Oenone Wood, from Canberra who has claimed the Series Crown for the past two years and is fine tuning her preparation for the Melbourne Commonwealth Games. Wood, who won the Geelong round in 2004, rides with the world's top ranked team Nurnberger. The team will also include new recruit, Australia's Kate Bates, who was recently crowned Australian Road Race Champion.

2004 World Champion, Judith Arndt of Germany returns to Geelong as the world ranked number three but this time with her new T-Mobile Team. Joining her in the team is four time American Champion Kimberly Bruckner-Baldwin and ten time German champion, Ina Teutenberg. The Univega Pro Team boasts 2002 Comonweatlh Games road race gold medallist, Nicole Cooke. The Welsh rider also claimed the silver medal at the World Championships in Madrid in 2005. New Zealand's reigning points race champion on the track, Joanne Kiesanowski is also on the Univega roster.

Back in a bid to defend her 2005 Geelong victory is NSW cyclist Rochelle Gilmore who's team will also boast Commonwealth Games mountain biker, Emma Colson.  Two time World Champion (2002-2003) and currently world ranked number two, Susanne Ljungskog of Sweden will be looking for early season form and points after her 2005 efforts saw her finish second overall in the Series behind Wood.

Japan's Miho Oki, who placed third in the 2004 Geelong World Cup will join Australian Olivia Gollan in the Italian registered Nobili Rubinetterie team. Athens Olympic Champion, Sara Carrigan will line up in QAS colours this year while Barcelona Olympic Champion, Kathy Watt will have support from fellow Commonwealth Games team member, mountain biker, Claire Baxter in the Eunectes team.

2004 Olympic points race champion and bronze medallist in the road race Olga Slyusareva heads the Russian team which makes its Geelong debut in 2006. Another Olympic gold medallist, Sarah UImer, will also line up in Geelong. The Athens individual pursuit champion and world record holder will race with New Zealand as she finalises her preparation for the Commonwealth Games where she is targetting the road time trial.

The riders will kick off their Australian campaign in the Geelong Tour which begins on February 21st  with an 8km time trial at Portarlington before a 30 lap criterium later in the day. Stage 3 takes the race to Barwon Heads for five laps of a scenic 15 kilometre circuit along the Barwon Coast. The final day of the race is a testing 113km course out and back from the town of Lara and includes a tough climb up Mt Wallace at the halfway mark of the stage.

Geelong women's Tour race details

The Geelong Tour features the world's top female cyclists in action in this three day international event. The Geelong Tour acts as an important lead up to the opening round of the UCI Women's Road World Cup being staged in Geelong on Sunday February 26th.

The Geelong Tour will kick off on Tuesday February 21 with an individual time trial in the Bay side town of Portarlington. The field will then saddle up for the second stage criterium also in Portarlington.

The race will hit the road at Barwon Heads on Wednesday and on Thursday the Tour will wrap up with the final testing stage out and back from Lara.

Stages 

• Stage 1 - Tuesday February 21: Time Trial Portarlington
• Stage 2 - Tuesday February 21: Criterium Portarlington
• Stage 3 - Wednesday February 22: Road Circuit Barwon Heads
• Stage 4 - Thursday February 23: Road Stage Lara