Stage 4 - Thursday February 23: Road Stage Lara

Oenone Wood makes it three Geelong Tour wins in a row

Ina Teutenberg (T-Mobile)

World ranked number one, Australia's Oenone Wood, (Team Nurnberger) has won the Geelong Tour for the third straight year finishing the four stage three day race five seconds clear of second placed Melissa Holt of New Zealand with Russian Svetlana Bubnenkova third.

Wood went into today's final stage, a 114km ride out and back from Lara, with a ten second margin over Holt and her defence of the lead was made slightly easier by the withdrawal of Austrian Christiane Soeder who had been ranked second at nine seconds but did not line up for the final stage.

"I don't think it was as clear cut as that," said a relieved Wood after being presented with the Tour leader's purple jersey for the final time. "T-mobile were attacking all day today and New Zealand had a strong team, I don't know how many New Zealanders were in this race but they seemed to be everywhere.

"Our team really had to work hard to chase everything today and towards the finish we still had to hang on just to make sure Melissa Holt didn't get too many points on me in the finish," said Wood who is hoping to take her exceptional form into this Sunday's World Cup race in Geelong. "The team's working exceptionally well, it's going to be an awesome team this year, a few different riders (including Australian road champion Kate Bates) so I'm looking forward to it all."

Warm, sunny conditions greeted the riders who raced through flat open countryside before hitting Mt Wallace, a short but very steep climb midway through the 114km stage.  Wood missed an early break but her Nurnberger team mates, including Bates,  worked hard to get her back up the front. Once there she made sure she stayed there and was first up the climb and stayed with the lead group until the final sprint.

The day was a hectic one for officials and medicos in particular with numerous crashes in the 122 rider field. Several riders suffered grazes and bruising and Canadian Commonwealth Games hope Lyn Bessette suffered a suspected broken collar bone after she and T-Mobile team mate 2004 World Champion Judith Arndt crashed in the latter half of the stage but no other serious injuries have been reported.

Race leader Oenone Wood (Nurnberger)

After the climb the race travelled through the bushfire ravaged landscape near the township of Anakie before the second intermediate sprint of the day outside the Anakie primary school where Holt surged clear to pick up a time bonus to cement her second place overall. Holt also knew that if she could win the stage and the 10 second bonus she might be able to wrest the race victory from Wood but the Australian was too vigilant to let that happen and made sure she was right on Holt's wheel as they headed to the line.

"Today was really great we managed to create a break and get Nürnberger to work," said Holt. "We were aggressive at the end and we tried to rally around for a sprint and the girls did well to get me at the front."

As it turned out ten time German champion, Ina Teutenberg, nullified the challenge by launching her sprint 150 metres from the line and powering home for the win.

"I just didn't have enough strength to get around Ina (Teutenberg)," said Holt who was second with Wood third.

"It was hard today but I'm happy that I got it done now," said Teutenberg who had placed second on stage two and third on stage three of the Tour but admitted today's final stage was the most testing. "It was steep, I mean I only heard stories before, everybody says I need a twenty seven (gear teeth).

"I made it up without walking so that was at least one thing," she said. "There was a couple of girls in front of us who jumped off so it was really close, I think like a tenth of a kilometre more and I would have had to walk."

Australians also filled three more of the top ten placings overall in a world class field. NSWIS rider and Commonwealth Games team member, Natalie Bates, finished fourth, 27 second behing Wood with her sister Kate 34 seconds off her team mate Wood's winning time in seventh place overall.

Kate Nichols, who was injured in last July's road accident in Germany, has regained her form and confidence and secured an impressive ninth place overall at 44 seconds.

"I've been really pleased with the Tour I think it's my best ever," said Nichols. "I was stoked with how I went in the prologue and I was up there in the crit and in a the road stages I picked up a few sprint points just to try and move up a few places overall and finish in that top ten."

Wood also won the Sprint Classification. The Best Young Rider Classification went to the youngest rider in the event, 17 year old Tiffany Cromwell. who finished 37th overall 1min47sec behind Wood.

The riders will now have two days to recover and prepare for Sunday's opening round of the 2006 UCI Women's Road World Cup Series.  Wood has won the last two series' crowns. 

Click here for a gallery of photos from this stage. 

Results

1 Ina Teutenberg (Ger) T-Mobile                                        2.59.44
2 Mellisa Holt (NZl) Bike New Zealand                                         
3 Oenone Wood (Aus) Equipe Nürnberger Versicherung                            
4 Hayley Brown (Aus) Chase Sydney - Smart - Mercedes Benz                     
5 Joanne Kiesanowski (NZl) Univega Pro Cycling Team                           
6 Miho Oki (Jpn) Nobili Rubinetterie Menikini Cogeas                          
7 Tina Mayolo-Pic (USA) USA Cycling Team                                      
8 Martina Corazza (Ita) A S Team FRW                                          
9 Jenny Macpherson (Aus) Australian National Team                             
10 Annette Beutler (Swi) ELK Haus NÖ                                          
11 Monia Baccaille (Ita) Italian National Team                                
12 Susanne Ljungskog (Swe) Team Cheerwine/Bicisport                           
13 Emma Rickards (Aus) Univega Pro Cycling Team                               
14 Lang Meng (Chn) Giant PRO Cycling Team                                     
15 Gina Grain (Can) Giant PRO Cycling Team                                    
16 Tamara Boyd (NZl) Bike New Zealand                                         
17 Sally Cowman (Aus) New South Wales Institute of Sport                      
18 Kate Nichols (Aus) New South Wales Institute of Sport                      
19 Yan Xia Jiang (Chn) Giant PRO Cycling Team                                 
20 Charlotte Goldsmith (GBr) SAFI - Pasta Zara Manhattan                      
21 Olga Slyusareva (Rus) Russian National Team                                
22 Helen Kelly (Aus) Team Cheerwine/Bicisport                                 
23 Nikke Egyed (Aus) Queensland Academy of Sport                              
24 Susie Wood (NZl) Bike New Zealand                                          
25 Akemi Morimoto (Jpn) Japanese National Team                                
26 Olivia Gollan (Aus) Nobili Rubinetterie Menikini Cogeas                    
27 Magali Le Floch (Fra) T-Mobile                                             
28 Leonie Aisbett (Aus) Chase Sydney - Smart - Mercedes Benz                  
29 Patricia Schwager (Swi) ELK Haus NÖ                                        
30 Tiffany Cromwell (Aus) SAFI - Pasta Zara Manhattan                         
31 Kori Seehafer (USA) USA Cycling Team                                       
32 Toni Bradshaw (NZl) Bike New Zealand                                       
33 Rachel O'Connor (Aus) Key Building - South Coast Academy of Sport          
34 Michelle Hyland (NZl) Bike New Zealand                                     
35 Youko Okuda (Jpn) Japanese National Team                                   
36 Sarah Duester (Ger) Univega Pro Cycling Team                               
37 Brei Gudsell (NZl) Team New Zealand                                        
38 Candice Sullivan (Aus) Australian National Team                            
39 Masami Mashimo (Jpn) Japanese National Team                                
40 Alicia Evans (Aus) Landlink Cycling                                        
41 Katherine Bates (Aus) Equipe Nürnberger Versicherung                       
42 Kate Mercer (Aus) Queensland Academy of Sport                              
43 Vicki Eustace (Aus) Key Building - South Coast Academy of Sport            
44 Amy Hunt (GBr) SAFI - Pasta Zara Manhattan                                 
45 Edwige Pitel (Fra) Japan Businessman Cycling Federation                    
46 Sigrid Corneo (Ita) Nobili Rubinetterie Menikini Cogeas                    
47 Marta Vilajosana (Spa) Nobili Rubinetterie Menikini Cogeas                 
48 Kimberly Bruckner Baldwin (USA) T-Mobile                                   
49 Svetlana Bubnenkova (Rus) Russian National Team                            
50 Catherine Sell (NZl) Team New Zealand                                      
51 Elodie Tuoffet (Fra) Nobili Rubinetterie Menikini Cogeas                   
52 Trixi Worrack (Ger) Equipe Nürnberger Versicherung                         
53 Dale Tye (NZl) Team New Zealand                                            
54 Lauren Franges (USA) USA Cycling Team                                      
55 Judith Arndt (Ger) T-Mobile                                                
56 Amy Moore (Can) T-Mobile                                                   
57 Rosara Joseph (NZl) Team New Zealand                                       
58 Natalie Bates (Aus) New South Wales Institute of Sport                     
59 Eva Lutz (Ger) Equipe Nürnberger Versicherung                              
60 Rie Katayama (Jpn) Japan Businessman Cycling Federation                    
61 Barbel Jungmeier (Aut) ELK Haus NÖ                                         
62 Vera Carrara (Ita) Italian National Team                                   
63 Meredith Miller (USA) USA Cycling Team                                     
64 Sarah Ulmer (NZl) Bike New Zealand                                         
65 Xiong Ying Ruan (Chn) Giant PRO Cycling Team                               
66 Larissa Kleinmann (Ger) German National Team                               
67 Claire Baxter (Aus) ACR-2XU                                                
68 Emma James (Aus) Chase Sydney - Smart - Mercedes Benz                      
69 Kristen Armstrong (USA) USA Cycling Team                                   
70 Kara Northcott (NZl) Team New Zealand                                      
71 Jemma O'Brien (Aus) Key Building - South Coast Academy of Sport            
72 Toireasa Gallagher (Aus) New South Wales Institute of Sport                
73 Natalia Boyarskaya (Rus) Russian National Team                             
74 Anouska Edwards (Aus) Queensland Academy of Sport                          
75 Yun Mei Wu (Chn) Giant PRO Cycling Team                                    
76 Ryoko Yamaguchi (Jpn) Japan Businessman Cycling Federation                 
77 Sima Trapp (USA) USA Cycling Team                                          
78 Elke Gebhardt (Ger) German National Team                               6.34
79 Kate Charge (Aus) New South Wales Institute of Sport                       
80 Lisa Gatto (Ita) Italian National Team                                     
81 Kerry Cohen (Aus) Team Cheerwine/Bicisport                                 
82 Trudy Van Der Straaten (Aus) Team Cheerwine/Bicisport                      
83 Kelly Benjamin (USA) Team Cheerwine/Bicisport                              
84 Kirsty Bortolin (Aus) ACR-2XU                                              
85 Giorgia Bronzini (Ita) A S Team FRW                                        
86 Marina Duvnjak (NZl) Team New Zealand                                      
87 Tatiana Antoschina (Rus) Russian National Team                        10.37
88 Hannah Banks (Aus) Australian National Team                           11.19
89 Amanda Spratt (Aus) Australian National Team                               
90 Isabella Wieser (Aut) ELK Haus NÖ                                          
91 Claudia Stumpf (Ger) German National Team                                  
92 Silvia Valseccai (Ita) Nobili Rubinetterie Menikini Cogeas                 
93 Louise Kerr (Aus) Queensland Academy of Sport                         13.25
94 Katrina Hair (GBr) Landlink Cycling                                   15.18
95 Masumi Sakai (Jpn) Japan Businessman Cycling Federation                    
96 Laura Pisaneschi (Ita) A S Team FRW                                        
97 Jessie Maclean (Aus) Chase Sydney - Smart - Mercedes Benz                  
98 Alexis Rhodes (Aus) Australian National Team                               
99 Maryam Rogers (Aus) ACR-2XU                                                
100 Marlen Johrend (Ger) German National Team                                 
101 Kate Cullen (GBr) Landlink Cycling                                        
102 Gessica Turato (Ita) Italian National Team                                
103 Ombretta Ugolini (Ita) A S Team FRW                                       
104 Kettj Manfrin (Ita) A S Team FRW                                          
105 Annalisa Cucinotta (Ita) Italian National Team                            
106 Eleonora Soldo (Ita) Italian National Team                                
OTL Belinda Diprose (Aus) Key Building - South Coast Academy of Sport    27.51
DNF Takao Nagayama (Jpn) Japan Businessman Cycling Federation                 
DNF Emi Wachi (Jpn) Japan Businessman Cycling Federation                      
DNF Carla Ryan (Aus) Queensland Academy of Sport                              
DNF Bridie O'Donnell (Aus) ACR-2XU                                            
DNF Jeny Trew (Can) Team Cheerwine/Bicisport                                  
DNF Anna Sutton (Aus) Landlink Cycling                                        
DNF Anke Wichmann (Ger) Equipe Nürnberger Versicherung                        
DNF Lyne Bessette (Can) T-Mobile                                              
DNF Kerryn Charman (Aus) SAFI - Pasta Zara Manhattan                          
DNF Min Gad (Chn) Giant PRO Cycling Team                                      
DNF Emma Mackie (Aus) Australian National Team                                
DNF Irina Zemlyanskaya (Rus) Russian National Team                            
DNF Ayako Toyooka (Jpn) Japanese National Team                                
DNF Nicole Magner (Aus) Queensland Academy of Sport                           
DNF Nicole Whittburn (Aus) ACR-2XU                                            
DNF Laura Bortolozzi (Aus) Key Building - South Coast Academy of Sport        
DNF Erin Chamberlen (Aus) Chase Sydney - Smart - Mercedes Benz                
DNS Priska Doppmann (Swi) Univega Pro Cycling Team                            
DNS Christiane Soeder (Aut) Univega Pro Cycling Team                          
DNS Rochelle Gilmore (Aus) SAFI - Pasta Zara Manhattan                        
DNS Kanako Nishi (Jpn) Japanese National Team                                 

Sprints                                                                       

1                                                                             

1 Sarah Duester (Ger) Univega Pro Cycling Team                               6 pts
2 Svetlana Bubnenkova (Rus) Russian National Team                            4
3 Olga Slyusareva (Rus) Russian National Team                                2

2                                                                             

1 Mellisa Holt (NZl) Bike New Zealand                                        6 pts
2 Kate Nichols (Aus) New South Wales Institute of Sport                      4
3 Rachel O'Connor (Aus) Key Building - South Coast Academy of Sport          2

Final general classification                                 

1 Oenone Wood (Aus) Equipe Nürnberger Versicherung                     6.11.03
2 Mellisa Holt (NZl) Bike New Zealand                                     0.05
3 Svetlana Bubnenkova (Rus) Russian National Team                         0.16
4 Natalie Bates (Aus) New South Wales Institute of Sport                  0.27
5 Ina Teutenberg (Ger) T-Mobile                                               
6 Sarah Ulmer (NZl) Bike New Zealand                                      0.29
7 Katherine Bates (Aus) Equipe Nürnberger Versicherung                    0.34
8 Kristen Armstrong (USA) USA Cycling Team                                0.38
9 Kate Nichols (Aus) New South Wales Institute of Sport                   0.44
10 Judith Arndt (Ger) T-Mobile                                            0.47
11 Annette Beutler (Swi) ELK Haus NÖ                                      0.50
12 Olivia Gollan (Aus) Nobili Rubinetterie Menikini Cogeas                0.53
13 Tamara Boyd (NZl) Bike New Zealand                                     0.54
14 Susanne Ljungskog (Swe) Team Cheerwine/Bicisport                           
15 Trixi Worrack (Ger) Equipe Nürnberger Versicherung                         
16 Jenny Macpherson (Aus) Australian National Team                        0.55
17 Tina Mayolo-Pic (USA) USA Cycling Team                                 0.56
18 Edwige Pitel (Fra) Japan Businessman Cycling Federation                0.58
19 Kori Seehafer (USA) USA Cycling Team                                       
20 Kimberly Bruckner Baldwin (USA) T-Mobile                                   
21 Joanne Kiesanowski (NZl) Univega Pro Cycling Team                          
22 Susie Wood (NZl) Bike New Zealand                                      1.00
23 Sarah Duester (Ger) Univega Pro Cycling Team                           1.01
24 Rosara Joseph (NZl) Team New Zealand                                   1.05
25 Sally Cowman (Aus) New South Wales Institute of Sport                      
26 Michelle Hyland (NZl) Bike New Zealand                                 1.08
27 Toni Bradshaw (NZl) Bike New Zealand                                       
28 Hayley Brown (Aus) Chase Sydney - Smart - Mercedes Benz                1.09
29 Emma Rickards (Aus) Univega Pro Cycling Team                           1.11
30 Emma James (Aus) Chase Sydney - Smart - Mercedes Benz                      
31 Miho Oki (Jpn) Nobili Rubinetterie Menikini Cogeas                     1.14
32 Vicki Eustace (Aus) Key Building - South Coast Academy of Sport            
33 Gina Grain (Can) Giant PRO Cycling Team                                1.15
34 Monia Baccaille (Ita) Italian National Team                            1.23
35 Akemi Morimoto (Jpn) Japanese National Team                            1.31
36 Helen Kelly (Aus) Team Cheerwine/Bicisport                             1.33
37 Tiffany Cromwell (Aus) SAFI - Pasta Zara Manhattan                     1.47
38 Magali Le Floch (Fra) T-Mobile                                         1.48
39 Amy Moore (Can) T-Mobile                                               2.30
40 Dale Tye (NZl) Team New Zealand                                        2.53
41 Vera Carrara (Ita) Italian National Team                               2.54
42 Catherine Sell (NZl) Team New Zealand                                  2.56
43 Olga Slyusareva (Rus) Russian National Team                            3.01
44 Elodie Tuoffet (Fra) Nobili Rubinetterie Menikini Cogeas               3.03
45 Nikke Egyed (Aus) Queensland Academy of Sport                          3.13
46 Lang Meng (Chn) Giant PRO Cycling Team                                 3.20
47 Eva Lutz (Ger) Equipe Nürnberger Versicherung                          3.28
48 Ryoko Yamaguchi (Jpn) Japan Businessman Cycling Federation             3.50
49 Natalia Boyarskaya (Rus) Russian National Team                             
50 Leonie Aisbett (Aus) Chase Sydney - Smart - Mercedes Benz              3.51
51 Sigrid Corneo (Ita) Nobili Rubinetterie Menikini Cogeas                3.57
52 Larissa Kleinmann (Ger) German National Team                           4.16
53 Amy Hunt (GBr) SAFI - Pasta Zara Manhattan                             4.28
54 Martina Corazza (Ita) A S Team FRW                                     4.37
55 Masami Mashimo (Jpn) Japanese National Team                            4.47
56 Claire Baxter (Aus) ACR-2XU                                            5.07
57 Brei Gudsell (NZl) Team New Zealand                                    5.12
58 Anouska Edwards (Aus) Queensland Academy of Sport                      5.15
59 Barbel Jungmeier (Aut) ELK Haus NÖ                                         
60 Meredith Miller (USA) USA Cycling Team                                 5.22
61 Sima Trapp (USA) USA Cycling Team                                      5.23
62 Toireasa Gallagher (Aus) New South Wales Institute of Sport                
63 Kate Mercer (Aus) Queensland Academy of Sport                          5.27
64 Candice Sullivan (Aus) Australian National Team                        5.28
65 Yun Mei Wu (Chn) Giant PRO Cycling Team                                5.32
66 Marta Vilajosana (Spa) Nobili Rubinetterie Menikini Cogeas             5.35
67 Kara Northcott (NZl) Team New Zealand                                  5.37
68 Yan Xia Jiang (Chn) Giant PRO Cycling Team                             5.44
69 Charlotte Goldsmith (GBr) SAFI - Pasta Zara Manhattan                  5.48
70 Rachel O'Connor (Aus) Key Building - South Coast Academy of Sport      5.52
71 Patricia Schwager (Swi) ELK Haus NÖ                                    5.53
72 Youko Okuda (Jpn) Japanese National Team                               5.54
73 Rie Katayama (Jpn) Japan Businessman Cycling Federation                5.55
74 Alicia Evans (Aus) Landlink Cycling                                    6.00
75 Jemma O'Brien (Aus) Key Building - South Coast Academy of Sport        6.10
76 Xiong Ying Ruan (Chn) Giant PRO Cycling Team                           6.22
77 Lauren Franges (USA) USA Cycling Team                                  7.16
78 Giorgia Bronzini (Ita) A S Team FRW                                    8.36
79 Marina Duvnjak (NZl) Team New Zealand                                 11.12
80 Kelly Benjamin (USA) Team Cheerwine/Bicisport                         11.14
81 Kate Charge (Aus) New South Wales Institute of Sport                  11.58
82 Elke Gebhardt (Ger) German National Team                              12.07
83 Trudy Van Der Straaten (Aus) Team Cheerwine/Bicisport                 12.09
84 Kerry Cohen (Aus) Team Cheerwine/Bicisport                            12.15
85 Lisa Gatto (Ita) Italian National Team                                12.27
86 Kirsty Bortolin (Aus) ACR-2XU                                         13.18
87 Amanda Spratt (Aus) Australian National Team                          14.26
88 Hannah Banks (Aus) Australian National Team                           14.48
89 Tatiana Antoschina (Rus) Russian National Team                        15.55
90 Silvia Valseccai (Ita) Nobili Rubinetterie Menikini Cogeas            17.08
91 Claudia Stumpf (Ger) German National Team                             17.12
92 Isabella Wieser (Aut) ELK Haus NÖ                                     17.48
93 Alexis Rhodes (Aus) Australian National Team                          18.15
94 Kate Cullen (GBr) Landlink Cycling                                    18.49
95 Louise Kerr (Aus) Queensland Academy of Sport                         18.54
96 Maryam Rogers (Aus) ACR-2XU                                           20.05
97 Kettj Manfrin (Ita) A S Team FRW                                      20.37
98 Jessie Maclean (Aus) Chase Sydney - Smart - Mercedes Benz             20.41
99 Gessica Turato (Ita) Italian National Team                            20.52
100 Marlen Johrend (Ger) German National Team                            21.12
101 Eleonora Soldo (Ita) Italian National Team                           21.23
102 Annalisa Cucinotta (Ita) Italian National Team                       21.52
103 Masumi Sakai (Jpn) Japan Businessman Cycling Federation              22.01
104 Ombretta Ugolini (Ita) A S Team FRW                                  22.13
105 Laura Pisaneschi (Ita) A S Team FRW                                  23.02
106 Katrina Hair (GBr) Landlink Cycling                                  30.45

Sprint classification                                                         

1 Oenone Wood (Aus) Equipe Nürnberger Versicherung                          34 pts
2 Ina Teutenberg (Ger) T-Mobile                                             24
3 Mellisa Holt (NZl) Bike New Zealand                                       24
4 Kate Nichols (Aus) New South Wales Institute of Sport                     10
5 Svetlana Bubnenkova (Rus) Russian National Team                           10
6 Tina Mayolo-Pic (USA) USA Cycling Team                                     8
7 Rachel O'Connor (Aus) Key Building - South Coast Academy of Sport          8
8 Sarah Duester (Ger) Univega Pro Cycling Team                               6
9 Emma Rickards (Aus) Univega Pro Cycling Team                               6
10 Gina Grain (Can) Giant PRO Cycling Team                                   4
11 Sarah Ulmer (NZl) Bike New Zealand                                        4
12 Joanne Kiesanowski (NZl) Univega Pro Cycling Team                         4
13 Olga Slyusareva (Rus) Russian National Team                               4

Best young rider                                                              

1 Tiffany Cromwell (Aus) SAFI - Pasta Zara Manhattan                   6.12.50
2 Amy Hunt (GBr) SAFI - Pasta Zara Manhattan                              2.41
3 Amanda Spratt (Aus) Australian National Team                           12.39
4 Hannah Banks (Aus) Australian National Team                            13.01
5 Louise Kerr (Aus) Queensland Academy of Sport                          17.07
6 Marlen Johrend (Ger) German National Team                              19.25
7 Annalisa Cucinotta (Ita) Italian National Team                         20.05