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03.27.06 - 2006 CCA/UCI Mountain Bike Calendar
Monday March, 27, Ottawa, ON - Sunday was the last day of competition and the cycling road race was the final event of the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne, Australia. Canada's Gina Grain (Victoria, BC) just missed out on a medal, finishing 4th, while Gord Fraser (Ottawa, ON) finished 5th. Canada placed 3rd on the overall medals table and won a total of 5 medals in cycling.
The road cycling competition took riders through one of two challenging and picturesque courses on the streets of Melbourne and surrounding suburbs. Natalie Bates of Australia won the 9-lap, 100K women's road race in a time of 2:56:08 in convincing style with a tactical ride that saw her break away from the pack with two laps to go. Teammate Oenone Wood snatched the silver from Nicole Cook, who took bronze for Wales. Canada's Gina Grain took 4th place, while her teammates Erinne Willock (Victoria, BC) placed 11th, Amy Moore (Georgetown, ON) 15th, Sue Palmer-Komar (Hamilton, ON) 19th, Mandy Poitras (Langley, BC) 22nd, and Audrey Lemieux (Alma, QC) 27th.
The women did a great job riding as a team and positioned Grain for a sprint to the finish in the last 500 metres. Grain was up against some of the best cyclists in the world and fought hard, finishing 3:05 behind the winner. "It was a textbook road race and at the end I had great position to make a run for it," said Grain. "The lead group attacked at the perfect time and pushed really hard up the last couple hills. In the sprint at the end I gave it everything, but the other girls just had more in the legs today. I really feel good about how I did this early in the season and hopefully I can grow from here."
Lemieux, invited to replace the injured Lyne Bessette, liked her experience in the Melbourne race: " I gave it all I could today. There were uphill sections at each lap where the girls would eventually attack in a very aggressive way, and I needed a little something extra at that very moment. It is still early in the season and I need to improve myself on this specific aspect of the races."
In the men's 166K race, Australian cyclist Mathew Hayman took gold, finishing the gruelling 15-lap race in a time of 4:05:09. South African rider David George and Allan Davis of Australia took silver and bronze respectively. It was a similar story to the women's race with a small pack of riders setting a hard pace and Dominique Perras right in the thick of things at the head of the field. That group was eventually caught by a break of three riders, all of whom ultimately ended up on the podium. Gord Fraser's teammates worked hard to get him in striking position, where he finished fifth. While Geoff Kabush and François Parisien did not finish the race, Martin Gilbert finished 9th, Dominique Perras 15th and Svein Tuft 20th.
Gord Fraser: "The guys did a great job racing as a team today. Dominique rode hard to catch the first pack and took all the pressure off us. Everyone else was amazing getting me in a position I could attack from. I wish I could have paid then back with more than a fifth place finish, but we tried our best out here today and that's what matters."
The Commonwealth Games now turn to Delhi, India in 2010. Canadian riders are confident in the lead up to Beijing in 2008, where everything is possible.
In all, Canada's results at the Commonwealth Games are very encouraging for the beginning of the cycling season:
- a silver in the men's keirin and bronze the men's sprint by Travis Smith, AB
- two new Canadian records in track, with all track riders having personal bests on the season, which bodes well as they head to the World Championships in two weeks in France
- three medals in mountain biking: a gold by Marie-Hélène Prémont, QC, and two bronze by Kiara Bisaro (BC) and Seamus McGrath (BC).
Most of the mountain bike athletes have already left for Curacao for the next UCI World Cup event, the road athletes head to California for a race in a couple of weeks and the track athletes will take part in the World Championships in Bordeaux, France in early April.
RESULTS - MARCH 26 ROAD RACE
WOMEN
1. Natalie Bates (Australia) 2:56:08
2. Oenone Wood (Australia) at 3:05
3. Nicole Cooke (Wales) at 3:05
4. Gina Katherine Grain (Victoria, BC) at 3:05
11. Erinne Willock (Victoria, BC) at 3:24
19. Sue Palmer-Komar (Hamilton, ON) at 4:01
27. Audrey Lemieux (Alma, QC) at 8:55
MEN
1. Mathew Hayman (Australia) 4:05:09
2. David George (Republic of South Africa) at 0:04
3. Allan Davis (Australia) at 0:12
5. Gord Fraser (Ottawa, ON)
9. Martin Gilbert (Châteauguay, QC)
15. Dominique Perras (Napierville, QC)
20. Svein Tuft (Langley, BC)
Geoff Kabush (Courtenay, BC) DNF
Francois Parisien (Repentigny, QC) DNF
Media inquiries should now be sent exclusively to the Canadian Cyling Association's communications manager at florence.bourg@canadian-cycling.com.
Feature stories with photos and riders interviews are posted on the site: www.commonwealthgames.ca
CONTACTS
Florence Bourg
Communications Manager
Canadian Cycling Association
Tel. 1-418-824-9207
Fax. 1-418-824-3499
Cell. 1-418-558-4559
florence.bourg@canadian-cycling.com
Lisette Johnson-Stapley
Home Team Co-ordinator
Commonwealth Games
(613) 836-9961 (Tues., Thurs. to Sun.),
(613) 748-5674 ext 224 (Mon., Wed.)
Cell (613) 867-1287
lisette@synchro.ca
www.commonwealthgames.ca
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