Katheryn Mattis sorprende tutte al Geelong World Cup
24.2.2008
Mentre il calendario europeo e buona parte del plotone femminile debutteranno l'8 marzo, dall'altra parte del continente, in Australia, si comincia a fare sul serio.
Archiviato il breve giro a tappe del Geelong Tour vinto dell'Austriaca Christiane Söder, domenica mattina, ore 10:30 locali, si è disputata la gara più attesa, ovvero la prima prova di coppa del mondo della stagione 2008.
La corsa
Verso la fine del primo giro un gruppetto di dodici atlete evade dal gruppo principale guadagnando fino ad un minuto scarso di vantaggio. La squadrone americano High Road, ex T-Mobile, non lascia però fare e si riporta sulle fuggitive: la quiete ha però vita breve. L'australiana Emma Rickards (Cervelo Lifeforce) sferra subito un attacco, e a lei si unisce immediatamente l'americana Katheryn Curi Mattis (Webcor Builders). Le due collaborano ottimamente ed il vantaggio, anche grazie al disinteresse del gruppo principale, si fa sempre più consistente sfiorando addirittura i sette minuti. Il Team High Road, aiutato in parte dall'Equipe Nürnberger, cerca a questo punto di ricucire la corsa ma senza successo. La vittoria finale è nelle mani delle due battistrada: la Mattis è la prima a prendere l'iniziativa durante la salita finale della corsa, ma la Rickards non si fa sorprendere.
Tutto si decide così allo sprint dove ha la meglio Katheryn Mattis, già campionessa americana su strada nel 2005, ma oggi alla vittoria più importante della sua carriera. Più che soddisfatta anche la seconda classificata, l'Australiana Emma Rickards, nonostante il piccolo sconforto per non essersi aggiudicata per un niente una corsa così importante, per di più davanti al pubblico amico.
Lo sprint del gruppo principale per il terzo posto, come era prevedibile, va alla tedesca Ina Teutenberg, certamente non soddisfatta per l'esito della corsa visto che era la favorita della vigilia.
La Menikini Selle Italia, unica formazione italiana ad aver affrontato la trasferta nella terra dei canguri, ha piazzato al quarto posto l'australiana Rochelle "Speedy" Gilmore.
La prossima prova di coppa del mondo si terrà il 24 marzo in Italia a Cittiglio (Trofeo Alfredo Binda).
Classifica
- Katheryn Mattis (USA) Webcor Builders Cycling Team 3.04.46
- Emma Rickards (Aus) Cervelo Lifeforce Pro Cycling Team
- Ina Teutenberg (Ger) Team High Road 1.08
- Rochelle Gilmore (Aus) Menikini Selle Italia
- Regina Schleicher (Ger) Equipe Nürnberger Versicherung
- Suzanne De Goede (Ned) Equipe Nürnberger Versicherung
- Tiffany Cromwell (Aus) Australian National Team
- Charlotte Becker (Ger) Equipe Nürnberger Versicherung
- Gina Grain (Can) Webcor Builders Cycling Team
- Sarah Düster (Ger) Cervelo-Lifeforce Pro Cycling Team
Comunicato stampa in inglese
MATTIS CLAIMS GEELONG WORLD CUP
American Katheryn Mattis (Webcor Builders) outsprinted Australia's Emma Rickards (Cervelo Lifeforce) to claim victory in Geelong in the opening round of the 2008 UCI Women's Road Cycling World Cup series.
"It's unbelievable, it was a spectacular day," said Mattis who now leads the World Cup series. "The spectators were awesome and the course was really hard and my team raced great."
Eighty five riders started the 120 kilometre event raced over eight laps of a picturesque 14.9km circuit out and back from Waterfront Geelong and the pace was high from the gun with 12 riders breaking away early.
But Team High Road powered the chase on the front of the peloton and the 12 leaders were reeled in on the fourth lap.
Cervelo Lifeforce riders then launched a series of attacks with Rickards finally breaking clear followed close behind by Mattis. The pair steadily increased their lead with the margin blowing out to almost seven minutes by the sixth lap. A late charge by team High Road narrowed the margin but it was too little too late. With one kilometre to go, and still holding a lead of over two minutes, Mattis and Rickards engaged in a series of stalling tactics with neither wanting to take the lead. Two hundred metres from home Mattis launched the sprint and Rickards couldn't match it giving the 33 year old American the biggest win of her career.
"I could have never guessed it would be the two of us out there together, but it's just great," said Mattis. "With about a kilometre to go, it became a cat and mouse game and I am not known as a sprinter but I sort of unleashed my inner sprinter I guess."
For Rickards, it was a case of so close and yet so far.
"I have some mixed emotions because when you go so close, of course you want to be in that jersey, but to finish second in a World Cup is just amazing," said the 24 year old Victorian. "I felt confident that I could finish off with a good sprint, but it wasn't quite to be.
"But for a World Cup and one in my own country I am ecstatic that I am on the podium, it's the best result for me ever," Rickards added.
German star Ina Tuetenberg (Team High Road) once again showed her class by sprinting home in third at the head of the main peloton one minute and eight seconds behind the leaders.
However she lamented a missed opportunity and was disappointed by the lack of assistance given to her and her High Road team mates during the chase.
"We did everything we could, the girls were falling off the bike at the end of the race, so you couldn't ask for more, but maybe we miscalculated and should have gone a little bit earlier," said Teutenberg.
The next World Cup round will be raced in Italy on 24 March.
Condividi
