Laura Van Gilder wins the final stage and Janel Holcomb wears the overall lead in 2011 Tour De Toona
Now and Novartis for MS team’s Laura Van Gilder won the third and the final stage of 2011 Tour de Toona in Criterium. Janel Holcomb took overall leader’s jersey.
The 46-year-old Laura took a total of 1 hour, 9 minutes and 46 seconds to cover the distance of 56 kilometres. Leah Kirchmann of Colavita/Forno d'Asolo was the runner-up, while Kaytee Boyd of BikeNZ finished in the third spot.
After finishing the stage, Laura said, "Now-Novartis for MS team was definitely looking for a stage win today. Once we lapped her, with four laps to go we found ourselves on the front and were able to take control. Now-Novartis was a very strong team and
I was fortunate and that lead to success."
Rushlee Buchanan (Colavita/Forno d'Asolo) was in good form and tried her best to catch the thirteen cyclists, but she failed to maintain her pace and grabbed fourteenth place with a difference of 5 seconds, ahead of Tara Whitten and Kathleen Billington.
A group of three riders made their first breakaway including, Rushlee Buchanan (Colavita/Forno d'Asolo), Anne Samplonius (NOW and Novartis for MS) and Carmen Small (Team TIBCO).
The three cyclists worked together to build an advantage of few seconds over the peloton. Anne Samplonius was caught and Rushlee took the first sprint. With a few kilometres to go, Denise Ramsden (Team Juvederm-Specialized) increased her pace and managed
to take the second sprint.
Kathleen Billington took the third and Jennifer Wheeler took the fourth sprint of the stage. However, Lauren Hall and Debbie Milne attacked, but Rushlee Buchanan took the fifth sprint with 3 points.
In the final few kilometres, Now-Novartis-MS team took the control at the front of the flied for Van Gilder. Schneider took a lead with Kirchmann, but Van Glider followed closely and managed to cross the finish line first, ahead of the other riders.
Previously, Laura took the first place in BikeJam/ Kelly Cup and grabbed the second place in Air Force Cycling Classic Clarendon Cup in 2010.
Janel Holcomb took the overall lead with a timing of 10 hours, 8 minutes and 19 seconds. Tara Whitten was in the second spot with 1 minute and 6 seconds, while Kathryn Donovan finished third with 1 minute and 13 seconds behind Janel.
Holcomb said, “My priorities were to the team, to keep an eye on Tara Whitten, and to stay safe. I never thought that I would win the overall of any stage race in the closing criterium, but anything can happen."
Veronique Fortin (PK Express/HNZ Strategic.com) took the points classification with 17 points ahead of Laura and Kaytee Boyd. Anne Samplonius (NOW and Novartis for MS) took the overall King of Mountain title with 21 points ahead of Veronique Fortin and Lauren
Hall.
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