May 25/12 18:32 pm - Exergy Tour: Stage 1 report and results

Posted by Editoress on 05/25/12
 

After a cold, rainy start, and 124 kilometres of rolling Idaho countryside, American Theresa Cliff-Ryan of Exergy Twenty12 outsprinted the field and captured the first road race win of the inaugural Exergy Tour.  Current German road race champion Ina Yoko Teutenberg of Specialized-lululemon and Australian Rochelle Gilmore of Faren Honda Team finished second and third, respectively.

Teutenberg, who was fourth in the Prologue, will take over as the General Classification leader and wear the Exergy Race Leader jersey on Saturday. Tara Whitten (Team TIBCO-To The Top) is now second on G.C. and Gillian Carleton (Canadian National Team) moves to third overall, both just six seconds behind Teutenberg.

"Well, I found it really hard today," Teutenberg said about Stage 1 at the Exergy Tour. She represented Germany in the 2000 Olympic Games and turned pro the next year. "It’s great to be an idol for little kids and give them a reason to ride bikes or another sport, to show them you can do it, even if you are a girl. I have a niece and nephew and they look up to everybody who races. It’s what future stars do, I mean they see that and start riding their bikes."

The start of Stage 1 in Nampa, Idaho's second largest city, greeted the peloton and crowds with temperatures in the 40's (Fahrenheit) and a steady rain. The route took 102 riders past Lake Lowell and Idaho wine country before two circuits along the Snake River to contest the first Colavita Queen of the Mountain points on Pump Road. Elizabeth Newell (NOW and Novartis for MS) launched a solo attack on the first climb up Pump Road, with its challenging 10-12 percent gradient, and stretched her lead to 25 seconds. She was caught a half-hour later by the field, but was rewarded later as the Exergy Most Aggressive Rider.

As the sky turned from gray to blue, six riders crashed near the final turn in Nampa. World Champion Giorgia Bronzini (Diadora-Pasta Zara) was caught up in the incident, which kept her from contesting in the sprint finish.  Later reports say that Bronzini broke her wrist.  Another favorite in the race who did not play a role in today's finish was Exergy Twenty12's Kristin Armstrong, who withdrew because of a clavicle fracture suffered in the Prologue. She underwent successful surgery in Boise earlier in the day and came to Nampa to see the finish of the stage.

"We wanted to get her (Armstrong) into the yellow jersey by the end of the week. (Today) I definitely wanted to run off and give her a hug," said Stage One winner Cliff-Ryan about learning her teammate was at the finish line after her win.

The first Colavita Queen of the Mountains jersey will be worn by American Evelyn Stevens of Team Specialized-lululemon.  Her teammate, Teutenberg, was also awarded the PowerBar Sprint jersey. Because Teutenberg will wear the Exergy Race Leader jersey, Cliff-Ryan, who finished second in sprint points today, will wear the PowerBar Sprint jersey in Stage Two.  Gillian Carleton continues in the St. Luke's Sports Medicine Best Young Rider jersey for a second day.

On Saturday the 2012 Exergy Tour continues with Stage 2 presented by Union Pacific, with the Individual Time Trial in downtown Kuna, Idaho.  The riders will embark on a 10.4-mile (16.7 kilometre) race against the clock that was designed to mimic the time trial course for the 2012 London Olympic Games.

Results from today's second stage of the Exergy Tour in Nampa, Idaho