Thursday 9 March 2000

Only 30 km away from first international stage-race victory

DAVE STUBBS

Lachine cyclist Genevieve Jeanson had pedaled to the brink of a magnificent career breakthrough, and early this morning she was sitting high in her saddle, only 30 kilometres from her first international stage-race victory.

Jeanson led Australia's Tracey Gaudry by one minute, 45 seconds with one stage to go in the third annual Tour de Snowy, a six-day, nine-stage road-race through the Snowy Mountain region of southern Australia.

Barring a catastrophe in the final stage, a 30-km criterium that was scheduled to be completed at 3 a.m EST today, Jeanson would achieve the first of two top-8 high-calibre performances she requires for Olympic pre-qualification. With a second top-8 standard, which could come as early as next Sunday in the Canberra Classic, the season's first World Cup race, she will be within a podium finish at July's Canadian road-race championships of earning a ticket to the Sydney Games.

Today's mostly flat, 97-km eighth stage took the 72 riders from Thredbo to Cooma via Jindabyne, a run won by Australian Sara Carrigan. Jeanson was placed 32nd, 39 seconds behind yet in firm control of the over-all race.

It's been a dizzying rise to cycling's elite level for the 18-year-old, who began serious riding less than 3 1/2 years ago. Once nicknamed "Tiger" by her coach, Andre Aubut, for her training ferocity, she matured dramatically in the past year and last October won two junior world championships in Italy, in time-trial and road-race events.

"I got into cycling because I love the feeling of accomplishment," Jeanson said at the time. "I haven't stopped learning, and now, if I work hard, there's a possibility I could do well at the Olympics."

The classroom moved to Australia this week, and her performance in the 478-km Tour de Snowy has proven she's one very bright pupil. Jeanson was 21st in the opening criterium last Saturday and moved to within 43 seconds of the lead the next day before charging to the front on a two-stage day of brutal mountain-climbing.

She has not been seriously challenged since, thanks to consistent riding and strategic use of her five teammates.

Yesterday's sixth stage, a 35.9-km run from Jindabyne to Thredbo, and the seventh, a 35.2-km circuit in Thredbo, further illustrated her poise. Jeanson was placed second in a misty, sixth-stage sprint.

Later, she finished 26th on eight loops of a 4.4-km circuit in the alpine village of Thredbo, ridden over shabby roads so potholed that she must have figured she was back in Montreal.

Gaudry, last year's Tour champion who ranked third over-all in 1999 World Cup standings, did all she could to close the gap, short of poking a stick in Jeanson's spokes, to no avail.

Equally unsuccessful was Australia's Anna Wilson, last year's World Cup road-race leader and double world-championship silver medalist. Despite winning twice yesterday, Wilson remains 6:38 back in the classification

This page of Genevieve Jeanson's www site (a part of VELOPTIMUM), was updated on March 9, 2000 by