Jeanson powers to first rainbow

By John Wilcockson VeloNews Editor

Geneviève Jeanson (photo by Casey B. Gibson/Tamarac)

This afternoon in Treviso, Italy, Canadian teenage sensation Geneviève Jeanson nabbed the first of what could be many world titles in her promising cycling career. Already, the 18-year-old from Lachine, Québec, is being spoken of as the new Jeannie Longo ; and the way she steamrolled the field of junior women in today's time trial evinced memories of the young Longo.

Jeanson rode the completely flat 11.1km course in 14:33, 11 seconds faster than runner-up Juliette Vanderkerkove of France, with defending champion Trixi Worrack of Germany in third 23 seconds slower than Jeanson.

Despite her youth, the petite, pale-faced blonde Jeanson tackled the time trial like a seasoned professional. She first came to Treviso in February to look at the time trial course, and the circuit for Friday's road race in Verona. And she returned to Treviso two weeks ago with her coach André Aubut to be fully prepared for today.

"Before the start, my coach told me to stay calm and be focused on winning," Jeanson said at the post-race press conference. "It was very short -- 14-and-a-half minutes is short. So I tried to go as hard as possible on the long stretches." There were three long straight sections in the circuit, which started and finished in the cobbled, medieval streets of Treviso before heading north through the local cherry orchards on a warm, sunny day.

The winning average speed of almost 46 kph was remarkable for a young woman whose forte is hill climbing -- Jeanson set the women's record for the Mount Washington Hill Climb in August, and then won Vermont's Killington Stage Race against some of the best female competitors in North America.

Canada's Jeanson crowned world junior cycling champion

canada.com 4 octobre 99

TREVISO, Italy (CP)
Genevieve Jeanson did her homework before the road world cycling championship and she aced her test by winning the world junior women's individual time trial on Monday.

The 18-year-old from Lachine, Que., visited the site of the worlds in February, checking out the curvy time trial course.

"It was an extremely technical course with 11 turns," said Jeanson who is an administration student in Montreal. "My coach (Andre Aubut) and I mapped out the best line to take to cut the corners and gain as much time as possible.

"I had studied the course and my strategy for the race so well that I hardly had to think about it during the race."

Jeanson is the first Canadian to win a world cycling title at the road worlds in any event. She finished third in last year's time trial.

She was the second-last rider of the competition and clocked a winning time of 14 minutes 33 seconds over the 11-kilometre course.

Jeanson is known for her climbing abilities, but she posted an average speed of 46 kilometres an hour.

Juliette Vanderkerkove of France was 11 seconds back. Defending champion and the final rider of the day, Trixi Worrack of Germany, placed third, 23 seconds back.

Jeanson has been riding since age 11 but began to train seriously only three years ago.

She ventured into the pro circuit this season, even though she is not a professional rider yet.

She competed on the U.S. pro circuit, won a three-stage race in Vermont and set a women's record for the Mount Washington hill climb in New Hampshire in August.

Jeanson will compete in Friday's road race in Verona. She intends to challenge a deep Canadian women's field for one of three spots on Canada's Olympic team.

In the men's under-23 individual time trial, Jose Ivan Gutierrez of Spain took the gold medal with a strong finish to edge second-place Michael Rogers of Australia by 1.5 seconds.

Yevgeny Petrov of Russia was third. Charles Dionne of St-Redempteur, Que., was 45th.

Lyne Bessette of Knowlton, Que., and Clara Hughes of Winnipeg try to copy Jeanson's feat in the women's time trial Tuesday.

Newsday.com
4 octobre 1999

Canadian, Spanish Cyclists Win

(...)
Genevieve Jeanson of Canada upset defending champion Trixi Worrack to win the junior women's time trial, the opening event of the championships.

Jeanson's victory was the first ever for Canada in a championships road event. Jeanson, third in the world a year ago, was timed in 14:33.19 over the 6.88-mile course.

France's Juliette Vandekerkove took the silver medal in a race for cyclists 17 or 18 years old. Vandekerkove was timed in 14:44.66. Worrack, of Germany, finished third, 23.9 seconds behind the winner.

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