Just another example of great teamwork...even when the teammates aren't at the same race! Raising each other's levels; that's what it's all about. Way to go, Dotsie, Brooke...and Tina!
Bausch channels Pic's sprint (Cyclingnews.com report)
By Kirsten Robbins
Dotsie Bausch (Colavita-Cooking Light) won the third stage of the Tour of the Gila today, beating Rachel Heal (Victory Brewing) and Anne Samplonius (Team Biovail) in a field sprint. Afterwards, Bausch told Cyclingnews that today’s Fort Bayard Inner Loop Road Race had been, “a really tough stage! There is a lot of climbing from the beginning. It has always been tough for me. There are some good climbs and Victory Brewing attacking in the beginning and Willock drilling them at the end, it made it really hard for me.”
The women climbed out of Silver City toward Pinos Altos during the first 30-miles of the race. Biovail rider Anne Samplonius took the first time bonus points which moved her into second place in the general classification, just in front of Webcor’s Erinne Willock. “It seems like Rachel Heal and Dotsie Bausch are racing for third and Erinne Willock and I are racing for second,” said Samplonius.
The climb up to Pinos Altos began directly after the intermediate sprint line where Victory Brewing riders began their attacks to try to separate the field. “We had a team plan to get a group away over the first climb and the decent so that it was a smaller group to work through the flats trying to avoid yesterdays rolling along at a ‘club ride’ pace,” said Victory Brewing team leader Rachel Heal.
A small group that managed to escape off the front on the steepest portion of the climb, including Erinne Willock, Dotsie Bausch, Anne Samplonius, Rachel Heal, Kristin Armstrong and Kirsten Robbins. The break was driven by Willock over the top and down the descent. A small group of riders reattached during the descent and though the break looked good the field regrouped during the rolling 30-miles section of road before the final climb.
Victory Brewing rider Rachel Heal grabbed the second intermediate sprint points moving her into fourth place of the general classification.
Team Lipton Photo ©: Jon Devich
Team Lipton controlled the pace of the field coming into the 10-mile climb. There was a very strong head wind and most teams were satisfied with Lipton taking the initiative. Colavita Cooking Lite rider Brooke Ourada made an attempt to break away but the wind was too strong and she was brought back before the decent to the fast 4-mile descent finish.
Dotsie Bausch said the finish was, “very windy and sketchy. I got kind of lucky in the finish. I have a long sprint but I’m not so speedy -- I am channeling Tina Pic. Pic is such an inspiration for me so I watch how she does things. She is so crafty and I have to be more like that.
“There was fighting for position and I went a little earlier on the left and it worked out well today. I just muscled it up there and tried to stay where I wasn’t going to get boxed in. Sprints are always half lucky and half sprinting, I was in the right place at the right time.”
Tomorrow the race changes pace with a speedy criterium in downtown Silver City criterium. “I don’t think the criterium will do much to change the G.C. Some of the sprints might have a minor effect and shuffle things a bit with the time bonuses but the overall is going to be decided on the final day,” said Heal.
