Giro del Trentino, Women, June 18-20
We visited the women's Tour of Trentino the past two days, conducted interviews with a few of the athletes, and found out a few things, here's a couple...

The first stage was 75k, and went over one BIG berg.  Stage 2 was an undulating 111k, and the third and final stage is 72k.  Don't underestimate it.  The racing starts from the gun.

At the race start, I spotted the world champion, the current Olympic champion, at least 4 national champions and another two former world champions.  Talk about a quality field.

Emma Pooley (UK) silver medal in the Time Trial at Beijing, current race leader and winner of the first stage believes the Geelong 2010 World Championship course is one for the climbers.  The women are not starting in Melbourne (like the men) and along with hoping for selection (a sure thing, really) is looking forward to the Time Trial, as the hilly parcours suits her.  She has cousins in Perth, and trains there every southern summer.

Ina Tuetenberg (Germany) has been racing since she was six, and has clocked up a race career spanning 30 years.  (can any males match this?)  She picked up her 15th win for the season today, on a rain-blasted course, and cannot be beaten in a two up sprint by any woman on the planet (err, according to her brother...but he just may be 100% accurate).  She also questioned Australia's presence at the World Cup, while smirking, I parried that we had a good Giro and that Germans weren't supposed to have a sense of humour.  She countered that that's only the men.

Lisa Jacobs, racing on the national team for approx two months this summer, is a full time lawyer with Freehills in Melbourne.  It's her first time with the national team in Europe, and finished with the main bunch every day.

Megan Dunn, Australian national team rider, and winner of the Jayco Bay Classic two years ago (at the age of 16) is on her ‘gap' year from Uni, and is studying law, of course.  She crashed on the final 15k circuit today, but finished only a few minutes back.  A keen track riders, she is looking forward to representing Australia ‘on the boards' in Delhi, later this year.

Sharon Laws (UK, Olympian 2008) is riding for the Cervelo Test Team, alongside Emma Pooley, in the role of faithful domestique.  A magnificent climber, plagued by sickness and ill-timed injuries, she has failed so far to get in a good ride, on a day, when she's riding for herself.  Welcome to elite level cycling.  Sharon also trains in Australia every southern summer, and rides all my middle-aged-cycling-tragic mates off her wheel in the first half kay of every climb.  Seriously.

Nicole Cooke (UK-maybe Wales?) current Olympic champion, former elite world champion, and as a junior in 2001, won rainbow jerseys in Mountain bike cross-country, Road and Individual Time Trial.  One of the greatest cyclists of all time, and still in her 20's, ‘just' finished with the bunch today, and yesterday.  Legend.

Photos:
http://twitpic.com/1y8lpt Ina Teutenberg and Emma Pooley
http://twitpic.com/1y8ldu Megan Dunne, stage finish today
http://twitpic.com/1y8k5r MBW & Lisa Jacobs
http://twitpic.com/1y8jrx Ina Teutenberg, Sharon Laws and Nicole Cooke
http://twitpic.com/1y8kgd Sharon Laws and MBW
http://www.twitpic.com/1y8onf  Last night's dessert, tiramisu....