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HEAL AND COOKE IN CONTENTION

READ THE GREAT BRITAIN REPORT FROM DAY 1: CLICK HERE
READ THE NICOLE COOKE REPORT FROM DAY 1: CLICK HERE and DAY 2: CLICK HERE

Stage 2 March 27: Cantalejo, 92.6 km

Stage two of the Vuelta Ciclista Castilla y Leon Feminas, a 92km run out and back from Cantalejo saw the riders contending with some foul weather. Seven degrees centigrade, plus pouring rain and strong winds sapped the enthusiasm of all but the toughest racers and for the first sixty kilometres or so the field stayed together, perhaps for warmth.

However, the stage featured two climbs in the last thirty kilometres and inevitably the action began at the foot of the first, a 3rd category drag. A big group of sixteen went away on the climb, including Rachel Heal and Commonwealth Games champion Nicole Cooke. Leading the king of the mountains coming into the stage, Nicole improved her lead in the mountains standings further by going over the top first. She also picked up points at the second hotspot sprint of the day at the foot of the final climb. Once again the field began to fragment as this climb, a tough second category ascent, began to bite and Commonwealth Games bronze medalist Heal was forced to drop back to the second group.

While Zoulfia Zabirova managed to break the elastic and win the stage alone by a healthy 47 seconds, Nicole Cooke managed to stay in the leading group, finishing fourth on the stage and moving up the overall classification. Back with the second group, Rachel Heal demonstrated her growing confidence at this level and her competitive nature by winning the sprint for the line. Though a moral rather than sporting victory, it was one which her manager Dave Mellor applauded � "we�re learning to win as much as anything and it was good to see Rachel taking the opportunity to practise doing just that" he commented.

Dave also paid tribute to Emma Davies, who produced what he called the "team�s ride of the day". She was in the third group on the final climb, lost touch, but then fought back and regained it, to finish alongside Penny Edwards. As Edwards is a climbing specialist and Davies, fourth in the World Pursuit championship last year on the track, towers over her, it says much for the Pursuit specialist�s efforts.

Dave spoke to us whilst rushing to Bilbao airport with Sara Waller�s passport. Waller had been forced to retire with a persistent cold and managed to forget her passport in the rush to catch a flight back to the considerably warmer and sunnier Britain. There was good news today of the elderly lady knocked down and injured by riders during yesterday�s stage. Although the accident appeared serious at the time, the organisers have reported that she is out of hospital and back home.

Finally, a quick pointer to the Great Britain team�s priorities this season. With the Olympics always at the back of everyone�s mind in the lottery funded national squad, it will come as no surprise to learn that Athens qualification is a priority. Apparently qualification is based on UCI points gained between May 1st 2003 and April 30th 2004. A country�s ranking is determined by the aggregate points scored by its top six riders. Countries are then ranked based on these aggregate scores, with the top sixteen nations getting three riders for the road race in Athens. May the first, is, as Dave Mellor says, "when the season really starts."

Stage 2 Cantalejo - Cantalejo, 92.6 km

 1. Zoulfia Zabirova      Prato Marathon Bike          2.35.12 (35.799 km/h)
 2. Zinaida Stahurskaya   USC Chirio Forno D'Asolo        0.47
 3. Susanne Ljungskog     Team Catalunya-Aliverti-K
 4. Nicole Cooke          Asra Gruodis-Safi

12. Rachel Heal           Great Britain                  1.45
27. Penny Edwards         Great Britain                  2.23
45. Emma Davies           Great Britain                  5.01
53. Frances Newstead      Great Britain 
75. Charlotte Goldsmith   Great Britain                  6.46
 
Mountains -- Villaseca - Cat. 3, km 57.2
1. Nicole Cooke          Ausra Gruodis-Safi         3 pts
 
Mountains -- Alto del Villar - Cat. 2, km 74.7
1. Zoulfia Zabirova (Rus) Prato Marathon Bike       6 pts
2. Nicole Cooke (GBr) Ausra Gruodis-Safi            4

General classification after stage 2
 1 Zinaida Stahurskaya  Chirio Forno D'Asolo     5.07.48

 6 Nicole Cooke     Ausra Gruodis-Safi           st
14 Rachel Heal           Great Britain           58
27 Penny Edwards         Great Britain           2.29
43 Emma Davies           Great Britain           5.07
44 Frances Newstead      Great Britain           
64 Charlotte Goldsmith   Great Britain           9.11


Mountains classification
1 Nicole Cooke          Ausra Gruodis-Safi     13 pts
 

Teams classification
1. Prato Marathon Bike                15.22.37

7. Ausra Gruodis-Safi                 7.45
8. Great Britain National Team        9.21

� British Cycling 2002/2003