Demet-Barry takes over at Tour of Montreal

By VeloNews Interactive

It was a day when seconds mattered in Montreal on Monday and Dede Demet-Barrymade those seconds count as she moved into the overall lead of the Tourof Greater Montreal. Fresh off of her win at this past weekend’s WorldCup event in Montreal, the Talgo America.com rider played her cards wellto pocket bonus seconds and take over the yellow jersey after the secondof three stages, a criterium held in Montreal’s Little Italy. Laura VanGilder (Trek Plus VW), who climbed to the seventh spot the overall standings,took the top spot in the final sprint.Entering the third and last stage tomorrow, Demet will have a five secondlead over Montreal’s Geneviève Jeanson (RONA) in the overall standings.The day started fast as Jeanson held just a 0.7 second advantage overDemet-Barry in GC at the start of the second stage. The pace was fast Tuesday,as the peloton covered the day’s first lap at more than 40 kph.  Thefield stayed together for a few laps and then the big players moved tothe front and upped the pace, among them Demet, Équipe QuébecClara Hughes and Lyne Bessette, Katrina Berger (Team T-Mobile) and, ofcourse, Jeanson.Jeanson and her RONA teammates kept tabs on several breakaway attemptsin an effort to protect her slim lead, but at the 10-km mark, when Bergerwon the first intermediary sprint, Demet finished third and pocketed asingle bonus second, enough to make her the virtual leader on the road.Demet earned another second at the time-sprint at 30km.Two-thirds into the race Bessette attempted to escape.  She stayedin front for four laps, but the gap never exceeded four seconds beforethe RONAs brought the field back.  Then it was the turn of Sara Symington(British National) and Hughes to attack.  The field allowed them athree-second lead for four laps, then RONA reeled them in.The last two laps were a battle for position won by Van Gilder, whileMillward and Demet took second and third, adding to the bonus time haul.
 1. Laura Van Gilder (USA), Trek Plus VW,  50 km in 1h 10’03’’ (avg.42.8 km/h) (bonus. 15’”)
2. Anna Millward (AUS), Saturn, s.t. (bonus. 0:06)
3. Deirdre Demet-Barry (USA), TalgoAmerica.com, s.t. (bonus. 0:05)
4. Clara Hughes (CAN, Équipe Québec, s.t.
5. Geneviève Jeanson (CAN), RONA, s.t.
6. Katrina Berger (USA), Team T-Mobile,  s.t.
7. Priska Doppman (Swi), Composite, s.t.
8. Erin Carter (CAN), Composite s.t.
9. Virginie Moinard (F), French National,  s.t.
10. Jorunn Kvalö (NOR), Team Sponsor, s.t.
 Overall after two stages1. Deirdre Demet-Barry (USA)  TalgoAmerica.com 1:13:55
2. Geneviève Jeanson (CAN) RONA, at 5
3. Clara Hughes (CAN) Équipe Québec, at 6
4. Anna Millward (AUS) Saturn, at 9
5. Lyne Bessette (CAN) Équipe Québec, at 10
6. Erin Carter (CAN) Composite, at 11
7. Laura Van Gilder (USA) Trek Plus VW, at 11
8. Melissa Holt (NZ) RONA, at 17
9. Nicole Freedman (USA) RONA, at 17
10. Amber Neben (USA) Team T-Mobile, at 18