Published June 10, 2010 06:21PM
Team TIBCO/To the Top will be one of the participants in the first edition of La Grande Visite de Gatineau, two days of UCI-sanctioned races in Gatineau, Quebec, just across the Ottawa river from the hometown of Team TIBCO founder and managing director Linda Jackson.
“I’m extremely excited to have a new UCI race in my old backyard,” Jackson said. “With the recent departure of the Montreal World Cup, it’s good to see another UCI race take its place. We want to do what we can to support the race and help it grow. And we also want to bring a roster that will have an impact on the race.”
The two-day event features a 17.7 km individual time trial this Saturday and a 99km road race on Sunday.
Ruth Corset will be one of the team’s leaders for the race. The Australian national road champion comes off a strong performance at the Liberty Classic in Philadelphia last week, where she won the QoM competition and finished 7th.
Joanne Kiesanowski also had a strong weekend in Philly, coming in ninth. She specializes in time trials and hard hilly races.
Alison Starnes may be the team’s top hopeful for the time trial on Saturday.
Megan Guarnier carried the form she attained during the first part of the team’s European campaign back to races near her Los Gatos, California, home, recently winning the challenging Mt. Hamilton Road Race.
Rebecca Much rounds out the squad. She’s recovered from a nagging illness she acquired during Tour de l’Aude, and put in a strong ride in support of Kiesanowski and Corset at the Liberty Classic on Sunday. She’s another rider who can put in a good time trial, and has the ability to be a protagonist for the road race on Sunday.
Team TIBCO/To the Top for the Gatineau, June 12-13, 2010:
Ruth Corset, AUS
Megan Guarnier, USA
Joanne Kiesanowski, NZL
Rebecca Much, USA
Alison Starnes, USA