Jazz Apples Dotsie Bausch took the final stage of the Tour de Whiterock in an emphatic solo victory today while Duvnjak won the kick to secure the top two spots in stage and the overall. Half way through, Bausch confided in Pryde that she felt that she was floating on her pedals and was at the ready for a launch for a team mate. While Basuch swept all the QOM points, Pryde then launched Bausch with two laps remaining who went to a sole victory. Olympian and Webcor rider, Erinne Willock initiated a furious chase and onslaught of attacks but Duvnjak checked her every move. In the final advance for the line, Duvnjak stormed up the finish hill ahead of the six remaining chasers to steal second prize. Her second place determined Marina as the clear winner of the overall Tour, and a stand out perfomer in the BC Superweek Series.
On stage, Duvnjak took a moment to humbly complement the competition and praise the swelling crowds for their incredible support throughout the racing in true professional style.
New Zealand’s Jazz Apple dominate Tour de White Rock Road Race (taken from www.canadiancyclist.com)
The women’s race, which consisted of eight laps around the larger – but no less grueling – 10.1 kilometer circuit.
After staying together most of the race, Jazz Apple’s Dotsie Bausch, a two-time US National champion who won the Hillclimb Friday, broke away in the third-to-last lap, and quickly opened up a 30-second gap.
Bausch finished in two hours, 33 minutes and 13.30 seconds, almost two minutes ahead of teammate Marina Duvnjka, who won a sprint for second just ahead of Amy Herlinveaux of the local Trek Red Truck Racing team.
Knowing Duvnjak was behind her – not to mention several others from a dominant Jazz Apple squad – made it easier for Bausch to attack early, especially with Duvnjak marking Canadian Olympian Erinne Willock.
“I have 100 per cent trust in those girls and Marina’s whole job was to sit right on Erinne, which is a compliment to Erinne because no doubt that she was the one we needed to watch her to win the bike race,” said Bausch, who marked Willock as Duvnjak won Saturday’s criterium.
“If I was by myself at this race I wouldn’t feel confident in going 100 per cent at that point because if you get caught you have no more bullets.”
As a team, the New Zealand based Jazz Apple had plenty left in the gun.
Duvnjak, who was also second to Bausch in the Hillclimb Friday, won the Tour de White Rock Omnium, or overall, title. Bausch was second.
“We just felt really good today and wanted to try and get first and second in the overall so we just went for it, and we were just feeding off each other so well,” said Bausch, who at 36 showed she can be more than just a mentor to the young development squad. “I was confident in them, so if I blew up I knew Marina was right on Erinne and then she would go.”
For Willock, who didn’t have any teammates from her Webcor Builders Pro team on hand, it was frustrating being a target. But the Olympian also knows it’s good for cycling in BC and Canada to have Jazz Apple here.
“They’re marking me and it’s a compliment, that’s bike racing,” Willock said. “It’s awesome to have a big team here. They race pro and other riders learn the race tactics and learn the race etiquette and they say ‘OK, I have to go home and do a lot of training because that was hard.”
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