Tour de PEI - Day 3

http://www.theguardian.pe.ca/index.cfm?sid=142818&sc=99

Italian team rolls along
Australian Rochelle Gilmore wins the third stage of the Tour de P.E.I.

The Guardian

Rochelle Gilmore won the third stage of the Tour de P.E.I. on Tuesday, cementing her Menikini-Selle Italia/

Master Color team at the top of the circuit’s standings with two stages to go.

Gilmore, from ?Australia, crossed the finish line in a time of three hours, 12 minutes and 56 seconds in the 122-kilometre race from Kensington to North Rustico and upped her standing to 18th overall from 65th.

Gilmore’s teammate, American Kori Seehafer, finished seventh and retained the overall lead and the yellow jersey.

Seehafer sits just 16 seconds ahead of Aussie Nathalie Bates, another Menikini squad member.

Merrill Collins, from the Ontario provincial team, earned the blue jersey as top Canadian after finishing sixth. Collins also stands sixth overall.

The race began in Kensington centre, passed Malpeque Bay and proceeded through the most hilled part of the Island.

There, racers could earn extra points by conquering the hills in the best times.

Bates grabbed the polka dot jersey for best climber (33 points), while Collins was second-best with 26 points.

In the team category, the Italy-based Menikini group leads the pack with a 18:23.02 total time, over six and a half minutes ahead of Equipe Nationale Cuba.

Today’s stage four is 120 kilometres, beginning in the National Park and running through Mount Stewart, Montague and finishing in Stratford. Start time is 2 p.m.

Thursday’s final stage is a 50-kilometre circuit race through downtown Charlottetown. It starts at 5:30 p.m., followed by the awards ceremonies at 7 p.m.

*****

Kensington to North Rustico stage top finishers:

* 1. Rochelle Gilmore, Australia (Team Menikini-Selle Italia/Master Color, Italy) - 3:12:56

* 2. Iraida Garcia, Cuba (Equipe Nationale Cuba) - 3:12:56.

* 3. Karin Aune, Sweden (Team Uniqa, Austria) - 3:12:56.

* 6. Merrill Collins, Toronto, Ont. (Ontario Provincial Team) - 3:12:56 (top Canadian).


Remaining schedule:

* Today - The 120-kilometre race starts at 2 p.m. at Dalvay- by-the-Sea in the National Park and continues into Montague, ending in Stratford.

* Thursday - The final stage, a 50-lap, one-kilometre circuit through the streets of Charlottetown, begins at 5:30 p.m. and ends with an awards ceremony at 7 p.m.