Stage 3 – Panorama Circuit Race     68km

After warming up on the circuit, Gen told us her back was troubling her and our thoughts turned to how we could tactically complete this race and still retain the leader’s jersey.  The peloton shattered on the very first lap, but regrouped just before the 2^nd ascent.  The pace was painfully high during the climb, and I found myself in a small chase group which caught the main peloton at the base of a smaller climb at the other end of the circuit.

As we caught the field, Anna immediately launched an attack and 3 riders went with her.  We slowed the pace and watched the break ride away.  The break had a 2min lead as we started our 3^rd ascent.

Lyn Bessette launched an attack on the 3^rd lap of the 4 lap circuit and Gen was unable to respond.  American Kristin Armstrong (T-Mobile) and Canadian Sue Palmer-Komar (Genesis Scuba) worked with Bessette who caught and then passed the initial 4 rider break.

Gen, Magali Le Floch (Quark) and Christine Thorburn (Webcor) chased hard but finished 1min 5sec behind this lead group.  As a result, Bessette (Quark) took the yellow jersey from Gen who is now second in general classification, trailing Bessette by 53 seconds.  Jeanson still kept her red Queen of the Mountain jersey.

Tomorrow’s criterium doesn’t start until 2pm, so our director, Andre, took us out to a team dinner at a local Oak Glen Italian restaurant.  It was a fun night with assistant director Jim and Andre providing plenty of entertaining stories.

General Classification after stage 3

1	Lyne Bessette (CAN, Quark)	8h 35’ 25’’
2	Geneviève Jeanson (CAN, RONA)	53’’
12	Katheryn Curi (USA, RONA)	7’ 30’’
14	Katrina Grove (USA, RONA)	7’ 38’’
59	Andrea Hannos (CAN, RONA)	28’ 34’’
66	Helen Kelly	31’ 05’’
68	Anna Milkowski	33’ 16’’