Dr. Vie’s elite women cyclists from Team TIBCO begins its second European campaign of the 2011 season this Saturday with the Trophee D’Or in France, a five-day, six-stage race that includes an unusual team time trial on day two. Canada’s elite women Joelle Numainville (Montreal) and Erinne Willock (Victoria) are on the team.
The Team will also take on a second six-stage tour, the Profile Ladies Tour of Holland, beginning September 7. In between, the Team will contest the Plouay World Cup.
Team TIBCO European Director Angela van Smoorenberg is looking to build on the strong performances the Team had during its first trip over in the Spring.
“What I saw from the Team in the April races was good,” she said. “Those races had almost the same strong riders as will be in these. Our riders showed they could race in the big bunch and the tactics were good. In those races, they were always in the mix at the front of the peloton. What we missed in those races was a really good lead out for our sprinter, and that’s an area we want to improve for these races.”
With good reason. Both stage races offer mostly flat parcourses, well suited to Team TIBCO’s Canadian sprinter, Joelle Numainville, who took an impressive 6th in the Tour of Flanders back in April. Watch Dr. Vie’s itnterview with Joelle Numainville this week just before her departure to Europe loaded with Dr. Vie Sports food.
“Trophee d’Or will be very hard, all top riders from over the world are here,” she said, “but all stages are pretty flat, sometimes a bit up and down but not too much. So a bit the same course as the Worlds this year and the Olympics next year. The Holland Tour has only one stage with hills. I’m really looking forward to the Stage 2 team time trial. I think we have a good team for that stage. After these races, the national federations will make the final selection for the Worlds. So that will be a good motivation for our Team to show their strength.”
Plouay presents much more varied terrain, and the Team will look more toward another Canadian, Erinne Willock, to be at the front end of the race at the end.
“Last year Erinne was 8th so this course suits her,” van Smoorenberg said. “Plouay has a couple of hills each lap. In April we did the Fleche Wallone, which was quite hilly, and the girls did a good job there. Unfortunately, we missed Erinne for that race because of her crash in Holland. So it will be good to have her this time.”
Dr. Vie’s Womens Team TIBCO racing for Trophee D’Or and GP Plouay World Cup
Megan Guarnier, USA
Emma Mackie, AUS
Joelle Numainville, CAN, Montreal
Serena Sheridan, NZL
Erinne Willock, CAN , Victoria
Dr. Vie’s Women Team TIBCO racing at the the Profile Tour
Megan Guarnier, USA
Emma Mackie, AUS
Joelle Numainville, CAN, Montreal
Carmen Small, USA
Erinne Willock, CAN, Victoria
“Our women cyclists from Canada (Tara Whitten, Joelle Numainille, Erinne Willock) and from USA have been incredible this year as they raced throughout the world. I’ve had the honour of spending time with these women during the races and down time in Canada this year. I invite you now jto join me in wishing them well as they represent the best of women role models for fitness as they race in Europe, “says Dr. Vie sponsor and provider of Dr. Vie Superfoods for these women.
With love,
Always
Dr. Vie, Scientist & Founder
Dr. Vie, Inc.
Montreal Canada
514-2338756