On Sunday, June 8th at approximately 9 am, nearly 140 women will make their way to Philladelphia for the tenth annual Liberty Classic, this year sponsored by Wachovia. The course promises to be very challenging circuit race. The loop is a brutal 14.4 miles to be done 4 times by the women for a total of 57.6 miles. The race begins and ends at the Benjamin Franklin Parkway and makes its way through Kelly Drive. The course then turns steep and slow into the hilly Manayunk community. Riders must endure the infamous and incredibly steep 17% grade of the Manayunk Wall each lap.

On my “watch” list will be the top place finishers of last year. The entire podium will be present but all three are racing for different teams. Petra Rossner, who rode for Saturn last year, and completed the race in 2hours, 27 minutes and 9 seconds, is now with the strong German team, Equipe Nurnberger Fuji and will have the help of teammates Judith Arndt, who placed third at the Montreal World Cup last Saturday, and Margaret Hemsley. Laura Van Gilder, who just won the Clarendon cup and was with the now defunct Trek Plus team, is now with Saturn backed by Lyne Bessette, Ina Teutenburg, second at this week’s CapTech Classic, and Manon Jutras, who has shown some amazing results in the hills this year. Dede Barry was with Talgo last year, another team that went under, and is riding with T-Mobile, joined by climbing powerhouse and new Elite Time Trial Champion, Kim Bruckner and Amber Neben, just newly crowned the National Elite Road Race Champion and winner of the Tour du Grand Montreal that wrapped up on Wednesday.

Team Basis has Nicole Freedman, 2002 National Criterium Champion, while Diet Rite has Tina Mayola-Pic, winner of the Housatonic in May. Recent Twilight Criterium Champion, Candice Blickem of Genesis Scuba FFCC, will be present as well.

Of course, I can’t look through the rider list without mentioning the woman who so graciously beat me a couple of weeks ago, Jenette Williams, competing in this race with Lateral Stress Velo/Trek/VW and our own DP diarist, Laura Weislo, helping out Velo Clips NCVC. I will certainly be watching for them!

Notably absent will be Canadian superstar Genevieve Jeanson, who just completed the Tour du Grand Montreal June 2-5 and is surely taking a much deserved break.

So, with this incredible contingent of women cyclists, the Liberty Classic, a jewel in the crown of Philly week, is surely to be one of the best ever!

Last year’s podium Laura Van Gilder,
Petra Rossner and Dede Barry.
Photo courtesy of DP
photographer, Scott Schaffrick.





2002 First Union Liberty Classic Coverage

Rider/Team List
Race Report
Official Results
Interview with Nicole Freedman
Photo Gallery

Photo courtesy of DP photographer, Scott Schaffrick.

EQUIPE NURNBERGER FUJI
Petra Rossner, GER
Margaret Hemsley, AUS
Madeleine Lindberg, SWE
Jenny Algelid, SWE
Trixi Worrack, GER
Judith Arndt, GER

VICTORY BREWING AMOROSO
Sandy Espeseth, CAN
Nicole Demars, CAN
Gina Grain, CAN
Lauren Franges, USA
Sophie St Jacques, CAN
Leah Goldstein, ISR
Ann Turrin, CAN
Veronica Martinez, ARG

TEAM T MOBILE
Kim Anderson, USA
Kristin Armstrong, USA
DeDe Barry, USA
Kimberly Bruckner, USA
Dotsie Cowden, USA
Amber Neben, USA
Stacey Peters, USA
Mari Holden, USA

DIET RITE
Cybil DiGuistini, CAN
Tania Duff Miller, NZL
Kori Kelly, USA
Joann Kiesanowski, NZL
Tina Mayola Pic, USA
Kerry Soaci, USA

TEAM BASIS
Nicole Freedman, USA
Kate Maher, USA
Lauren Gaffney, USA
Heather Abert, USA

SATURN CYCLING TEAM
Lyne Bessette, USA
Megan Elliott, USA
Manon Jutras, CAN
Katie Mather, AUS
Amy Moore, CAN
Jessica Phillips, USA
Ina Teutenberg, GER
Laura Van Gilder, USA

JAPANESE NATIONAL Miho Oki, JPN
Myoko Karami, JPN
Ayumu Otsuka, JPN
Hiroko Shimada, JPN

VERZIZON WIRELESS CERVELO
Yvonne Ilton, USA
Julia Farrell, CAN
Sarah Foulkes, USA
Ann Marie Miller, USA
Paula McNamara, USA
Julie Monagle, USA

VELO CLIPS NCVC
Liza Rachetto, USA
Kele Hulser, USA
Shepard Ferrar, USA
Laura Weislo USA
Laury Saligman, USA
Betsy Sellers, USA
Beth Leasure, USA
Melissa Sanborn, USA

CENTURY ROAD CLUB
Sarah Chubb, USA
Francis Harrison, USA
Carol Gale, USA
Tara Parsons, USA
Julie Upton, USA
Esther Davis, USA
Betsy Renaud, USA

TEAM FUJI
Christina Underwood, USA
Gina Voci, USA
Alisha Little, USA
Kathleen Billington, USA
Jenn Scott, USA

COLAVITA BOLLA
Shannon Hutchinson, USA
Ashley Kimmet, USA
Brooke O'Conner, USA
Rebecca McClintock, USA
Lenore Imhof, USA

CANADIAN NATIONAL
Julie Belanger, CAN
Magalie Boulay, CAN
Julie Hutsebaut, CAN
Genevieve LaBlanc, CAN
Audrey Lemeiux, CAN
Katy St Laurent, CAN

RICHARD SACHS CYCLING TEAM
Katrina Davis, USA
Alicia Genest, USA
Catherine Powers, USA
Leah Tofolon, USA

TDS CYCLING TEAM
Anne Samplonius, CAN
Joan Wilson, USA
Shawn Heidgen, USA
Helen Kelly, AUS
Erin Carter, CAN

GENESIS SCUBA FFCC
Susan Palmer Komar
Iona Wynter, JAM
Maggie Shirley, USA
Grace Fleury, USA
Candice Blickem, USA
Clara Constantinescu, ROM
Larssyn Staley, USA
Leigh Valletti, USA

SNOW VALLEY CYCLING TEAM
Elizabeth Begosh
Kristy Scheffenacker, USA
Vanessa Guyton, NZL
Dana Walton, USA
Heidi Woolever, USA
Diana Gillam, USA

TEAM RONA ESKER
Melissa Holt, NZL
Carrie Tuck, CAN
Kristen LaSasso, USA
Karen Bockel, GER
Andrea Hannos, USA
Erinne Willock, CAN

LOS GATOS BICYCLING RACING CLUB
Sandra Kolb, USA
Katheryn Cuci, USA
Eryn Hanna, USA
Joy Shaffer, USA
Sherri Stedji, USA

LSV TREK VW
Michele Bote, USA
Kerry Cohen, USA
Sheba Farrin, USA
Susan Hefler, USA
Laura Schmidt, USA
Tina Skelley Kuntsbeck, USA
Clara Beard, USA
Jenette, Williams, USA

TRI STATE VELO AMOROSO
Diane Castor, USA
Lynda Maldonado, USA
Susan Duff, USA
Jennifer Leonard, USA
Maria Collazo, USA
Melanie Claude, BER
Julie Hawley, BER

FREDDIE FU CYCLING
Kelly Yoder, USA
Charmian Breon, USA
Carolyn Fisher, USA
LeeAnne Manderson, USA
Megan Long, USA
Emma Rickards, USA

Thanks to the official website of the Wachovia Liberty Classic!