THE SIDELINES : Sprint Boosts Valerie Simonnet

Frenchwoman Valerie Simonnet used a valiant closing sprint to win the Coeur d’Alene Criterium in the third stage of the Ore-Ida Women’s Challenge bicycle race.

But Simonnet’s Sunday effort failed to move Reno’s Inga Thompson out of the overall lead.

Simonnet, riding with Team SYSCO, edged her wheel in front of the 38-rider pack in a time of 1 hour, 7 minutes and 9 seconds on Sunday. The stage was a 25-lap race on a harrowing 1.23-mile circular course along Lake Coeur d’Alene in northern Idaho.

Thompson improved her overall lead over Ruthie Matthes to 19 seconds. Seventeen-year-old Dede Demet--the youngest rider in the field--trails by 28 seconds.