Canadian Cyclist - Daily News

Daily News

June 16/10 10:01 am - Tour de Beauce: Stage 2 UPDATES

Posted by Editoress on 06/16/10

Stage 2: Thetford-Mines to Thetford-Mines, 160.62 km

Stage 2 has just started

There is high cloud with some sun poking through on occasion. The forecast is for rain later in the day. Temperature is 18C

Update on Matt Bell: National team coach Vincent Jourdain said Matt has 28 stitches on his face - just under his eye- from his sunglasses. His teammates are calling it the 'Lance Armstrong' injury. His knees are also badly bruised. His concussion is bad, but tests show nothing more and he actually slept well last night.

The accident happened on an unexpected loose gravel section. Matt was near the front, following the BMC team who were chasing the break with Routley, Serrano Fernandez and Thomson. The BMC train swerved to miss a pothole, the last rider (Kristoff) did not and hit the pothole going down and Bell crashed into him and went over the bars.

Javier Megias Leal (Team Type 1) who was listed as DNF was allowed to start when his team proved that he had been directed off course. His time was adjusted to that of the winner +15%

It is not as windy today

Attacks started at 1 km in

10:25 am

Lots of attacks going off, but nothing is sticking. The peloton is just one long line

Jai Crawford (Fly V Australia) gets a bike change and is chasing back on

10:34 am

There seems to be a lot of mechanical problems. Nic Hamilton (Team Canada) just took assistance and the team cars seem busier than usual servicing the riders bikes on the fly.

10:40 am

Keir Plaice (Team Canada) just had a front flat, but was quickly back on to the peloton

There is now a group of 8 off the front with a gap of 30 sec: Darren Rolfe (Fly V Australia), John Murphy (BMC Racing Team), Javier Megias Leal (Team Type 1), Walker Savidge (Felt-Holowesko Partners-Garmin U23), François Parisien (Spidertech p/b Planet Energy), Jean-Sébastien Perron (Garneau Club Chaussures), Flavio Pasquino (Restore Cycling), Jamie Sparling (Canadian National Team)

10:53 am

Gap has quickly gone up to 2:15

11:15 am

At 44 km in the gap from the break to the peloton is 3:05

11:25 am

At 50 km the gap has been brought back to 2:40

11:31 am

At 53 km the peloton has relaxed and the gap is now back up to 3 min

11:45 am

68 km in and the CKT Champion System Team has done to the front and the gap to the break has been brought down to 2 min ....... and dropping

11:53 am

Approaching the 2nd KOM and the gap is 1:30

Amore & Vita -Conad has joined CKT Champion System Team at the front of the peloton

12:05 pm

Javier Megias Leal (Team Type 1) takes top pts on the KOM

Update: group of 8 off the front: Darren Rolfe (Fly V Australia), John Murphy (BMC Racing Team), Javier Megias Leal (Team Type 1), Walker Savidge (Felt-Holowesko Partners-Garmin U23), François Parisien (Spidertech p/b Planet Energy), Jean-Sébastien Perron (Garneau Club Chaussures), Flavio Pasquino (Restore Cycling), Jamie Sparling (Canadian National Team)

Gap is ~ 1 min 30

12:17 pm

At 80 km and the gap is back up to 2 min

12:35 pm

At 94 km and the gap is up to 2:20

12:53 pm

Keir Plaice (Canadian National Team) crashed at 94 kms and was way off the back, then with a little "help" is back at the back of the peloton by 99 km (feedzone)

WOW. Riders hitting 100 kmph on some of the descents

1:12 pm

At 115 km the gap is 1:12

1:20 pm

At 121 km. The riders in the break are starting to look and "ride" tired

1:26 pm

The leaders have just made the turn at Disraeli from the 236 onto the 112 that will take them into Thetford-Mines

Gap ~ 1:15

John Murphy (BMC Racing Team) has been dropped from the lead group

1:35 pm

26 km to go and only 4 remaining the the lead group

Rolfe (Fly V) , Savidge (Felt-Holowesko), Pasquino (Restore Cycling), and Sparling (Canadian National Team)

Gap is 1:35 to the peloton

1: 41 pm

< 25 km to go and the gap is going up now 1:38

1:48 pm

20 km to go. The gap has not changed.. but there are a couple of short lap/circuits before the finish at Thetford-Mines, so a large group will have the advantage

1:56 pm

13 km to go and the gap is 1:15

They will do 3 laps of a 3.4 km circuit

2:00 pm

They have just entered the finishing circuit and the gap is down to 35 sec

2:04 pm

The break has been caught. Andrew Randell (Spidertech p/b Planet Energy) is at the front powering the bunch, working to set up their sprinter Boily

2:09 pm

Starting final lap. Michael Joannisse (Team Canada) is off the front with a 5 sec gap. DCM at the front of the bunch chasing hard

Final

Unofficial

1 David Tanner (Aus) Fly V Australia