June 15/00 10:12 am - Grand Prix de Beauce

Posted by Editoress on 06/15/00
 

Grand Prix Cycliste ORYX de Beauce

Notre dame des Pins to Notre Dame des Pins - 165kms
story courtesy Jacques Landry - National development coach

Today's stage went a lot better than yesterdays, when you consider that the only mishaps we had were two flats, one from Peter Wedge and the other from, you guessed it, Sylvain Beauchamp. Both flats were changed without too much problem.

The stage started off fairly rough with a steep 14% wall at 2 kms out with a KOM at the top. The field split a bit as at the summit but, almost all, came back. The hill basically continued for a few kms at slight 4 to 5 % grade and attacks were the main activity amongst the riders. Finally a group went up the road with Sylvain and Peter present. The max that the 12 men took was 26 seconds and that when Sylvain got his flat and could not be serviced because the gap was too small for any vehicles to position themselves behind the twelve so, Sylvain was relegated to the main group. Luckily, the break did not make it and all was aborted a few kms later.

At about the 40 kms mark a group of 7 got up the road and gained about 30 sec before being bridged up by another 8 riders, one of which was Sylvain. The 15 stayed clear with about 30 seconds for about 15 kms until getting caught and that's when Antonio Cruz from Saturn want up the road and gained 11 minutes in no time. Because he was solo, nobody saw him as a threat. With about 110 kms to go the leaders team ZVVZ went to the front of the pack and started reeling in Cruz at a rate of 1 minute every km. Because the wind was not favourable for Cruz, it was almost a given that he would be caught. But at what expense for the ZVVZ team helped by Lukaszewicz.

With 40 to go, Cruz was finally caught and the tempo kept going with ZVVZ at the helm. In the up coming rolling section the pack started to thin out a touch with the wind coming from behind. With 20 to go the pack hit the last KOM and that's where all split up into small groups. The main group of thirty as they crested the last hill of the day was still occupied by 4 Canadian team members (Beauchamp, Wedge, Kelly and Randell). The two others, Nick Rowe and Cory Lange were relegated to the following group but had already done their share of work for the teammates.

With 10 to go it was still ZVVZ settng the pace but being helped occasionally by Navigator, Saturn and Mercury. In 15th position were the 4 Canadians getting ready to help Sylvain out for the sprint.

In the end, thanks to good leadout by Navigators, Davidenko wins his second stage in front of Brognara of Alexia Alluminio.

The GC would not change with Konecny still in yellow.

Tomorrow all can change with the infamous Megantic climb!!!!

Results