August 28/18 20:34 pm - La Classique des Appalaches: Zukowsky and Boilard win

Posted by Editoress on 08/28/18
 

Montreal's Nicolas Zukowsky's second attempt was good for the win on Saturday the 25th. After coming close to winning in 2017, the Silber Pro Cycling team triumphed on the summit of Mount Arthabaska, after 137 kilometres of racing . His girlfriend Simone Boilard (Desjardins-Ford), a junior rider, won women's race by dominating the elite women's field.

Zukowsky's revenge
Originally from the Laurentians, the 20-year-old cyclist again found himself in the winning breakaway alongside his team-mate Émile Jean, as well as veteran Bruno Langlois (Vélo Cartel) and French rider Alexandre Latil (Apogee-Véloselect). "I was feeling a lot better than last year and attacked at the bottom of the last gravel climb. I rocketed and headed for the finish. The team really worked well today. We have been attacking constantly until it worked, "said the exhausted Zukowsky.

Second place Bruno Langlois was visibly disappointed. "I could not cover all the attacks of the guys from Silber. Adam Roberge attacked alone in the middle of the race. We managed to bring him back, but when Nicolas counter-attacked, I could not take it anymore," said the 39-year-old cyclist, who will compete at the Grand Prix Cyclistes of Quebec and Montreal, like Zukowsky. Frenchman Alexandre Latil finished third after a valient effort. "Nicolas left me somewhat behind with his attack. He is a very good rider so he kept getting ahead . When Bruno distanced me at the foot of Mont Arthabaska, I was empty. I am very happy with my third place."

Junior riders tame the Seniors
Simone Boilard, a young prodigy from Quebec City, lived up to her reputation, triumphing over her rivals in all categories. "It was a pretty simple race. I attacked from the first long section of gravel. Magdeleine [Vallières-Mill] came back with two Masters rider. We rode together to Mont-Arthabaska and I managed to detach myself 750 meters from the line. We really like maple syrup at home. With all that Nicolas and I have amassed today, we will eat pancakes! "

Magdeleine Vallières-Mill (Quebecor-Stingray), also a junior, was pleased with her first appearance. "It was really at the limit on the final climb and I could not follow Simone. Finishing second in front of all these seniors is a great accomplishment. "British Columbia's Sara Bergen (Rally Cycling) completed the podium:" This course was perfect for me, I'm very happy to be on the podium. Thanks to the organization, it's a unique event! "

Record participation
The number of participants in the Appalachian Classic continues to grow each year. More than 750 took part in one of the 3 races and 4 Gran Fondos offered by the organization this year. "We had 150 more entries than in 2017, which is very encouraging," said Co-Founder and President of the Appalachian Classic Alexis Pinard. The entire team and all our partners make a huge effort to atract a maximum number of entries, from elite riders to cyclosportives, to occasional cyclists who discover the wonderful landscape of the Victoriaville region

New Paracycling Champions
The Appalachian Classic was also host to the Quebec Para-cycling Championships. Many Quebec athletes were returning from the recent round of the Para-cycling World Cup in Baie-Comeau, including Victoriavillois Charles Moreau. In addition to winning the title in his category, Moreau received $5 for each entry to the Gran Fondos of the Appalachian Classic to fund his competitive season. "This help makes a huge difference, especially in the future purchase of a three-stick wheel and gives me more opportunities to go to training camp. I want to say a huge thank you to the Classic for all their support for two years now. "

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