Posted by Editoress on 06/17/12
Another sunny day greets the 84 riders remaining in the race who will contest the 6th and final stage f the Tour de Beauce that will start in the host town of St Georges.
Currently the temperature is low 20's but if it is like yesterday high 20's or low 30's is on the way.
The course today is a circuit of 12.5 km which they will do 10 times
A delay in the start to finish closing the roads
KOM's at Lap 3, 5 and 7
Sprints Lap 2, 4 and 8
Feeding Laps 5 through 7
Of the breakaway riders Salas is the highest placed in the overall GC, ninth place and 1:35 behind Sutherland.
11:10 am
Attacks start right away. Along the top of the course and the peloton is starting to splinter already.
Chris Butler (Champion System) had a go and just as he was caught a group of 7 went away
The break: Chad Beyer (Competitive Cyclist), Matthias Friedemann (Champion System), Jamie Sparling & Liam Holohan (Raleigh GAC), Marsh Cooper & Ken Hanson (Optum p/b KB) and Bruno Langlois (Garneau-Quebecor-Norton Rose)
11:24 am
Break group now has 45 second on the peloton.
Lap 2 on the climb and the field is splintering badly. The break is hovering around 40 seconds and UnitedHealthCare Pro is setting tempo at the front of the peloton
11:32 - Lap 2 done
The pace is high in both the break and the peloton so the break is not making a lot of headway. Gap at 30 sec
11:45 am
Rob estimates that as many as 1/3 of the remaining riders have either been dropped or have dropped out. UnitedHealthCare have also lost 1 rider and this will hinder their ability to control the race.
11:48 am
End of lap 3 - The gap is down to 25 sec and Sebastien Salas (Optum p/b KB) is bridging
11:49 am
Salas has caught the break but the gap is now down to 20 sec
11:55 am
Taylor Shelden (Competitive Cyclist Racing Team) and Morgan Schmitt (Exergy) are bridging and are just 17 seconds behind the break. Peloton has backed off a bit and are at 50 sec
11:58 am
Break has just started Lap 4 of 10. Sheldon and Schmitt are having trouble bridging the gap. The addition of Salas seems to have bolsterd the break group that now has 3 Optum p/b KB riders. The gap is 45 seconds to the peloton.
12:06 pm
On the climb Mancebo has attacked off the front of the peloton. Christian Meier (Can National Team) and Rory Sutherland (UnitedHealthCare Pro Cycling Team) on him. Gap to leaders 1:20
12:12 pm
Rob Britton (H&R Block) is trying to bridge along the top of the course.
12:18 pm
Lap 5 starting
Britton is at is 44 sec back. Peloton at 1:10
First Sprint: Friedemann, Salas, Holohan
KOM results : Hanson , Friedemann, Langlois
12:24 pm
At the top of the climb - Britton has now joined the break
Update: riders in break are: Chad Beyer (Competitive Cyclist) Matthias Friedemann (Champion System), Sebastien Salas, Marsh Cooper and Ken Hanson (Optum p/b Kelly Benefit Strategies), Rob Britton (H&R Block), Bruno Langlois (Garneau-Quebecor-Norton Rose), Jamie Sparling and Liam Holohan (Raleigh)
Gap 1:10
12:30 pm
Max Jenkins (Competitive Cyclist Racing Team) having a go at bridging
12:35 pm
UnitedHealthCare Pro Cycling Team is at the front of peloton setting tempo. Then Christian Meier, Svein Tuft (Canadian National Team) , Sutherland and Mancebo
12:35 pm
Lap 6 start
Gap 1:18
12:25 pm
At the top of the climb on lap 6
GC leader Rory Sutherland, has a mechanical and riders from UnitedHealthcare are dropping back behind the peloton to wait for him. No attacks from peloton.
Gap 1:38
12:55 pm
The pace being set by the peloton is too slow, so Svein Tuft is now at front towing. Peloton one long line behind him
1:00 pm
Lap 7 starting and UnitedHealthCare Pro Cycling Team back at the front of the peloton. Gap 1:25
1:06 pm
Svein Tuft attacks from the peloton. Gap under 1 min to leaders
Tuft is now attacking repeatedly and the peloton is forced to react. Tuft is 4th on GC at 1:06 back on leader Rory Sutherland (UnitedHealthCare Pro Cycling Team) so letting him go is not an option.
1:15 pm
Chris Butler (Champion System) is chasing break at 44 sec back. Peloton at 1 min
1:18 pm
Tuft and Sutherland have now taken up the chase of the break.
1:20 pm
Lap 8 start. Spidertech is now at the front assisting the chase of the breakaway riders. They must protect Hugo Houle, who is 2nd in GC @ 19 sec back of leader Sutherland
1:27 pm
Less than three (3) laps to go. Tuft, Sutherland and Butler not making much headway on peloton
Lots of attacks now. Meier, Houle, Sutherland....
Lap 9
As they prepare to start hte 2nd last lap
Mancebo, Parisien and DeMaar are chasing the break.
Houle, Sutherland and Tuft Chasing them.
Gap 40 sec
1:36 pm
Peloton all together again. Gap 1 min
1:42 pm
Mancebo attacks on climb. Houle, Meier, Sutherland, Parisien & De Maar go with. 100m on peloton, Break at 30 sec
Tuft at front of peloton.
1:46 pm
Peloton is back together, and the break group all but caught
1:49 pm
Langlois and Cooper still dangling out front, rest of break in peloton
1:54 pm
Cooper and Langlois start last lap w. 40 sec gap. Peloton not too interested. Neither are a GC factor. Langlois is 18th at 3:49 and Cooper 17th at 3:48 back
Langlois may be out to prove something. He was not rehired by Spidertech this year, so a win today would bolster his chances for another pro contract for 2013.
Gap holding at 45 sec
2pm
Mancebo makes one last effort on the climb. Leaders have 5 km to go and gap is 46 sec
2:09 pm
It is all downhill now to the finishline. Lap 32 sec with langlois doing bulk of work
2 km to go
Less than a km to go and the gap is 29 sec. Who is the better Sprinter? Copper or Langlois
Finish UNOFFICIAL
1 Bruno Langlois (Can) Garneau-Quebecor-Norton Rose
2 Marsh Cooper (Can) Optum p/b Kelly Benefit Strategies
3 Matthias Friedemann (Ger) Champion System Pro Cycling Team
Stage profile - courtesy Tour de Beauce
Stage map - courtesy Tour de Beauce
Return to Canadian Cyclist homepage | Back to Top |