July 19/13 1:08 am - Tour de l'Abitibi: Stage 4 results

Posted by Editoress on 07/19/13
 

Team Canada Continues to Lead Abitibi After Stages 3 & 4

Cyclists from the 45th Tour de l'Abitibi covered the fourth stage between Malartic and Rivière-Héva at an astounding speed. Average speeds reached 46 kilometres/hour, making breakaways hard to come by, as the peloton stayed together during a large part of the race. Cyclists William Elliot, from Team Canada, and Richard Rainville, from ISCorp Cycling, finally succeeded in gaining a one minute lead over the rest of the pack, only to get caught in the last ten kilometres. At the end of the day, Canadian champion Hendrik Pineda used his sprinting skills to win gold. Dakota Schaeffer (Team Mid-Atlantic Development Foundation) and Emmanuel Gagné (Team Quebec) finished second and third.

Hendrik Pineda wins stage 4 - photo Hugo Lacroix

As usual, the Columbian and Moroccan cyclists attempted to break away from the pack early on in the race, but the Canadian and American national teams stayed in control during the whole duration of this stage. Indeed, both teams were strategic and waited until the end of the race to attempt a breakaway, earning them the brown, orange, and blue jerseys, as well as first and second place overall.

Photo gallery

The Individual Time Trial: Beneficial for Some
Stage 3, the Individual Time Trial, which was held earlier in the morning, was a defining moment for cyclists aspiring for brown and orange jerseys. Hendrik Pineda, who had finished on the podium for the previous stages of the competition, finished more than one minute twenty behind his teammate and the winner of the time trial, Jack Burke. Therefore, Pineda went from second to 52nd overall after stage three, losing every chance of winning the overall brown jersey. However, Burke, who was 59th during the second stage, rose to first place during the third and fourth stages, to keep the overall lead in Team Canada. Blue jersey Will Barta (Team USA) and Owen Gillott (Racers Against Childhood Cancer) also finished within the first four.

photo Hugo Lacroix

The Hydro Quebec Stage Friday
For a second consecutive year, racers from the Tour de l'Abitibi Desjardins will witness the beauty of Temiscamingue, while traveling between Timiskaming First Nation and Lorrainville. During the 103 kilometre stage, cyclists will pass through Guerin, Bearn, and Ville-Marie, before arriving in Lorrainville, for a great finish in front of the church, at 4:45 pm.

Results from the fourth stage of the 2013 Tour de l'Abitibi Desjardins, in Abitibi-Témiscamingue, Quebec

Jerseys
• Brown - GC Leader’s Jersey – Jack Burke (Can) Team Canada
• Orange - Sprint Leader’s Jersey – Hendrik Pineda (Can) Team Canada
• Polka Dot - Climbing Leader’s Jersey – Steven Calderon Acero (Col) Colombie-Fundación Everet
• Blue - Best Young Rider Jersey – William Barta (USA) Team USA

Stage 1
Stage 2
Stage 3