September 3/13 22:35 pm - Tour of Alberta: Prologue
Posted by Editoress on 09/3/13
The 2013 Tour of Alberta has finally begun, after years of planning, with an opening 7.3 kilometre prologue through the streets of downtown Edmonton, the capital city of Alberta.
Tens of thousands of spectators and cyclist enthusiasts gathered at the start and finish area, at Winston Churchill Square downtown Edmonton, and all along the short, gruelling course to see some of the World’s best riders compete in the inaugural, six-day Tour of Alberta.
Ryder Hesjedal (Garmin-Sharp) was the top Canadian in tenth place, 30 seconds behind winner Peter Sagan (Cannondale). Team Canada opened up the stage race with Rob Britton posting the fastest time in 23rd spot, showing a 41 second deficit on the fastest time set by Peter Sagan.
Peter Sagan 
Right: Hometown boy Ryan Anderson
"I rolled the dice. It was the first time racing for me on this bike, which I borrowed from Antoine Duchesne. I put my all, and got close to the Top Canadian," said Rob Britton.
"It's pretty amazing to race in front of so many fans. In some sections, I couldn't carry myself breathing, with a ton of noise. It was incredible. I never thought I'd see the day where we could get so many people out cheering on a bike race in Canada. I think this is a reflection of the momentum that cycling has built over the last few years. It's getting bigger and bigger each year. Hopefully this is not the end of the momentum and we can keep building from here."
As for the next five days of racing, Britton thinks it won't be as easy as it's been reported: "Just wait and see. They are hard courses. People are saying that it would be easy because there are no climbs, but it's not going make it easier, just different. It's gonna be pretty hurting. I can almost guarantee you'll see some carnage, some massive group splits on some of those days. Tough racing."
Antoine Duchesne, two-time U23 Canadian Road Champion, finished with a time just one second slower than his teammate Britton.
"I didn't do too many mistakes today. It's a beautiful course, very fast. I was able to engage nicely into the turns, with lots of speed. The end of the course offered some interesting difficulties. I don't think I could have done better today, so I am really satisfied with the result," said Duchesne. "The climb was tough. It came after a long straight section of about four minutes of maximum efforts. It was tough to climb."
"For a first day of competition, there was a really good vibe with a tons of supporters coming out for the race, all along the course. To be racing here in Canada, in front of Canadian in such an important race is difficult to explain. It makes me and my teammates really proud to wear the Maple Leaf and race for the National team. It's a great honor to be among some of the best Canadians in the race. There are lots of big names in Canadian Cycling here with Zach Bell and Ryder Hesjedal notably. To wear the national team uniform and to be side to side with these guys is a tremendous honour."
The Canadian broadcast partner for the Tour of Alberta, Sportsnet, will be airing the race live for two hours each day, along with daily one-hour highlights program to air in primetime each day of the race. Globally, the Tour of Alberta will be broadcast in 162 countries, reaching an estimated168 million viewers.
The Tour of Alberta continues Wednesday with the first mass-start road race, a 158.1 kilometre route between Camrose and Strathcona County.
Results from the first stage in Edmonton, Alberta
| Prologue: Edmonton ITT, 7.3 km | |
| 1 Peter Sagan (Svk) Cannondale Pro Cycling | 8:28 |
| 2 Rohan Dennis (Aus) Team Garmin-Sharp | 0:13 |
| 3 Tobias Ludvigsson (Swe) Team Argos-Shimano | 0:14 |
| 4 Cadel Evans (Aus) BMC Racing Team | 0:20 |
| 5 Brent Bookwalter (USA) BMC Racing Team | 0:21 |
| 6 Chad Haga (USA) Optum p/b Kelly Benefit Strategies | 0:23 |
| 7 Pieter Weening (Ned) ORICA-GreenEDGE | 0:29 |
| 8 David Zabriskie (USA) Team Garmin-Sharp | 0:30 |
| 9 Tom Zirbel (USA) Optum p/b Kelly Benefit Strategies | 0:30 |
| 10 Ryder Hesjedal (Can) Team Garmin-Sharp | 0:30 |
| 11 Patrick Gretsch (Ger) Team Argos-Shimano | 0:30 |
| 12 Robert Gesink (Ned) Belkin Pro Cycling Team | 0:31 |
| 13 Benjamin Day (Aus) UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling | 0:32 |
| 14 Damiano Caruso (Ita) Cannondale Pro Cycling | 0:33 |
| 15 David Millar (GBr) Team Garmin-Sharp | 0:34 |
| 16 Simon Geschke (Ger) Team Argos-Shimano | 0:35 |
| 17 Christian Vandevelde (USA) Team Garmin-Sharp | 0:35 |
| 18 John Murphy (USA) UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling | 0:36 |
| 19 Lawrence Warbasse (USA) BMC Racing Team | 0:39 |
| 20 Cam Meyer (Aus) ORICA-GreenEDGE | 0:39 |
| 21 Shawn Milne (USA) 5-Hour Energy p/b Kenda | 0:39 |
| 22 Charles Huff (USA) Jelly Belly p/b Kenda | 0:40 |
| 23 Rob Britton (Can) Canadian National Team | 0:41 |
| 24 Robert Sweeting (USA) 5-Hour Energy p/b Kenda | 0:42 |
| 25 Edward King (USA) Cannondale Pro Cycling | 0:42 |
| 26 Antoine Duchesne (Can) Canadian National Team | 0:42 |
| 27 Francisco Mancebo (Spain) 5-Hour Energy p/b Kenda | 0:43 |
| 28 Eric Marcotte (USA) SmartStop p/b Mountain Khakis | 0:43 |
| 29 Lachlan David Morton (Aus) Team Garmin-Sharp | 0:43 |
| 30 Serghei Tvetcov (Mld) Jelly Belly p/b Kenda | 0:43 |
| 31 Jakub Novak (Cze) BMC Racing Team | 0:44 |
| 32 Ryan Roth (Can) Champion System Pro Cycling | 0:44 |
| 33 Adam Farabaugh (USA) Equipe Garneau-Québecor | 0:44 |
| 34 Ryan Anderson (Can) Optum p/b Kelly Benefit Strategies | 0:45 |
| 35 Travis Mccabe (USA) SmartStop p/b Mountain Khakis | 0:45 |
| 36 Fred Rodriguez (USA) Jelly Belly p/b Kenda | 0:46 |
| 37 Zach Bell (Can) Champion System Pro Cycling | 0:47 |
| 38 Amaël Moinard (Fra) BMC Racing Team | 0:47 |
| 39 Benjamin Wolfe (USA) Jelly Belly p/b Kenda | 0:48 |
| 40 David Williams (USA) 5-Hour Energy p/b Kenda | 0:48 |
| 41 Andres Diaz (Col) 5-Hour Energy p/b Kenda | 0:49 |
| 42 Kristofer Dahl (Can) SmartStop p/b Mountain Khakis | 0:49 |
| 43 Craig Lewis (USA) Champion System Pro Cycling | 0:50 |
| 44 Nic Hamlton (Can) Jelly Belly p/b Kenda | 0:50 |
| 45 Jeremy Vennell (NZl) Bissell Pro Cycling | 0:50 |
| 46 Michael Olsson (Swe) Team Argos-Shimano | 0:51 |
| 47 Michel Koch (Ger) Cannondale Pro Cycling | 0:51 |
| 48 Jason Mccartney (USA) Bissell Pro Cycling | 0:52 |
| 49 Taylor Shelden (USA) 5-Hour Energy p/b Kenda | 0:52 |
| 50 Steven Kruijswijk (Ned) Belkin Pro Cycling Team | 0:53 |
| 51 Silvan Dillier (Sui) BMC Racing Team | 0:53 |
| 52 Kirk Carlsen (USA) Bissell Pro Cycling | 0:53 |
| 53 Robert Forster (Ger) UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling | 0:53 |
| 54 Marc Goos (Ned) Belkin Pro Cycling Team | 0:53 |
| 55 Scott Zwizanski (USA) Optum p/b Kelly Benefit Strategies | 0:54 |
| 56 Tom Jelte Slagter (Ned) Belkin Pro Cycling Team | 0:54 |
| 57 Jeffry Louder (USA) UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling | 0:54 |
| 58 Alexander Cataford (Can) Equipe Garneau-Québecor | 0:54 |
| 59 Jeremy Powers (USA) Jelly Belly p/b Kenda | 0:55 |
| 60 Michael Hepburn (Aus) ORICA-GreenEDGE | 0:55 |
| 61 Bruno Langlois (Can) Equipe Garneau-Québecor | 0:56 |
| 62 Luka Mezgec (Slo) Team Argos-Shimano | 0:56 |
| 63 Brian Vandborg (Den) Cannondale Pro Cycling | 0:56 |
| 64 Christopher Jones (USA) UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling | 0:57 |
| 65 Fabian Wegemann (Ger) Team Garmin-Sharp | 0:57 |
| 66 Garrett Mcleod (Can) Canadian National Team | 0:57 |
| 67 Tomas Vaitkus (Ltu) ORICA-GreenEDGE | 0:57 |
| 68 Thomas Damuseau (Fra) Team Argos-Shimano | 0:59 |
| 69 Emerson Oronte (USA) Jelly Belly p/b Kenda | 0:59 |
| 70 Clay Murfet (Aus) SmartStop p/b Mountain Khakis | 0:59 |
| 71 Eric Young (USA) Optum p/b Kelly Benefit Strategies | 0:59 |
| 72 Matthias Friedemann (Ger) Champion System Pro Cycling | 1:00 |
| 73 Clinton Avery (NZl) Champion System Pro Cycling | 1:00 |
| 74 Shane Kline (USA) SmartStop p/b Mountain Khakis | 1:02 |
| 75 Sean Mazich (USA) Jelly Belly p/b Kenda | 1:04 |
| 76 Moreno Hofland (Ned) Belkin Pro Cycling Team | 1:06 |
| 77 Nicholai Brochner (Den) Bissell Pro Cycling | 1:06 |
| 78 Ken Hanson (USA) Optum p/b Kelly Benefit Strategies | 1:09 |
| 79 Pierrick Naud (Can) Equipe Garneau-Québecor | 1:10 |
| 80 Ryan Aitcheson (Can) Canadian National Team | 1:11 |
| 81 Davide Frattini (Ita) UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling | 1:11 |
| 82 Jean-Michel Lachance (Can) Canadian National Team | 1:12 |
| 83 Jack Bobridge (Aus) Belkin Pro Cycling Team | 1:12 |
| 84 Tommy Nankervis (Aus) Bissell Pro Cycling | 1:12 |
| 85 Steve Morabito (Sui) BMC Racing Team | 1:12 |
| 86 Flavio De Luna (Mex) SmartStop p/b Mountain Khakis | 1:13 |
| 87 Michael Woods (Can) Equipe Garneau-Québecor | 1:13 |
| 88 Luke Keough (USA) UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling | 1:15 |
| 89 Bobby Lea (USA) SmartStop p/b Mountain Khakis | 1:15 |
| 90 Jonas Ahlstrand (Swe) Team Argos-Shimano | 1:21 |
| 91 Stuart Wight (Can) Canadian National Team | 1:22 |
| 92 Derrick St John (Can) Canadian National Team | 1:22 |
| 93 Andrew Dahlheim (USA) Bissell Pro Cycling | 1:22 |
| 94 Chris Butler (USA) Champion System Pro Cycling | 1:22 |
| 95 Aidis Kroupis (Ltu) ORICA-GreenEDGE | 1:25 |
| 96 William Clarke (Aus) Team Argos-Shimano | 1:26 |
| 97 Fummi Beppu (Japan) ORICA-GreenEDGE | 1:27 |
| 98 Frank Pipp (USA) Bissell Pro Cycling | 1:27 |
| 99 Mark Renshaw (Aus) Belkin Pro Cycling Team | 1:28 |
| 100 Thomas Soladay (USA) Optum p/b Kelly Benefit Strategies | 1:28 |
| 101 Thomas Dekker (Ned) Team Garmin-Sharp | 1:31 |
| 102 Simon-Pierre Gauthier (Can) Equipe Garneau-Québecor | 1:31 |
| 103 Michael Friedman (USA) Optum p/b Kelly Benefit Strategies | 1:33 |
| 104 Chad Beyer (USA) Champion System Pro Cycling | 1:34 |
| 105 Jean-Sebastien Perron (Can) Canadian National Team | 1:37 |
| 106 Max Jenkins (USA) 5-Hour Energy p/b Kenda | 1:37 |
| 107 Aldo Ilesic (Slo) UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling | 1:38 |
| 108 Jiyong Kang (Kor) ORICA-GreenEDGE | 1:44 |
| 109 Fu Shiu Cheung (HKg) Champion System Pro Cycling | 1:44 |
| 110 Michael Chauner (USA) Equipe Garneau-Québecor | 1:49 |
| 111 Nariyuki Masuda (Jpn) Cannondale Pro Cycling | 1:49 |
| 112 Benjamin Chaddock (Can) SmartStop p/b Mountain Khakis | 1:51 |
| 113 Dennisvan Winden (Ned) Belkin Pro Cycling Team | 1:59 |
| 114 Carter Jones (USA) Bissell Pro Cycling | 2:03 |
| 115 Marcus Burghardt (Ger) BMC Racing Team | 2:04 |
| 116 Geoffroy Dussault (Can) Equipe Garneau-Québecor | 2:15 |
| 117 James Stemper (USA) 5-Hour Energy p/b Kenda | 2:21 |
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