May 29/14 19:40 pm - Tour de Beauce Announces Route Changes & Partners

Posted by Editoress on 05/29/14
 

The start of the 2014 Tour de Beauce will be on June 11th and, throughout the five days of racing, nearly 140 cyclists from 21 teams will compete for General Classification in this prestigious race covering a total distance of 638 kilometres in the Chaudière-Appalaches, Estrie and Quebec regions

Cycling enthusiasts will have the chance to attend and witness the exciting start of races in four host municipalities, including St. George, Lac-Mégantic, Quebec and Ste-Justine.

"Each year, the Tour de Beauce welcomes cyclists from around the world to participate in this sporting event of international caliber. The majestic roads of Beauce and surrounding areas are now recognized worldwide by the cycling community, and through the Tour de Beauce," says Francis Rancourt, Executive Director of the Tour de Beauce. "We are particularly pleased to welcome a record number of teams this year, with 21 teams from nine countries vying for top honors."

"We also take this opportunity to thank all our partners from the municipal governments, which facilitate road usage for the duration of the Tour de Beauce. The warm welcome we receive annually in different municipalities is remarkable, and provides exceptional tourism showcase for the regions visited," stated Rancourt.

The 2014 edition of the Tour de Beauce is marked by the presentation of one less stage that in years past - five compared to the previous six stages - as well as the deviation of the finish line at the Mont- Mégantic National Park.

The first stage will take place Wednesday, June 11th, in Ste-Justine (196 kilometres), and will highlight the strategies of each team as the general classification takes shape.

Thursday, the peloton will face its first challenge. The second stage will showcase climbers with the finish of the race at the top of the difficult climb of Mont-Saint-Joseph, and after more than 150 kilometres in the saddle. In recent years, this stage ended at the top of Mont-Mégantic, but road work forced the deviation of the end of the race this year. It is slightly shorter than that of recent years, but will prove to be much more difficult with a higher grade. Expect a complete reshuffle of the general classification at the end of this stage.

The gruelling individual time trial race will take place during the third stage, Friday, June 13th, in St- Georges, sector St-Jean-de-la-Lande, and will run over a distance of 20 kilometres. This time trial stage is usually one that brings a lot of change in the overall standings.

Quebec City will host once again a classic stage of the Tour de Beauce, the fourth on Saturday, June 14th. Residents of Quebec City and the surrounding areas will have once again the opportunity to witness a traditionally exciting race in the heart of Old Quebec, which borrows several sections of the circuit used by the Grand Prix Cycliste de Québec, UCI WorldTour stage. This year's street circuit is 14.4 kilometres.

The champion of the 2014 Tour de Beauce will be crowned Sunday, June 15th, after a stage of 125 kilometres contested on an urban circuit of 10.4 kilometres in St-Georges, the central area where cyclists will be accommodated. This stage promises to be just as exciting as the riders will give it their all to climb in the General classification or protect their leaders.

Stages
Stage Desjardins - Wednesday, June 11: Ste-Justine /Ste-Justine (196 km)
Stage Le Georgesville - Thursday, June 12 juin: Lac Mégantic /Parc National du Mont-Mégantic (167 km)
Stage Hydro-Québec - Friday, June 13: St-Georges (20 km) [Time Trial]
Stage Ville de Québec - Saturday, June 14: Ville de Québec (130 km) [Urban circuit: 9 laps of 14.4 km]
Stage Ville de St-Georges - Sunday, June 15: Ville de St-Georges (125 km) [Urban circuit: 12 laps of 10.4 km]
Total distance: 638 km

Jerseys
Yellow Jersey Desjardins: Leader of the General classification
White Jersey Hydro-Québec: Leader of the Points classification
Polka Dots Jersey: Leader of the King of the Mountain classification
Red Jersey Le Georgesville: Leader of the Best Young Riders classification (U23)
Blue Jersey Ville de Québec: Winner of the Quebec Stage

The Tour de Beauce, in its 29th edition this year, is very proud to count among its major sponsors again this year:  Hydro Quebec, Desjardins, Georgesville and the governments of Quebec and Canada. These partners play a key role in the continued success of the Tour de Beauce.

Among the official suppliers, we are pleased to reconnect with the great family of the Tour de Beauce, namely: Thule, iClic, Champion System, Pepsi Alex Coulombe, Raymond Chabot Grant Thornton, IGA Rodrigue et Filles, St-Georges Toyota and SRAM. These suppliers allow us to maintain the excellent event that the Tour de Beauce has become, and continually improve it by their many products and services they provide.

Media partners are also essential to the smooth operations of the Tour de Beauce and helped greatly in its longevity. They include: Le Soleil, Look Media, EnBeauce.com, COOL 103.5 FM and MIX 99.7.

It is also important to emphasize the excellent collaboration of the public partners, with the host cities of Saint-Georges, Quebec, Ste-Justine, Lac-Mégantic, and the Mont-Mégantic National Park.

The organization also wishes to thank all municipalities along the route, the Sûreté du Québec, the Quebec municipal police and the Ministry of Transport of Quebec, because without them, this premier international event would not be possible.

Finally, it is important not to forget the contributions of many area businesses that support the event as Friends of the Tour de Beauce, as well as all the volunteers who offer their priceless time and services.

Tour de Beauce press release