September 8/17 17:50 pm - Grand Prix Cycliste de Quebec: Quebec City results

Posted by Editoress on 09/8/17
 

Sagan Takes 100th Win at GP Quebec

World champion Peter Sagan (Bora-Hansgrohe) recorded his 100th professional victory on Friday at the WorldTour one day race, the GP Cycliste de Quebec, in Quebec City, holding off Greg Van Avermaet (BMC) and Michael Matthews (Team Sunweb) in a sprint after 201 kilometres of racing. This is Sagan's second consecutive win in Quebec.

Guillaume Boivin (Israel Cycling Academy) was the top Canadian finisher, finishing with the lead group in 29th place.  Bruno Langlois of Quebec City was the top rider for Team Canada in 52nd, finishing 17 seconds back.  Other Canadian results were 52nd Bruno Langlois (Team Canada), 56th Antoine Duchesne (Team Canada), 77th Jack Burke  (Team Canada), 99th Ryan Anderson  (Team Canada), 107th Matteo Dal-Cin  (Team Canada), 141st Benjamin Perry (Israel Cycling Academy)

Team Canada manager Kevin Field said, "I feel like we achieved about 50% of our plan.  The good thing about these races is that it provides an opportunity to give experience to our riders who are not on the WorldTour.  For sure, there were some mistakes, but they can be turned into a positive learning experience for the young guys."

The 12.6 kilometre circuit takes riders along the St Lawrence River and through the Old Town of Quebec City, with two climbs on each of the 16 laps.  Despite rain during the week, and forecasts of rain, race day was dry and sunny.

A small breakaway of four riders went clear halfway into the first lap.  Tyler Williams (Israel Cycling Academy) launched the attack and was quickly joined by Pier-Andre Cote (Team Canada), Baptist Planckaert (Katusha Alpecin) and Tosh Van Der Sane (Lotto Soudal).  The gap had grown to over nine minutes after 40 kilometres of racing, when the peloton finally began to chase, but they had only pulled back a minute by the 100 kilometre mark.

However, the break was tiring, and as the race entered the final five laps the gap began to shrink rapidly with Bora, BMC and Sunweb at the front, with Cote the first to drop off the break.  Williams was the next to drop with a little more than two laps to go, and the gap went under one minute for the remaining two riders left at the front. At 16 kilometres to go the final rider - Planckaert - was caught, with the peloton together at the start of the final lap.

Despite multiple attacks over the final climb, the remaining bunch of over 50 was still intact with five kilometres to go.  Rigoberto Uran (Cannondale Drapac) launched an attack with one kilometre to go, but was swept up on the long uphill finish, with Sagan moving to the front in the final 150 metres.

"It was a little bit like last year with the same result, almost," said Sagan.  "The style of the race was also very similar. We went into the last kilometre, and Roberto (Uran) attacks like he [usually] does . We went for the sprint in the last 100 metres. It was a headwind in the final, but I decided I had to start at 200 metres ... I don't know for sure. It is a very long sprint with the last kilometre being an uphill."

"My team Bora did an amazing job of pulling all day at the front protecting me and getting me to the finish line, I want to thank them so much.  They controlled the final three laps, thanks very much to the guys, they did a very good job.  Yes, it is very nice; one hundred is a special number. But it is never enough, you know..."

Van Avermaet echoed Sagan's comments:  "It was a pretty similar race to last year. I lost Sagan's wheel a little when he went, and I couldn't have come past him, so I am pretty happy about my race. I would love to win here but second is not too bad. I am happy with my shape now, and the team did a great job to put me in a good position on the final climbs. Maybe with a little extra luck, I can win here."

"For me, the most important thing is that I still have a lot of power in my legs over the last kilometre and from there, whether you win or not, is all in the details. Today I was second, and hopefully, when we go to Montreal, I can repeat the same result [a win] as last year."

Results from the first race of the Grand Prix Cycliste de Quebec