June 14/24 19:56 pm - New Leader at Tour de Beauce After Mont Megantic

Posted by Editoress on 06/14/24
 

The Tour de Beauce saw a new rider don the yellow jersey of race leader on Friday at the conclusion of the Queen stage that ends atop Mont-Megantic. Josh Burnett (MitoQ - NZ Cycling Project) won both the stage and the Yellow Jersey, while Ian Lopez de san Roman (Aevolo Cycling -CBC) takes over the Red Jersey of Best Young Rider with his second place on the stage. Felix Hamel (Ecoflo Chronos) was the top Canadian finisher, in third place, and moves into  fourth overall behind Lopez. Arthur Liardet (N'SIDE) retains the Climbers Jersey, while former race leader Tyler Stites (Echelon Project) drops to second in the overall standings after finishing 11th on the stage, but does hang on to the Points Jersey.

The 169 kilometre stage was different from previous years, with the Mont Morne climb missing due to road work. Riders still faced plenty of climbing through the rolling Beauce countryside, as well as strong gusty winds, including a headwind up the last portion of the final climb.

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After a series of aggressive attacks in the opening kilometres, a break of nine riders finally formed roughly 20 kilometres into the stage - Philippe Jacob (Ecoflo Chronos), Conn McDunphy (Skyline), Liam Flanagan (Skyline), Clovis Roy (Quebec), Felix Olivier Moreau (Quebec), Paul Blanc-Paque (360 Agency), Alexis Cartier (360 Agency), Ulises Alfredo Castillo Soto (Olinka) and William Goodfellow (EurCyclingTrips-Yoeleo). The group would reach a maximum gap of 3:15, with Echelon Project and MitoQ - NZ Cycling Project setting tempo to manage the gap.

However, by the final KoM before Megantic, at 120 kilometres, riders started to get shelled from the break. It went down to five - McDunphy, Flanagan, Roy, Cartier and Castillo Soto. With 24 kilometres to go - 19 to the start of the Megantic climb - it was reduced to McDunphy, Cartier and Castillo Soto. Then McDunphy attacked with ten kilometres to the base of the climb. Castillo Soto immediately went backwards to the bunch, while Cartier chased until he was finally brought back with less than five kilometres to the base.

McDunphy started the Megantic climb with a 1:40 lead, but he was caught in the first 1500 metres when Carson Miles (N'SIDE) opened the first attack. Ten more riders bridged across to the lead group with 2.5 kilometres to go, including the Yellow Jersey, Stites. However, only Felix Bouchard (N'SIDE) could respond when Burnett attacked with just under two kilometres to go, and Bouchard faded to fourth by the finish line. Burnett pulled away to win by 26 seconds over Lopez, with Hamel attacking in the final 300 metres to take third. Stites finished 1:02 down, not including the ten second bonus Burnett received for his win. Stites is now 44 seconds back, with Lopez as 52 seconds and Hamel at 58 seconds. Stites' teammate Laurent Gervais rounds out the top-5 at 59 seconds.

Results

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Stites Takes Yellow on Opening Stage of Beauce

Foley Wins Stage 2 at Tour de Beauce