June 20/01 10:28 am - Grand Prix Cyclist Poste Canada de Beauce: Stage 3 Reports

Posted by Editoress on 06/20/01
 

Grand Prix Cyclist Poste Canada de Beauce

Lac-Etchemin to Lac-Etchemin190.2 Km

Stage 3 is now underway. The 123 starters will cover 190.2 km over hilly terrain, with 1 major climb (elevation approx. 775 metres). The sun is shining and it is HOT. Weather forcast is for 30 degrees Celcius +, but windy. The first KOM is at the 28.5km mark.

After a small crash, just after start, the race is well under way. At 8km Henk Vogels (Mercury-Viatel) and Svein Tuft (Team Canada) went away. At the 10km point they were joined by Florencino Ramos (Mex - Team Tecos).

At 12 kms the 3 had a 40 second gap on the peloton. The wind is a very strong crosswind and the peloton is spread out in a 'deathline', maintaining a speed of 45 kmph.

11:55am

At 29 km, the gap had been opened up to 6 and a half minutes. The 3 riders were working together well, and the peloton had backed of and were showing little interest in chasing over the rolling terrain.

At 35km the gap from the 3 leaders to the peloton is 9 minutes. Martin St-Laurent (VW-Can) is one minute in front of the peloton amd they are letting him go.

The temperature has relaxed a bit.. The air is hazy and the strong wind (now a headwind) seems to be keeping the heat down.

12:45pm

• The 3 riders in the break were passing the 50km point... and the peloton was passing the 40km point!

• At 62 km, the gap between the 3 riders Henk Vogels (USA-Mercury-Viatel), Svein Tuft (Can-Team Canada) and Florencino Ramos (Mex - Team Tecos) in the break is 19 minutes. Martin St-Laurent (Can - Volkswagen) is dangling in between. He is 4 minutes in front of the peloton and 15 minutes behind the leaders.

• At 65 km, the peloton has suddenly 'woke up' and have started to chase. MROZ initiated, but Team Saturn is now jumping on board and the front of the peloton is 'yellow and red'..

1:05pm

• 70km. Eric Wohlberg (Can-Saturn) is spending a lot of time at the front driving the pace. Riders are coming off the back in droves.

• 80km. Jason Crookham has just flatted for the second time today. He has gotten a change and he and 2 teammates are trying to get back onto the peloton, which is moving at over 50kmph. Once they switched into high gear the pack quickly caught Martin St-Laurent (Can - Volkswagen) and are eating up ground on the 3 leaders.

2pm

• 90km. The peloton is moving at about 55kmph now. "A sea of yellow is all there is at the front" according to Rob from the press van. Saturn is yellow and red and MROZ is yellow and blue. Jason Crookham and his teammates have caught back on.

• 130km. The time gap is now down to 13 minutes. Saturn and MROZ are still driving the pace hard, but are starting to look a bit ragged. The temperature has dropped down to 23 degrees which is good in one sense and maybe not so good in another. Thunder storms often follow a temperature drop!

3pm

• 40km to go. The gap is 12:25. Svein Tuft will take over the climbers jersey and Vogles the leaders jersey if they can hold off the pack.

• 25km to go. The gap is 12:10. Ramos (Mex - Team Tecos) has been dropped and has been gapped by 2 minutes. IBM Lotus has gone to the front to assist the flagging MROZ and Saturn riders who seem to have run out of the juice needed to catch the 2 leaders.

• 16.5km to go. The gap is just under 11 minutes. MROZ and Cantina Tollo are leading the peloton. The plan now seems to be to limit the damage as much as possible.. Up front, Vogels is pushing the pace, but Tuft is taking his share of pulls.

3:20pm

• 10km to go. The gap is at 10:49. Vogels will take over the leaders jersey today, but Tuft may be in a much better position for the rest of the race. As they get into the bigger climbs in the next few stages, Tuft is a much better climber than Vogels. Vogels may wear the jersey for a day or so, but Tuft may actually be the one to take it from him.

Grand Prix Cyclist Poste Canada de Beauce

Henk Vogels takes the win! Svein Tuft takes second. Mercury wins 2 stages back to back.

Grand Prix Cyclist Poste Canada de Beauce

Unofficial
1. Henk Vogels (USA) Mercury-Viatel 4:46:21
2. Svein Tuft (Can) Team Canada at 0:03
3. Gordon Fraser (Can) Mercury-Viatel 4:02