June 15/25 17:59 pm - Camargo Wins Beauce, Plamondon 4th

Posted by Editoress on 06/15/25
 

Diego Camargo (Team Medellin - EPM) won the 37th edition of the Tour de Beauce on Sunday, becoming the first Colombian rider, and the first rider from South or Central America, to win the title. Joel Plamondon (Team Marni N'SIDE) improved one spot on the final stage to finish fourth overall, the top Canadian, and one of four to finish in the top-10. The final stage win went to Kiwi Ben Oliver (MitoQ - NZ), ahead of Canadians Carson Miles (Team Marni N'SIDE) and Laurent Gervais (Project Echelon).

Camargo came into the fifth and final stage 23 seconds ahead of Mattia Gaffuri (Swatt Club), but the 12 lap, 122 kilometre, circuit race through the streets of St-Georges has flipped the final GC more than once when the leader's team is unable to contain constant attacks from challengers. However, Camargo did not appear to be in any difficulty, with his teammates sticking close and Gaffuri unable to shake Camargo on the main climb.

After early attacks, a group of 16 established themselves on the third lap, quickly going two minutes clear. This was too big a gap for Camargo, since Jerome Gauthier (Team Marni N'SIDE), seventh on GC, was in the break, and it was quickly brought back to a more manageable 50 seconds. At the halfway point, Gaffuri attacked through the start line on the main climb and Camargo responded, shattering the field and dooming the break.

Five riders reformed off the front and stayed away to the finish - Oliver, Miles, Gervais, Felix Hamel (Cannondale Echelon p/b 4iiii) and Nicolo Pettiti (Swatt Club). Hamel was the only potential danger person, in tenth overall at 4:47, but they were allowed to go nearly two minutes up on the small GC group of 20 behind. This group contained Plamondon in fifth overall but not Miguel Diaz (Olinka - Specialized), who was fourth on GC and in the group behind.

The last lap saw Oliver attack to win by three seconds, with Plamondon leading the chase group in, in sixth, which was enough to move him ahead of Diaz into fourth overall and take the Points Jersey by one point over Camargo. Hamel finished fifth to move up two spots to eighth overall, one behind Gauthier, who took the Best Young Rider jersey. A third Canadian made the top-10 overall, with Carson Miles moving from 16th to tenth.

"I'm very happy," stated Plamondon. "It was very close, but I got it. With the three guys in front of me, I don't know if it was realistic to make the podium, but it's a great result."

Jérôme Gauthier held the Red Jersey from Stage 1, when he finished third in a breakaway. "It wasn't a clear goal at first, but I told myself that if I got into a breakaway, it could become one, and it happened. Afterwards, I had to defend it all week. I had a bit of a run with [Felix] Hamel in the [Stage 5] breakaway. Every year, we forget how tough the last day is." Gauthier and Hamel will be two of the top contenders for the Under-23 national title, in St-Georges, in two weeks time.

Results from the fifth and final stage in Quebec

Canadian Gauthier Third in Stage 1 of Beauce
New Yellow Jersey After Stage 2 at Tour de Beauce
Beauce Lead Changes Again on Mont Megantic
Canadian Win in Stage 4 at Beauce