May 26/04 8:24 am - Grand Prix Cycliste de Beauce: Teams, Course and Partners Announcement

Posted by Editoress on 05/26/04
 

Grand Prix Cycliste de Beauce Postes Canada
Pascale Quirion, Coordonnatrice adjointe

Teams
Ville de Saint-Georges, 26th of May 2004 – The organizers of the Grand Prix Cycliste de Beauce Postes Canada presented by Bell anticipate hosting 18 teams, comprising of nearly 130 riders for the start of the 19th edition on June 15th.

The organizers are very happy with the quality of the selected teams that shall contribute to a close competition. Also, the future generation of riders will be very present in the field with many U23 and prospect teams.

Amongst the foreign teams : Action - Ati and Hoop CCC Polsat from Poland, Winfix from Germany, Capec from Kazakhstan, Tecos-Mercurio from Mexico and a prospect team from France AC Lanester.

The United States are sending many teams this year: Navigators, the only Division 2 team in North America, Colavita Olive Oil presented by Bolla, Health Net presented by Maxxis with Canadian Gordon Fraser, Ofoto Lombardi with Québec’s Dominique Perras and team TIAA-CREF / 5280 coached by the 1997 Grand Prix winner, Jonathan Vaughters.

Canada’s representation will be assured by seven teams : Jet Fuel Coffee, Ital Pasta the only two Canadian teams registered in the International Cycling Union ; Volkswagen – Trek, Team Québec, the Espoirs de Laval/Sélection Atlantique and a team from British-Columbia, Symmetrics will enable many young Canadians to get a taste of international competition. The National Team will also be present with such rider as Charles Dionne.

Course
Riders will be faced with new challenges from June 15th to the 20th for the 19th edition of the Grand Prix Cycliste de Beauce Postes Canada presented by Bell.

It’s by demand of Ville de Québec and with great pleasure that the Grand Prix Cycliste de Beauce Postes Canada will present an urban circuit of 12 km as the opening stage of the most important road cycling competition in Canada. The 120 km course (10 laps) will offer interesting challenges for riders such as the downhill portion of Côte de l’église and the uphill struggle of Côte Gilmour.

On Wednesday June 16th, riders will measure up to the many hills of the Beauce region at the Saint-Joseph / Saint-Joseph stage. 180 km of ups and downs through the towns of Beauceville, Saint-Séverin, Scott, Sainte-Marguerite and Saint-Odilon.

On Thursday June 17th, the Lac-Etchemin / Lac-Etchemin stage returns for a fourth year. This stage, slightly longer this year will go from 150 to 180 km, in order to finish with an exciting final climb. The many towns of the Bellechasse and Etchemin regions will offer spectacular scenery as the riders go by.

The most anticipated stage, Saint-Georges / Mt. Mégantic, on Friday June 15th, has been shortened by 20 km in order to make for a more exciting ending. This fourth stage totaling 155 km will end with a 5km strenuous climb of the mountain.

Saturday will once again be a very important day. On June 19th, riders will start off with an Individual Time Trial of 14 km in the municipality of Notre-Dame-des-Pins, near Québec’s longest covered bridge. In the evening, all of Saint-Georges will be buzzing around the criterium held once again in the streets of the downtown area. The athletes will have to complete 50 laps of 1.5 km, and this from 6 :00 p.m. on.

Eight hundred kilometers later, riders will prepare for the final stage that will determine the winner of the 19th edition. Last year’s success of this stage prompted organizers to repeat the 165 km urban circuit through Saint-Georges. As at the criterium, cycling fans will be able to repeatedly enjoy the race as riders will make 15 laps of 11 km.

The television viewers will be able to follow updates of the competition on RDS from June 16th to the 20th thanks to Netcast Productions. Also, a special broadcast wrapping up the whole event will be aired on TVA Québec on Sunday June 27th at 3 :00 p.m.

Partners
The president of the Grand Prix Cycliste de Beauce is proud to announce the return of its GOLDEN sponsor Canada Post for a fourth consecutive year. The nineteenth edition of the event will be held from the 15th to the 20th of June 2004.

Also for a fourth year, Bell Canada is once again a proud partner of the Grand Prix Cycliste de Beauce Postes Canada. Bell will contribute its communications technology to the organizers, volunteers and officials of the competition in order to successfully present this prestigious male cycling event, sanctionned 2.3 by the International Cycling Union.

The organizers of the Grand Prix Cycliste de Beauce Postes Canada presented by Bell would also like to recognize the return of many faithful partners who have been associated with the event for many years. Thus, Le Georgesville, Hydro Québec and the Rocky Mountain division of the Procycle Group are the other major sponsors to contribute to the success of the event.

In addition to these sponsors, much support comes from governmental partners such as Tourisme Québec, Secrétariat au loisir et au sport and Bureau de la Capitale nationale from the provincial side. On the federal side, Développement Économique Canada and Placement Carrière-été are contributers for a second year. Many local and official providers are also there to help the organization. Good number of regional businesses also participate as members of the Amis du Grand Prix cycliste de Beauce.

It is also important to salute the excellent collaboration of many municipal and provincial organizations such as the cities of Québec, Saint-Georges, Saint-Joseph, Lac-Etchemin, the Mont-Mégantic National Park and the Commission des Champs de bataille nationaux. The organization also thanks for the collaboration of all visited towns, the Sûreté du Québec, the municipal police departments and the ministère des Transports du Québec that each year allows the elaboration of international class courses.