STAGE 2 AT TOUR OF ALBERTA ENDS WITH ANOTHER EXCITING SPRINT
Hugo Houle top National Team member in 46th place, sitting in 40th place of General Classification
(Red Deer, AB – September 4, 2014) The Tour of Alberta continued for the third straight day on Thursday, a 143-km stage starting in Innisfail and ending in Red Deer, via Sylvan Lake.
Under much warmer and sunny Alberta skies than the previous day, the 113-rider peloton rode north for 45 kilometers, without much action among the group. Leaving the Sylvan Lake circuit, the big teams started their attacks. With the majority of the peloton wanting to keep the race together, all attempts would be neutralized.
With 52 kilometres left in the race, 14 riders created a small gap that was controlled at 15 seconds. Three riders attacked the lead group of 14 to take the race lead creating the first real breakaway of the day. At the front were the Polka Dot Jersey, Robin Carpenter of Hincapie Sportswear, Orica-GreenEDGE’s Simon Yates, in second place of the KOM standings, and Kiel Reijnen of Team UnitedHealthcare.
Eventually, Jim Stemper of 5-Hour Energy p/b Kenda and Cameron Wurf of Team Cannondale would join the breakaway. The group of five quickly would gain time over the peloton, reaching a maximum gap of just about a minute.
Approaching the King of the Mountain climb, Yates launched the early sprint to the KOM line with 200m to go, a successful effort as he was the first to reach the top, followed by Carpenter. With the intermediate KOM effort, Yates became the new KOM leader of the race and will be wearing the Polka Dot jersey in tomorrow’s stage.
Two chasers joined the breakaway with Ben King of Garmin-Sharp and Aurélien Passeron of Silber Pro Cycling. Having kept a good control on the breakaway, the peloton quickly accelerated as the race entered Red Deer, and reeled back the breakaway in the last lap of the finishing circuit.
Once the peloton regrouped, a few attacks were quickly absorbed, setting up the finish for an inevitable bunch sprint. Giant Shimano’s Jonaswon Ahlstrand took the stage win, edging at the finish line Theo Bos of Team Belkin Pro Cycling and Stage 1 winner Ruben Zepuntke of Bissell Pro Cycling.
Of the Canadian National Team, Hugo Houle of Ste-Perpétue, QC posted the best result. He crossed the finish line with the main group, in 46ath place. Garrett McLeod, Benjamin Perry and Jordan Cheyne also finished among the main group. Houle is currently the top-ranked national team member in the general classification, jumping two spots today to sit in 40th position.
“Garrett, Hugo, Ben, and Jordan all remained in the peloton and only after good teamwork did the others trail in behind,” commented Gord Fraser. “An uneventful day here but after yesterday, it was welcome. Another 150km stage tomorrow from Wetaskiwin to Edmonton-Garrison, and perhaps the ominous cross winds may appear.”
Tom Dumoulin of Giant Shimano managed to preserve the yellow jersey as race leader, increasing his lead by three seconds to stand nine seconds ahead of his closest competitor heading into Stage 3. Dumoulin is also the Best Young Rider.
Ruben Zeptunke still leads the points classification and retains the green jersey for the second consecutive stage.
Canada’s Ryan Anderson of Team Optum-Kelly Benefits is still leading the Top Canadian standings, jumping from the seventh to the fifth spot of the General classification, and will continue to wear the Top Canadian in Friday’s third stage, 17 seconds behind Dumoulin.
Kiel Reijnen of Team United Healthcare received the Most Aggressive Jersey for his efforts in the breakaway.
The six stages of the Tour of Alberta can be seen live in Canada on Sportsnet. Check local listings for full broadcast details.
Starting at 11:40am Mountain Time, Stage 3 will be a 157.9.5km point-to-point race from Wetaskiwin to Edmonton Garrison. The race will end on the Edmonton Garrison Runway.
2014 TOUR OF ALBERTA
RESULTS – STAGE 2 (Innisfail to Red Deer)
1. AHLSTRAND Jonas * Team GIANT-SHIMANO GIA 3:02:14
2. BOS Theo BELKIN Pro Cycling (ST)
3. ZEPUNTKE Ruben * BISSELL DEVELOPMENT (ST)
4. YOUNG Eric OPTUM pb KELLY BENEFIT STRATEGIES (ST)
5. MOHORIC Matej * CANNONDALE (ST)
6. NAVARDAUSKAS Ramunas Team GARMIN-SHARP (ST)
7. BROCHNER Nicolai * BISSELL DEVELOPMENT (ST)
8. TVETCOV Serghei JELLY BELLY pb MAXXIS (ST)
9. VAN DER LIJKE Nicky * BELKIN Pro Cycling (ST)
10. SUMMERHILL Daniel UNITEDHEALTHCARE Pro Cycling (ST)
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46. HOULE Hugo * # CANADIAN NATIONAL Team (ST)
54. PERRY Benjamin * # CANADIAN NATIONAL Team (ST)
55. MCCLEOD Garrett # CANADIAN NATIONAL Team (ST)
57. CHEYNE Jordan * # CANADIAN NATIONAL Team (ST)
80. PERRON Jean-Sebastian # CANADIAN NATIONAL Team +0:40
81. DE VOS Adam * # CANADIAN NATIONAL Team +0:40
82. WIGHT Stuart * # CANADIAN NATIONAL Team +0:40
RESULTS – GENERAL CLASSIFICATION (AFTER STAGE 2)
1. DUMOULIN Tom * Team GIANT-SHIMANO 6:26:23
2. ZEPUNTKE Ruben * BISSELL DEVELOPMENT +0:09
3. TVETCOV Serghei JELLY BELLY pb MAXXIS +0:14
4. DANIELSON Thomas Team GARMIN-SHARP +0:17
5. ANDERSON Ryan # OPTUM pb KELLY BENEFIT STRATEGIES +0:17
6. IMPEY Daryl ORICA-GREENEDGE +0:18
7. VILLELLA Davide * CANNONDALE +0:18
8. SUMMERHILL Daniel UNITEDHEALTHCARE Pro Cycling +0:18
9. ROSSKOPF Joseph HINCAPIE SPORTSWEAR DEVELOPMENT +0:22
10. MEIER Christian # ORICA-GREENEDGE +0:23
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40. HOULE Hugo * # CANADIAN NATIONAL Team +1:20
45. MCCLEOD Garrett # CANADIAN NATIONAL Team +1:26
48. PERRY Benjamin * # CANADIAN NATIONAL Team +1:42
59. WIGHT Stuart * # CANADIAN NATIONAL Team +2:54
85. PERRON Jean-Sebastian # CANADIAN NATIONAL Team +8:08
91. CHEYNE Jordan * # CANADIAN NATIONAL Team +9:15
98. DE VOS Adam * # CANADIAN NATIONAL Team +10:10
JERSEYS (AFTER STAGE 2)
- Yellow Jersey (Race Leader): DUMOULIN Tom (Team GIANT-SHIMANO)
- Green Jersey (Top Sprinter): ZEPUNTKE Ruben (BISSELL DEVELOPMENT)
- Polka Dot Jersey (Best Climber): YATES Simon (ORICA-GREENEDGE)
- White Jersey (Best Young): DUMOULIN Tom (Team GIANT-SHIMANO)
- Red Jersey (Top Canadian): ANDERSON Ryan (OPTUM pb KELLY BENEFIT STRATEGIES)
- Blue Jersey (Most Aggressive Rider): REIJNEN Kiel (Team UNITEDHEALTHCARE)
