DAVID VEILLEUX ONCE MORE TOP CANADIAN AT ROAD CYCLING WORLDS

The young Canadian finishes 83rd after more than six hours of gruelling racing

(Limburg, NED – September 23, 2012) For the second straight edition of the Road Worlds, David Veilleux of Cap Rouge, QC (Team Europcar) finished as the top Canadian in the elite men road race. After finishing 19th in the 2011 edition of this event, in Copenhagen, DEN, Veilleux concluded the 2012 UCI Road World Championships in Limburg, Netherlands finishing in 83rd place.

Veilleux, 25, crossed the finishing line after the grueling course with after 6:13:34 of racing, 2:53 behind Phillipe Gilbert of Belgium (BMC Racing Team), the winner of the 2011 UCI World Tour.

“I was feeling good, but I was having a hard time to climb through the Cauberg. I was pretty fortunate to stay clear of crashes, but on the ninth climb, I wasn’t able to follow. I tried to ride back to the main group, but I wasn’t able,” said Veilleux, after his race.

Canada’s Ryder Hesjedal of Victoria, BC (Garmin-Sharp), who won the Giro d’Italia earlier this spring, finished 108th, just before François Parisien of Repentigny, QC (Team SpiderTech p/b C10), who crossed the line in 110th position. Time Trial specialist Svein Tuft of Langley, BC (Orica-GreenEDGE) did not finish the race.

In the Men Junior race, Ben Perry of St. Catharines, ON was the top Canadian finisher in the men junior contest. Perry finished the race in 37th place with the same time of 3:00:45 as the newly crowned World Champion, Matej Mohoric of Slovenia. Nigel Ellsay of Courtenay, BC followed in the second pack, crossing the finish line 25s after the main group. Reigning Canadian Champion Christopher Prendergast did not finish.

These two races conclude the 2012 UCI Road World Championships in Limburg, the Netherlands, highlighted by the fourth place of Hugo Houle in the U23 Road Race, Saturday.

For more information on the 2012 UCI Road World Championships, please visit www.limburg2012.nl. For complete results, visit www.uci.ch.

RESULTS – ROAD RACES – 2012 UCI ROAD WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

ELITE MEN

1. Philippe GILBERT (BEL) 6:10:41

2. Edvald BOASSON HAGEN (NOR) +0:04

3. Alejandro VALVERDE BELMONTE (ESP) +0:05

83. David VEILLEUX (CAN) +2:53

108. Ryder HESJEDAL (CAN) +8:55

110. Francois PARISIEN (CAN) +8:55

DNF. Svein TUFT (CAN)

JUNIOR MEN

1. Matej MOHORIC (SLO) 3:00:45

2. Caleb EWAN (AUS) ST

3. Josip RUMAC (CRO) ST

37. Benjamin PERRY (CAN) ST

83. Nigel ELLSAY (CAN) +0:25

DNF. Christopher PRENDERGAST (CAN)