HOULE 16 SECONDS OUT OF LEAD AS BEAUCE ENTERS FINAL STAGE

(Quebec, QC – June 18, 2016) Team Canada’s Hugo Houle remains in second place in the overall standings at the Tour de Beauce after finishing sixth in Stage 4 on Saturday. Houle is 16 seconds behind race leader Gregory Daniel of the United States going into Sunday’s final stage.

The Quebec City stage is usually a tough circuit race through streets of Old Quebec with a steep climb from the St Lawrence River to the upper town. However, this year organizers substituted a criterium, with 35 laps of a two kilometre circuit.

The first ten laps saw numerous attempts to form a break, with the largest consisting of 20 riders, including Daniel, second placed Houle and other GC riders. However, the GC teams that were not in the break brought it back.

A small break of five riders that were not a threat to the overall standings attacked, gaining an advantage of nearly a minute, before being brought back to 18 seconds by the finish. Estonia’s Mikhel Raim won the stage, ahead of Canadian riders Pierrick Naud (Rally Cycling) and Ben Perry (Silber).

Daniel goes into Sunday’s final stage with 16 seconds on Houle (down from the previously published 18 seconds after a timing correction). The last circuit race in St-Georges is ten laps of a 12 kilometre circuit, with a long climb that has completely blown the race apart in some previous editions when the race leader’s team is not strong enough to control. Team Canada will work hard to put Daniel under pressure and create an opportunity for Houle to become the first Canadian champion at Beauce since 2008.