MAINE AND PELLETIER-ROY STRONGEST ON THE DAY AT CRITERIUM NATIONAL
Crit racing featured using Grand Prix Cycliste de Montreal Start/Finish section.
(Montreal, QC – September 12, 2015) In the rain, the two races of the inaugural Criterium National took place Saturday evening in Montreal. Rémi Pelletier-Roy (Garneau-Québecor) and Katherine Maine (Canadian National Team) were proclaimed the first winners of of this exciting event.
Both winners were part of the main breakaways of two riders in their respective race, and both launched their attacks in the last 200 meters of racing to secure the victories.
In the men’s race, Rémi Pelletier-Roy of St-Augustin de Desmaures took the victory after 40 laps of racing. Pelletier-Roy and Canadian junior cyclist Derek Gee formed the breakaway of the day, and worked together to the finish line. But Pelletier’s strength was just too much for the powerful junior cyclist. Marc-Antoine Soucy (Garneau-Québecor) won the mass sprint to earn the third place.
Junior cyclist Katherine Maine of Ottawa was first to cross the finish line of the women’s race. The 28 women who took the start raced 30 laps of the 1.1 km course, totalling 33km of racing. Maine won five intermediate sprints, earning some bonuses in the process. In the final 200m, Maine was able to distance herself from Carrie Cartmill (The Cyclery), her breakaway partner, to earn the victory. Canadian Track cyclist Kirsti Lay (SAS-Mazda) took the third place.
The eight junior cyclists racing today will represent Canada at the World Championships next week. They utilized the Criterium National as part of their final preparations.
Presented this year for the first time as part of the Grand Prix Cycliste de Québec and Montreal, these races provided Canadian cyclists the opportunity to showcase their colors to the general public.
This criterium event took advantage of the already existing infrastructure of the Grand Prix Cycliste de Montreal, using the start/finish section of the World Tour race on Park Avenue, at the base of Mount Royal Park.
The Grand Prix Cycliste de Montreal will take place tomorrow at 11 am.
