Dennis Rohan still race leader; Ryan Anderson keeps Red Jersey

(Black Diamond, AB – September 07, 2013) Antoine Duchesne sent a message today: he is ready to race with the big boys of cycling, joining the winning break early in the race to show composure, patience and strong endurance skills.

The 2013 Tour of Alberta continued today for a fifth day, and it was certainly not a fun day on the bike, with the group of 113 cyclists travelling the 169.6km course in cold rain.

The group preserved despite the less ideal conditions. The race started in Black Diamond, a town named after the high-grade coal that once mined there, tucked away in the Rocky Mountain foothills. The race then headed through Turner Valley on a 60-km circuit that bordered Bragg Creek. Within the main loop, the riders tacked an inner-circuit of 40km, packed with challenging features and climbs, before returning to Black Diamond for the finish line.

A group of nine riders emerged from the pack in the early moments of the race, including Canada’s Antoine Duchesne and Calgary native rider Nic Hamilton of Jelly Belly, and gained a gap of 10 minutes. With no danger in the break, the peloton was content to leave the group alone, controlling the gap, all to the advantage of Duchesne and Hamilton.

The group of nine remained intact until 45km left in the race, climbing the second KOM climb of the day. Simon Gescke of Argos-Shimanos and Tom Jelte Slatger of Belkin Pro Cycling Team both attacked away atop the climb. Slatger, who won both KOM climbs today, secured himself the polka dot jersey heading into tomorrow with a solid 37pts, an insurmountable lead of 12 pts over his teammate and closest competitior, Robert Gesing.

Canada’s Antoine Duchesne was part of the nine-man break that took off early, and also took part of the three-man group chasing the two-man ahead after the KOM climb. Duchesne was in great company, beside Benjamin Day of United Healthcare and none other than Cadel Evans of BMC Racing, the 2011 Tour de France Champion. Shortly after initiating the chase, the two groups merged to form the leading group of five. That group would eventually withstand the pressure put by the chase, and entered the streets of Black Diamond

Ultimately, in the last 500m of the race, Duchesne ran out of legs, and finished fifth behind Cadel Evans, Simon Geschke, Tom Jelte Slatger, and Benjamin Day.

“I am from a little town in Saguenay. I started to race in a little club in a small town. I kept on working and working, always trying to improve for the last eight years since riding a bike. Every year, it’s just getting better and better. Really, everything is possible even if you believe in it, and it’s not because you are from a little town that you can’t become a top rider. Today, coming from a small town, I was riding with a Tour de France winner. I was able to ride with him,” inspired Duchesne.

Duchesne today won the Blue Jersey, awarded to the Most Aggressive Rider.

“I knew there were some pretty big teams here. I was aiming for something like that. When the race started, I had a number on my back just like him [Cadel Evans]. I was trying not to be pressed to do my own race, and try to get the best out of it. I tried not to think too much like ‘Oh My God, it’s Cadel Evans’… at the end I tried to stay calm, follow the wheel. I was thinking about the win, to do the best I could.”

“Canada has never been a “cycling” country. We have seen in the last few years guys like Ryder winning the Giro, Svein [Tuft] excelling at the WorldTour, and a lot of other Canadian riders doing well in the WorldTour and other big races. Having two continental riders [with Ryan Anderson] from Canada wearing jerseys of a big cycling race, in Canada, on the last stage, shows that we are able to race against some of the best riders in the world,” said Antoine Duchesne, of Québec, QC.

Duchesne is graduating this year from the Bontrager Cycling Team program, designed exclusively for espoirs (U23) riders, and will be looking for a team to ride with next year. So far, Duchesne has an impressive résumé with back-to-back wins in the espoirs road race at Canadian Championships and a stage podium at the Tour de Beauce, in the difficult Quebec City fifth stage.

Gord Fraser, Directeur sportif of the Canadian National Team, gives a perfect mark for Duchesne in today’s race: “It’s really great to see him grab the bull by the horn, especially after yesterday. He was really disappointed not to be in that move, and he should have been. It’s always hard as a coach to know how to talk to an athlete at the end. I didn’t really need to say anything,” said Gord Fraser

“Today, he was in a situation to win a big race. The other guys were not under the pressure he was under today. They all have big contracts and years of experience on him. And here is a young guy, throw in against all these experienced guys, in his home country, in addition to trying to secure a job for next year. There is a lot of pressure on a young guy, and he executed perfectly. He just ran out of legs. 10 out of 10 for his tactics. His racing IQ is very high and it showed.”

Duchesne finished third of the Road Canadian Championships in 2013, and fourth in 2012.

The young rider from Quebec City was ranked 39th in the GC entering today’s stage, and now jumps in the 22nd place with this result, with one stage to go.

Rohan Dennis of Team Garmin Sharp kept his overall lead of the General Classification heading into the last stage, benefiting from an 18-second lead on the second place. Dennis will roll into the downtown core of Calgary in the yellow jersey, and most likely win his first race outside of Australia. The short race is expected to finish in a sprint, keeping intact the leader board of the General Classification.

Without any surprises, Ryan Anderson kept the Red Jersey today as the Best Canadian Anderson had over seven minutes lead on Alexander Cataford entering the race. Even with Duchesne’s stellar performance today, Anderson had a lead of 17 minutes on him.

This inaugural 2013 Tour of Alberta ends tomorrow with the fifth and last stage, starting in Okotoks ending downtown Calgary.

The race can be watched on Sportsnet in Canada, with the last two hours of the race shown live.

Follow Cycling Canada on Twitter at www.twitter.com/cyclingcanada and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/cyclingcanada.

2013 TOUR OF ALBERTA – RESULTS, STAGE 3

1. Cadel Evans Australia | BMC Racing Team 3:57:18

2. Simon Geschke Germany | Team Argos-Shimano +0

3. Tom Jelte Slagter Netherlands | Belkin Pro Cycling Team +0

4. Benjamin Day Australia | UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling +0

5. Antoine Duchesne Canada | Canadian National Team +0

6. Scott Zwizanski United States | Optum P/b Kelly Benefit Strategies +1:49

7. Nic Hamlton Canada | Jelly Belly P/b Kenda +1:49

8. Clay Murfet Australia | SmartStop P/b Mountain Khakis +1:49

9. Ryan Roth Canada | Champion System Pro Cycling +1:49

10. Luke Keough United States | UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling +9:44

==========

19. Jean-Michel Lachance Canada | Canadian National Team +9:44

36. Garrett Mcleod Canada | Canadian National Team +9:44

49. Jean-Sebastien Perron Canada | Canadian National Team +9:44

50. Stuart Wight Canada | Canadian National Team +9:44

64. Ryan Aitcheson Canada | Canadian National Team +9:44

69. Derrick St John Canada | Canadian National Team+9:44

88. Rob Britton Canada | Canadian National Team +9:44

2013 TOUR OF ALBERTA – GENERAL CLASSIFICATION

1. Rohan Dennis Australia | Team Garmin-Sharp 15:06:20

2. Brent Bookwalter United States | BMC Racing Team +:18

3. Damiano Caruso Italy | Cannondale Pro Cycling +:30

4. Patrick Gretsch Germany | Team Argos-Shimano +:31

5. Robert Gesink Netherlands | Belkin Pro Cycling Team +:34

6. Robert Sweeting United States | 5-Hour Energy P/b Kenda +:54

7. Francisco Mancebo Spain | 5-Hour Energy P/b Kenda +:55

8. Ryan Anderson Canada | Optum P/b Kelly Benefit Strategies +:56

9. Matthias Friedemann Germany | Champion System Pro Cycling +1:12

10. Steven Kruijswijk Netherlands | Belkin Pro Cycling Team +1:15

=========

22. Antoine Duchesne Canada | Canadian National Team +8:19

37. Rob Britton Canada | Canadian National Team +17:42

57. Jean-Michel Lachance Canada | Canadian National Team +18:03

73. Derrick St John Canada | Canadian National Team +18:37

77. Jean-Sebastien Perron Canada | Canadian National Team +18:52

81. Garrett Mcleod Canada | Canadian National Team +18:57

90. Ryan Aitcheson Canada | Canadian National Team +19:48

92. Stuart Wight Canada | Canadian National Team +19:53

2013 TOUR OF ALBERTA – THE STAGES

Prologue: Tuesday, September 3; Edmonton (7.3 km)

Stage 1: Wednesday, September 4; Strathcona County to Camrose (158.1 km)

Stage 2: Thursday, September 5; Devon to Red Deer (174.8 km)

Stage 3: Friday, September 6; Strathmore to Drumheller (169.8 km)

Stage 4: Saturday, September 7; Black Diamond/Foothills (169.9 km)

Stage 5: Sunday, September 8 – Okotoks to Calgary (129.4 km)

2013 TOUR OF ALBERTA – THE JERSEYS

Province of Alberta Leader Jersey (Yellow): Rohan Dennis Australia | Team Garmin-Sharp 15:06:20

SUBWAY® Sprint Jersey (Green): Peter Sagan Slovakia | Cannondale Pro Cycling 25pts

Budweiser Crown King of the Mountains Jersey (Red Polka Dots): Tom Jelte Slagter Netherlands | Belkin Pro Cycling Team 37 pts

CWB Best Young Rider Jersey (White): Rohan Dennis Australia | Team Garmin-Sharp 15:06:20

Best Canadian Jersey (Red): Ryan Anderson Canada | Optum P/b Kelly Benefit Strategies +:56

Most Aggressive Rider (Blue): Antoine Duchesne Canada | Canadian National Team

Peter Sagan maintains General Classification lead with third place

(Red Deer, AB – September 05, 2013) Very high speeds were on the agenda once again today as the 2013 Tour of Alberta continued with Stage two, a 174.8 km ride between Devon, outside of Edmonton, and Red Deer. The group once again today enjoyed a beautiful day to race, with sunshine and blue skies all across the course.

Despite leaving Devon 15 minutes later than originally planned due to the very fast speed from yesterday’s opening stage, where riders posted an average of 47.9 km/h, the group of 117 cyclists continued today with the high tempo, taking only 3:32:47 to complete the stage, averaging 45.3 km/hr.

Two riders emerged in a break after the second sprint line in Ponoka with 75 km to go – Silvan Dillier of BMC Racing and Sergei Tvetcov of Jelly Belly Cycling Team. The break gained a maximum gap of 5:20, until the peloton decided to chase and attack. The two riders, two time trial specialists, worked well together and managed to stay ahead of the group entering the final laps.

The break managed to maintain their speeds and momentum in the three-lap circuit, and it is ultimately Sylvan Dillier who crossed the finish line first, with Tvetcov taking the second rank. The peloton sprinted for the third place, and it’s Peter Sagan of Cannondale Pro Cycling who completed the podium in third place, after launching the sprint early.

In the general classification, Peter Sagan is still sitting atop the standings, with a 0:26 lead over his closest competitor, Rohan Dennis of Team Garmin-Sharp. Rob Britton is the top member of the Canadian National Team in 27th place with a deficit of 1:07 over Sagan, while Antoine Duchesne still remains one second behind his teammate.

Canada’s Ryder Hesjedal is still sitting as the Top Canadian rider, wearing the Red Jersey in ninth place in the overall. Canada’s National Champion, Zach Bell of Champion System is sitting in 110th place of the general classification, after crashing yesterday.

Gord Fraser, the directeur sportif for the Canadian Team here at the Tour of Alberta, is impressed with with average speeds of racing: “For us, I think it was a good day. Jean-Sebastien [Perron] was on Sagan’s wheel in the finale. He said he was maxed out, but to have him up there in the hunt bodes well for the team… so far so good. Racing at approximately 50km/h for that long is difficult, and you can’t say that about races very often. They are certainly getting lots of speedwork.”

“Today was very much the same situation as it was yesterday, it was really a question of winds and how it would affect the race. With the wind turning from the north, we had a tailwind all day, with a speed in the peloton around 50km/h, for the entirety of the race.”

“Yesterday we just caught out a bit at the end, getting behind a split. We refreshed the guys this morning reminding them that it’s not over until they cross the finish line, and to encourage other riders in the peloton to keep the wheel. It happens, guys are tired and they have done their work, pulling the anchor and cause problems for others behind. These guys never stop learning, even at the professional level.”

Fraser was excited to see the break take the race today, after taking chances and launching the break attack: “Congratulations for both guys in the breakaway. It’s nice to see them rewarded for taking a chance. Sergie is a really aggressive rider. It’s too bad he couldn’t pull of the stage. It would have been good for domestic cycling and for Jelly Belly.”

The finish line spectators were treated to a great festival in Red Deer, with Country superstar band Emerson Drive entertaining the thousands of spectators awaiting the peloton to cross the finish line. Once again, the Tour of Alberta was embraced by local communities along the course, especially at start and finish locations.

This inaugural Tour of Alberta now makes its way to Southern Alberta for the last three stages. Tomorrow’s stage start in Strathmore, just east of Calgary, and end in Drumheller in the heart of the Canadian Badlands.

The Canadian broadcast partner for the Tour of Alberta, Sportsnet, will be airing the race live for two hours each day, along with daily one-hour highlights program to air in primetime each day of the race.

Follow Cycling Canada on Twitter at www.twitter.com/cyclingcanada and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/cyclingcanada.

2013 TOUR OF ALBERTA – RESULTS, STAGE 1

1. Silvan Dillier Switzerland | BMC Racing Team 3:32:47

2. Serghei Tvetcov Moldova | Jelly Belly P/b Kenda +0

3. Peter Sagan Slovakia | Cannondale Pro Cycling +:16

4. Aidis Kroupis Lithuania | ORICA GreenEDGE +:18

5. Luka Mezgec Slovenia | Team Argos-Shimano +:18

6. Nicholai Brochner Denmark | Bissell Pro Cycling +:18

7. Eric Young United States | Optum P/b Kelly Benefit Strategies +:18

8. Travis Mccabe United States | SmartStop P/b Mountain Khakis +:18

9. Dennis Van Winden Netherlands | Belkin Pro Cycling Team +:18

10. Jeremy Vennell New Zealand | Bissell Pro Cycling +:18

==========

21. Jean-Sébastien Perron Canada | Canadian National Team +:18

41. Jean-Michel Lachance Canada | Canadian National Team +:18

61. Antoine Duchesne Canada | Canadian National Team +:18

68. Rob Britton Canada | Canadian National Team +:18

82. Stuart Wight Canada | Canadian National Team +:18

88. Derrick St John Canada | Canadian National Team +:18

91. Garrett Mcleod Canada | Canadian National Team +:58

94. Ryan Aitcheson Canada | Canadian National Team +1:16

2013 TOUR OF ALBERTA – OVERALL CLASSIFICATION

1. Peter Sagan Slovakia | Cannondale Pro Cycling 7:03.34

2. Rohan Dennis Australia | Team Garmin-Sharp +:26

3. Tobias Ludvigsson Swenden | Team Argos-Shimano +:28

4. Cadel Evans Australia | BMC Racing Team +:36

5. Brent Bookwalter United States | BMC Racing Team +:37

6. Pieter Weening Netherlands | ORICA GreenEDGE +:43

7. Patrick Gretsch Germany | Team Argos-Shimano +:44

8. Tom Zirbel United States | Optum P/b Kelly Benefit Strategies +:46

9. Ryder Hesjedal Canada | Team Garmin-Sharp +:46

10. Robert Gesink Netherlands | Belkin Pro Cycling Team +:47

==========

27. Rob Britton Canada | Canadian National Team +1:07

29. Antoine Duchesne Canada | Canadian National Team +1:08

50. Jean-Michel Lachance Canada | Canadian National Team +1:28

69. Derrick St John Canada | Canadian National Team +2:02

74. Jean-Sébastien Perron Canada | Canadian National Team +2:17

78. Garrett Mcleod Canada | Canadian National Team +2:22

88. Ryan Aitcheson Canada | Canadian National Team +3:13

90. Stuart Wight Canada | Canadian National Team +3:18

2013 TOUR OF ALBERTA – THE STAGES

Prologue: Tuesday, September 3; Edmonton (7.3 km)

Stage 1: Wednesday, September 4; Strathcona County to Camrose (158.1 km)

Stage 2: Thursday, September 5; Devon to Red Deer (174.8 km)

Stage 3: Friday, September 6; Strathmore to Drumheller (169.8 km)

Stage 4: Saturday, September 7; Black Diamond/Foothills (169.9 km)

Stage 5: Sunday, September 8 – Okotoks to Calgary (129.4 km)

2013 TOUR OF ALBERTA – THE JERSEYS

Province of Alberta Leader Jersey (Yellow): Peter Sagan Slovakia | Cannondale Pro Cycling 7:03.34

SUBWAY® Sprint Jersey (Green): Peter Sagan Slovakia | Cannondale Pro Cycling 25 pts

Budweiser Crown King of the Mountains Jersey (Red Polka Dots): Tom Jelte Slagter Netherlands | Belkin Pro Cycling Team 17 pts

CWB Best Young Rider Jersey (White): Peter Sagan Slovakia | Cannondale Pro Cycling 7:03.34

Best Canadian Jersey (Red): Ryder Hesjedal Canada | Team Garmin-Sharp +:46

Most Aggressive Rider (Blue): Serghei Tvetcov Moldova | Jelly Belly P/b Kenda

Six-day race is Canada’s biggest stage race, and the crowd comes out in masses to cheer

(Edmonton, AB – September 03, 2013) The 2013 Tour of Alberta has finally begun, after years of planning, with an opening 7.3km prologue through the streets of downtown Edmonton, the capital city of Alberta.

Tens of thousands of spectators and cyclist enthusiasts gathered at the start and finish area, at Winston Churchill Square downtown Edmonton, and all along the short, gruelling course to see some of the World’s best riders compete for the ultimate honours of the inaugural, six-day Tour of Alberta.

Canada opened up the stage race with Rob Britton posting the fastest time among the group representing the National Team, showing a 41s deficit on the fastest time set by Peter Sagan of Cannondale Pro Cycling.

“I rolled the dice. It was the first time racing for me on this bike, which I borrowed from Antoine Duchesne. I put my all, and got close to the Top Canadian,” said Rob Britton, still cooling down after his effort.

“It’s pretty amazing to race in front of so many fans. In some sections, I couldn’t carry myself breathing, with a ton of noise. It was incredible. I’d never thought I’d see the day where we could get so many people out cheering on a bike race in Canada. I think this is a reflection of the momentum that cycling has built over the last few years. It’s getting bigger and bigger each year. Hopefully this is not the end of the momentum and we can keep building from here.”

As for the next five days of racing, Britton thinks it won’t be as easy as it’s been reported: “Just wait and see. They are hard courses. People are saying that it would be easy because there are no climbs, but its not going make it easier, just different. It’s gonna be pretty hurting. I can almost guarantee you’ll see some carnage, some massive group splits on some of those days. Tough racing.”

Antoine Duchesne, two-time U23 Canadian Road Champion, finished with a time just one second slower than his teammate Britton.

“I didn’t do too many mistakes today. It’s a beautiful course, very fast. I was able to engage nicely into the turns, with lots of speed. The end of the course offered some interesting difficulties. I don’t think I could have done better today, so I am really satisfied with the result,” said Duchesne. “The climb was tough. It came after a long straight section of about four minutes of maximum efforts. It was tough to climb.”

“For a first day of competition, there was a really good vibe with a tons of supporters coming out for the race, all along the course. To be racing here in Canada, in front of Canadian in such an important race is difficult to explain. It makes me and my teammates really proud to wear the Maple Leaf and race for the National team. It’s a great honor to be among some of the best Canadians in the race. There are lots of big names in Canadian Cycling here with Zach Bell and Ryder Hesjedal notably. To wear the national team uniform and to be side to side with these guys is a tremendous honor.”

Some big cycling names are present for this first edition of the Tour of Alberta, including Tour de France winner Cadel Evans of BMC Racing, Giro d’Italia winner Ryder Hesjedal of Garmin-Sharp and #2-ranked rider Peter Sagan of Cannondale Pro Cycling. Reigning Canadian Road Champion, Zach Bell of Champion Pro System, is also among the peloton of 117 cyclists.

The Canadian broadcast partner for the Tour of Alberta, Sportsnet, will be airing the race live for two hours each day, along with daily one-hour highlights program to air in primetime each day of the race. Globally, the Tour of Alberta will be broadcast in 162 countries, reaching an estimated168 million viewers.

The Tour of Alberta continues Wednesday with the first mass-start road race, a 158.1km trek between Camrose and Strathcona County.

Follow Cycling Canada on Twitter at www.twitter.com/cyclingcanada and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/cyclingcanada.

2013 TOUR OF ALBERTA – RESULTS, STAGE 1

1. Peter Sagan Slovakia | Cannondale Pro Cycling 8:28

2. Rohan Dennis Australia | Team Garmin-Sharp +:13

3. Tobias Ludvigsson Swenden | Team Argos-Shimano +:14

4. Cadel Evans Australia | BMC Racing Team +:20

5. Brent Bookwalter United States | BMC Racing Team +:21

6. Chad Haga United States | Optum P/b Kelly Benefit Strategies +:23

7. Pieter Weening Netherlands | ORICA GreenEDGE +:29

8. David Zabriskie United States | Team Garmin-Sharp +:30

9. Tom Zirbel United States | Optum P/b Kelly Benefit Strategies +:30

10. Ryder Hesjedal Canada | Team Garmin-Sharp +:30

==========

23. Rob Britton Canada | Canadian National Team +:41

26. Antoine Duchesne Canada | Canadian National Team +:42

66. Garrett Mcleod Canada | Canadian National Team +:57

80. Ryan Aitcheson Canada | Canadian National Team +1:11

82. Jean-Michel Lachance Canada | Canadian National Team +1:12

91. Stuart Wight Canada | Canadian National Team +1:22

92. Derrick St John Canada | Canadian National Team +1:22

2013 TOUR OF ALBERTA – OVERALL CLASSIFICATION

1. Peter Sagan Slovakia | Cannondale Pro Cycling 8:28

2. Rohan Dennis Australia | Team Garmin-Sharp +:13

3. Tobias Ludvigsson Swenden | Team Argos-Shimano +:14

4. Cadel Evans Australia | BMC Racing Team +:20

5. Brent Bookwalter United States | BMC Racing Team +:21

6. Chad Haga United States | Optum P/b Kelly Benefit Strategies +:23

7. Pieter Weening Netherlands | ORICA GreenEDGE +:29

8. David Zabriskie United States | Team Garmin-Sharp +:30

9. Tom Zirbel United States | Optum P/b Kelly Benefit Strategies +:30

10. Ryder Hesjedal Canada | Team Garmin-Sharp +:30

==========

23. Rob Britton Canada | Canadian National Team +:41

26. Antoine Duchesne Canada | Canadian National Team +:42

66. Garrett Mcleod Canada | Canadian National Team +:57

80. Ryan Aitcheson Canada | Canadian National Team +1:11

82. Jean-Michel Lachance Canada | Canadian National Team +1:12

91. Stuart Wight Canada | Canadian National Team +1:22

92. Derrick St John Canada | Canadian National Team +1:22

2013 TOUR OF ALBERTA – THE STAGES

Prologue: Tuesday, September 3; Edmonton (7.3 km)

Stage 1: Wednesday, September 4; Strathcona County to Camrose (158.1 km)

Stage 2: Thursday, September 5; Devon to Red Deer (174.8 km)

Stage 3: Friday, September 6; Strathmore to Drumheller (169.8 km)

Stage 4: Saturday, September 7; Black Diamond/Foothills (169.9 km)

Stage 5: Sunday, September 8 – Okotoks to Calgary (129.4 km)

2013 TOUR OF ALBERTA – THE JERSEYS

Province of Alberta Leader Jersey (Yellow): Peter Sagan Slovakia | Cannondale Pro Cycling 8:28

SUBWAY® Sprint Jersey (Green): Rohan Dennis Australia | Team Garmin-Sharp 10 pts

Budweiser Crown King of the Mountains Jersey (Red Polka Dots): Tom Jelte Slagter Netherlands | Belkin Pro Cycling Team 10 pts

CWB Best Young Rider Jersey (White): Peter Sagan Slovakia | Cannondale Pro Cycling 8:28

Best Canadian Jersey (Red): Ryder Hesjedal Canada | Team Garmin-Sharp +:30

Cycling Canada announces eight-man roster for Tour of Alberta

(Ottawa, ON – August 23, 2013) Cycling Canada is proud to announce its eight-man roster that will be competing at the inaugural 2013 Tour of Alberta, which begins on September 3^rd.

The eight-men team is will proudly wear the Canadian colours at the Tour of Alberta, which begins on September 3^rd in Edmonton, AB and runs through the province of Alberta for six days, ending in Calgary on September 8^th.

Rob Britton of Victoria, BC (Team Raleigh) will be leading the charge for Team Canada, joined by two-time U23 Canadian Road Champion Antoine Duchesne of Quebec, QC (Bontrager Cycling Team), Garret McLeod of Wolfville, NS (Team H&R Block), Stuart Wight of Riverview, NB (Hagens Berman Cycling), Ryan Aitcheson of Kitchener, ON (Astellas Oncology Cycling Team), Jean-Sébastien Perron of Gatineau, QC (Stevens Racing p/b The Cyclery), Jean-Michel Lachance of Québec, QC (Predator Carbon Repair Cycling Team) and Derrick St-John of Gatineau, QC (Stevens Racing p/b The Cyclery).

The 2013 Tour of Alberta kicks off its inaugural year in Edmonton, with a 7.8 km prologue to set the pace for the week-long cycling festivities. Throughout the race, the peloton will travel approximately 840 kilometres.

Every stage of the race will be broadcast live on Rogers Sportsnet.

Follow Cycling Canada on Twitter at www.twitter.com/cyclingcanada and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/cyclingcanada.

TEAM CANADA – INAUGURAL TOUR OF ALBERTA

• Ryan AITCHESON (Kitchener, ON/Astellas Oncology Cycling Team)
• Rob BRITTON (Victoria, BC/Team Raleigh)
• Antoine DUCHESNE (Blainville, QC/Bontrager Cycling Team)
• Jean-Michel LACHANCE (Quebec, QC/Predator Carbon Repair Cycling Team)
• Garrett MCLEOD (Wolfville, NS/Team H&R Block)
• Jean-Sebastien PERRON (Gatineau, QC/Stevens Racing p/b The Cyclery)
• Derrick ST. JOHN (Gatineau, QC/Stevens Racing p/b The Cyclery)
• Stuart WIGHT (Riverview, NB/Hagens Berman Cycling)

Exciting Points Criterium races end road cycling on a beautiful day.

(Sherbrooke, QC – August 17, 2013) The last road cycling races at the Canada Games were held Saturday on a gorgeous sunny day in Sherbrooke, with Annie Foreman-Mackay of Ontario and Pierrick Naud of Québec each winning their second gold medals of the week.

The race, which awarded points at every five laps to the first four riders crossing the line, was different than the typical criterium race where the first crossing the line wins.

The men travelled 30 laps of the 1.8-kilometer course, and the pace was fast right from the start of the race. Team Quebec took control of the race from the sound of the whistle, placing both the Canadian Criterium Champion Pierrick Naud and Elliot Doyle in the points. After the first three laps, Naud and Doyle were alone at the top the 14 points, while Kris Dahl of Alberta and Andrew L’Espérance of Team Nova Scotia scoring seven points.

A small break comprised of the two-time Canada Games medallist Matteo Dal-Cin of Ontario, Adam de Vos of British Columbia and Chris Prendergast of Manitoba took off, and managed to get a lead of 17 seconds over five laps. The break forced Team Québec to stay at the front of the peloton and dispense significant energies to keep the gap to a controllable distance. The controlled break was eventually captured after just one sprint, or five laps, and did not impact the race leaders.

With five laps to go, in the sprint lap, Doyle squeezed in to take the five points and the solid lead in the race. But with double points awarded at the finish line, many scenarios remained possible. With a few break attempts that were easily controlled, Naud initiated the sprint and crossed the finish line with two arms up, taking the 10 points and the victory with a total of 25 points. Doyle, with his fourth sprint and 19 points already banked, was second. Dahl, with 10 points, finished third for the bronze medal.

“It’s a sense of mission accomplished,” said Pierrick Naud, of Team Quebec and member of the Garneau-Quebecor professional cycling team. “I had pretty high goals coming here, and I wanted to win two gold medals. My physical condition was very good. The team did a great job today, and we worked very well as a team.”

Asked if the points format was different from regular criterium races, Naud mentioned it didn’t change the way he raced: “We’re a little familiar with sprints for points. The Mardi Cycliste is a bit the same way. We knew we were going to be doing well,” said Naud, who will represent his team at the Tour of Alberta in early September.

In the women’s race, Annie-Foreman-Mackey of Ontario (Stevens p/b The Cyclery) won the points race scoring 15 pts in the five sprints throughout the 25-lap race, taking her second gold medal of the week.

“When I saw Alizée go up the road and Tessa joining, I thought there would be a pretty good chance that the break could stay away. Tessa and I were working the break the most, and we know each other, so we were cheering each other on. I think we both know that, should we win some sprints, we would have a chance to be on the podium.”

“[The second gold medal] is better than I could ever had imagined. I haven’t done too many crits, so this was very unexpected. This was my very first points race, even on the track, so yesterday we did a Points 101 course to learn how everything works. It was actually a lot of fun, just using strategies of the race.”

To start the race, Adriane Provost of Quebec managed to win the second sprint, for five points, and the third sprint, worth ten points, to take the early control of the race with 15 laps to go.

But an important three-woman break comprised of Foreman-Mackey, Alizée Brien of Quebec and Tessa Pinckston of British Columbia immediately changed the outcome of the race, with Foreman-Mackey scoring the some critical big points. This break, which would last until the very end, proved to be a critical mistake for Team Québec, leaving Foreman-MacKey alone in the break. The individual time trial gold medallist and powerful sprinter scored 11 points in the break to win the race with 15 points.

Adriane Provost did not score any points after her two winning sprints, and finished in second place for the silver medal with 15 points, while Tessa Pinkston scored points in the last two sprints to take the third place with 10 points.

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RESULTS – POINTS CRITERIUM – CANADA GAMES – SHERBROOKE, QC

Road cycling – Points Criterium, Men

1. Elliot Doyle (QC) 25 pts

2. Pierrick Naud (QC) 19 pts

3. Kris Dahl (AB) 10 pts

Road cycling – Points Criterium, Women

1. Annie Foreman-Mackey (ON) 15 pts

2. Adriane Provost (QC) 15 pts

3. Tessa Pinckston (BC) 12 pts