Denise Ramsden is the new Canadian national road champion

Denise Ramsden (Optum-Kelly Benefit Strategies) won the Cold-FX Canadian Road Championships p/b Canadian Tire held in Lac-Megantic, Quebec. She out-paced her breakaway companion Clara Hughes (Specialized-lululemon) in second. Joelle Numainville (Optum-Kelly Benefit Strategies) sprinted in for third place nearly two minutes behind the breakaway.

Ramsden’s win secured her both the Elite and the Under23 Canadian national road race titles. “The main plan was to lead Joelle out,” Ramsden said. “I decided after the circuit to attack. Clara bridged and she drove it. She’s so strong. It wasn’t in my interest to do a lot of work. Joelle also told me that Clara is fast in the turns so I tried to pass her in the last chicane.  We wanted someone from the team to win. Everyone is happy.”

“The girls did a fantastic ride,” said Optum team director Eric Wohlberg. He said his riders knew they’d have to deal with Hughes. “We knew we’d have to sit on Clara,” he said. “We just had no choice.”

Hughes said it was a difficult day not having teammates in the peleton. She said she knew if she wanted to get on the podium then she had to get away. Despite not being able to hold off Ramsden to the very end, though, Hughes said she was really pleased with today.

Some 66 Elite/U23 racers lined up to complete two large circuits that included one decisive climb each lap, totaling 106.8 km. They climbed the famed Mont Morne, which was used last week as part of the ‘queen’ stage at the Tour de Beauce.

The top-notch women’s field included defending champion Veronique Fortin (Tibco-To the Top) and six-time Olympic medallist Clara Hughes (Specialized-lululemon). The U.S. team Optum-Kelly Benefit Strategies had a series of riders in the field including Joelle Numainville and Lex Albrecht along with Under 23 teammates Denise Ramsden, Leah Kirchmann and Annie Ewart.

The first significant breakaway included Gabrielle Pilote Fortin (Team Quebec), Julie Beveridge (Vienne-Futurescope) and Jasmin Glaesser (Cycling BC). Fortin dropped out of the breakaway shortly before the onset of rolling terrain.

Beveridge and Glaesser continued to gain 50 seconds ahead of a chase group including Hughes, Numainville, Rhae-Christie Shaw (Exergy TWENTY12) and Karol-Ann Canuel (Vienne-Futurescope). The front group swelled to 12 riders when Ramsden, Ewart, Albrecht, Fortin, Veronique LaBonte (CSM) and Kristine Brynjolfson (Trek Red Truck) bridged across.

Joanie Caron (Colavita-Espnw) and Jenny Lehmann (Trek Red Truck) also bridged across and attacked the group to form a new two-woman breakaway on the main climb. They gained a maximum of three minutes before Lehmann attacked and got a gap on Mont Morne, gaining 35 seconds ahead of Caron at the top.

Lehmann started the second time up Mont Marne alone but she was closely followed by a new chaser Veronique LaBonte (CSM-Epinay sur Seine).

Lehmann and LaBonte were caught at the top of the second climb by Hughes, Shaw, Beveridge, Ramsden, Glaesser, Numainville and Canuel. Alizee Brien (Specialized-Mazda) later bridged across to the established breakaway.

The chase group, 45 seconds back, included Worley, Pilote Fortin, Brynjolfson, Myriam Gaudreault (GTH Port), Maghalie Rochette (PowerWatts-Fittime) and Jozina Vander Klok (PowerWatts-Fittime).

Hughes and Ramsden broke away from their breakaway companions with 30 km to go and gained a maximum of one minute ahead of their chasers. Hughes did the bulk of the work heading toward the finish line. Ramsden capitalized off her work and won the tactical sprint to the finish line.

Official Results

Unofficial top three:

1. Denise Ramsden (Optum-Kelly Benefit Strategies)
2. Clara Hughes (Specialized-lululemon)
3. Joelle Numainville (Optum-Kelly Benefit Strategies)