Home > News

2016 Tour of Alberta Stage 3: Huffman grabs win, race lead in Drayton Valley

Huffman takes yellow before decisive chrono

Evan Huffman Tour of Alberta

Evan Huffman Tour of Alberta
Evan Huffman (USA/Rally) triumphed in a sprint with late breakaway partner Robin Carpenter to take the flowers and Tour of Alberta yellow jersey in Drayton Valley on Saturday.

The race kept heading north, this time between Rocky Mountain House and Drayton Valley where the field would face three circuits for a total distance of 181-km.


There were a few failed breakaway attempts including riders like Michael Woods, Ben Perry and who yesterday’s runner-up, Alexis Cartier. Polka dot jersey holder Danilo Celano (Italy/Amore & Vita) zipped away from the field to take the first KOM 18-km into the stage. Daniel Eaton of UnitedHealthcare nabbed the intermediate sprint at the 41-km mark.


It wasn’t until the 75-km mark that first six and then nine riders stole away. Team Canada member William Elliott joined Peter Stetina (USA/Trek-Segafredo), Lawson Craddock (USA/Cannondale-Drapac) and six others.

Antoine Duchesne tried to bridge over with another rider but they couldn’t make the junction. Elliott dropped away from the breakaway. Woods and compatriot Pierrick Naud (Rally) were involved in a crash with 52-km to go, one that caused Naud to climb off. By that time the octet left ahead enjoyed a 2:30 gap on the break.

Silber and Axeon worked to clip the lead, and then Trek-Segafredo joined in. With 22-km and the final KOM climb of the day remaining, the gap was only a minute. Toms Skujiņš (Latvia/Cannondale-Drapac) out-dueled Stetina on the climb. Although some fugitives surrendered, a bridging move refreshed the numbers.

On the first of three 6-km circuits in Drayton Valley, one of the bridgers, cookie enthusiast Phil Gaimon (USA/Cannondale), launched an attack that split the break. However, the whole pack came back together with 12-km to go.

Huffman struck sparks soon after the race re-formed, scuttling away with two others, including Carpenter, but only the Holowesko-Citadel rider could stay with him. Both were within 11-seconds of race leader Colin Joyce (USA/Axeon Hagen Bermans.

The duo survived and Huffman jumped Carpenter before the final turn. The Rally rider leads Carpenter by two-seconds overall. Canadian Kris Dahl of Silber was third on the day, while Colin Joyce now sits third place on GC, 10-seconds down.

Sunday is the decisive 12-km time trial in Edmonton.

2016 Tour of Alberta Stage 3
1) Evan Huffman (USA/Rally) 4:04:04
2) Robin Carpenter (USA/Holowesko-Citadel) s.t.
3) Kris Dahl (Canada/Silber) +0:04

2016 Tour of Alberta GC
1) Evan Huffman (USA/Rally)
2) Robin Carpenter (USA/Holowesko-Citadel) +0:02
3) Colin Joyce (USA/Axeon Hagen Bermans) +0:10
6) Alexander Cataford (Canada/Silber) +0:21