Andrew L’Esperance lands podium finish at Salamina Epic stage race
Four Canadians put down strong results at early-season mountain series in Greece
Andrew L’Esperance is off to a smoking fast start to his early-season racing. The Canadian finished third overall in the Salamina Epic #3 on Thursday in Greece.
L’Esperance is in Greece with Norco Factory Team riders Quinton Disera and the team’s new recruits Jenn Jackson and Carter Woods. Racing started last week with the first two rounds of the Salamina Epic Cup series, a single day C1 event and the first four-day stage race. After two days rest, the team was back at it for a second four-day stage race.
RELATED: Norco Factory Team adds young Canadian talent
It’s not the first year Andrew L’Esperance has raced that Salamina Epic series. He joined teammates Haley Smith and Peter Disera in Greece last year. L’Espy used that experience to improve his results steadily over the seven days of racing in Salamina this year.
On the final day of racing, L’Esperance was third in the XC Pursuit race. Combined with his result in the XCM the day prior, it put the Canadian third overall.
Managed to land on the final step of the GC podium at the Salamina Epic MTB stage race with a spicy final stage. Greece mission complete and heading home with gains and learnings. Thanks @NorcoBicycles for the support on the ground. pic.twitter.com/v5mMU6OdLn
— Andrew L’Esperance (@andrewlespy) February 20, 2020
Jenn Jackson raced consistently through all three Salamina Epic races. After finishing eighth and seventh at the first two rounds, the Ontario-based racer was again seventh in Epic #3. Along the way, Jackson notched a third place on the opening day’s XCC and a fourth on the final day of racing.
Salamina Epic #3 was won by Caroline Bohé, the rising star of Danish cross country. The U.S.’s Erin Huck was on the podium in third. Huck was joined by fellow American, and former Olympian Lea Davison, who finished sixth, one spot ahead of Jackson.
RELATED: New Norco Factory Team riders debut at Salamina Epic Cup
19-year-old Carter Woods led the Canadian men early on in Salamina Epic #3. Woods was fifth in the opening stage, a seaside XCC. L’Esperance finished sixth behind him, with Quinton Disera eighth.
Quinton Disera would end up riding consistently for a 10th place. It’s a strong start to the season for the Canadian under-23 XCO national champion.
Carter Woods finished the Salamina Epic #3 in 17th place, the same position he finished #2 in. With the Greek series being the young riders first elite races, and first-ever mountain-bike stage race appearances, it is a strong debut with Norco Factory Team for the Vancouver Island rider.
Video from Wednesday’s Stage 3 XCM
2020 Salamina Epic #3: Women’s GC Results
1 | BOHÉ Caroline |
DEN
|
06:27:13 | |||||
2 | MEDVEDEVA Vera |
RUS
|
06:28:54 | |||||
3 | HUCK Erin |
USA
|
06:30:34 | |||||
4 | ILINA Kristina |
RUS
|
06:35:16 | |||||
5 | GORYCKA Paula |
POL
|
06:37:10 | |||||
6 | DAVISON Lea |
USA
|
06:37:42 | |||||
7 | JACKSON Jennifer |
CAN
|
06:39:36 | |||||
8 | OSL Elisabeth |
AUT
|
06:51:07 | |||||
9 | PEDERSEN Sofie Heby |
DEN
|
06:52:55 | |||||
10 | KOVALCHUK Ekaterina |
RUS
|
07:00:18 | |||||
11 | GUSTAFZZON Linn |
SWE
|
07:03:52 | |||||
12 | KIRSANOVA Viktoria |
RUS
|
07:08:09 | |||||
13 | MIROLYUBOVA Anna |
RUS
|
07:14:06 | |||||
14 | MATSUMOTO Rina |
JPN
|
07:16:23 | |||||
15 | MONTEIRO Joana |
POR
|
07:23:00 |
2020 Salamina Epic #3: Men’s GC Results
1 | IVANOV Timofei |
RUS
|
05:29:25 | |||||
2 | WAWAK Bartlomiej |
POL
|
05:32:35 | |||||
3 | L’ESPERANCE Andrew |
CAN
|
05:33:12 | |||||
4 | PETTINA’ Nicholas |
ITA
|
05:33:33 | |||||
5 | TOCCOLI Zaccaria |
ITA
|
05:37:05 | |||||
6 | HEUER Markus Kaad |
DEN
|
05:37:22 | |||||
7 | SPESCHA Ursin |
SUI
|
05:37:22 | |||||
8 | SONNTAG Benjamin |
GER
|
05:38:06 | |||||
9 | YAMAMOTO Kohei |
JPN
|
05:38:28 | |||||
10 | DISERA Quinton |
CAN
|
05:41:28 | |||||
11 | ANDERSEN Alexander Young |
DEN
|
05:42:43 | |||||
12 | COSTA Mário |
POR
|
05:43:23 | |||||
13 | MILLENNIUM Ian |
DEN
|
05:45:13 | |||||
14 | TITARENKO Dmytro |
UKR
|
05:45:28 | |||||
15 | PHILIPSEN Victor |
DEN
|
05:46:31 | |||||
16 | SCHÄTTI Luca |
SUI
|
05:49:55 | |||||
17 | WOODS, Carter |
CAN
|
05:54:43 | |||||
18 | SOMMER Jan |
SUI
|
05:58:35 | |||||
19 | ERIKSSON André |
SWE
|
06:00:05 | |||||
20 | OMARSSON Ingvar |
ISL
|
06:01:08 |