Gallery: Brave solo attacks in the rain pay off at Canadian championships
Karol-Ann Canuel solos through a late race rain storm to take her first Canadian road race title
Late in the 106 km women’s road race at Canadian nationals, Karol-Ann Canuel attacked building a gap of 20 seconds over a chase group that contained Leah Kirchmann, a strong contingent of Rally-UHC riders and other pre-race favourites. The Boels-Dolmans, rider whose early season was interrupted by injury, held the gap to 14-seconds when she crossed the line in Saint-Georges de Beauce to win her first career Canadian road championship title after twice winning the ITT.
Raphael Parisella won the junior men's race.
The junior men dug deep.
Many were cramping at the finishline.
1. Raphael Parisella 2. Matisse Julien 3. Lukas Carreau
One junior ran across the finishline after a mechanical but he was still smiling despite the misfortune.
The start of the women's race.
Marie-Soleil Blais and Maghalie Rochette were early attackers.
Kinley Gibson at Nationals 2019
The pre-race favourites kept an eye on the front of the peloton.
Riders who'd dropped out of the race remove each others numbers.
Gibson held a gap as big as two minutes.
The climb to Saint Odilon whittled down the peloton.
New Canadian champion Karol-Ann Canuel starts the Giro Rosa for Boels-Dolmans.
Riders debrief post race.
1. Olivia Baril 2. Ann-Pascale Ouellet 3. Anna-Gabrielle Traxler
Karol-Ann Canuel will be able to defend her title in Levis in 2020.
2019 women's road nationals podium: 1. Karol-Ann Canuel 2. Leah Kirchmann 3. Ariane Bonhomme.
At the finish line, the sky opened up with heavy rain, thunder and lightning with 20 km to go in the women’s race. It was conditions that Canuel did not mind. After the win she revealed she was hoping for rain because it changes the tactics of a race. Kirchmann, who the day before won the ITT, easily beat the rest of the field in a sprint. The other riders didn’t want to commit to the chase because the threat Kirchmann posed giving Canuel a chance to win solo.
In the junior men’s race, the tactics played out in a similar fashion. Raphael Parisella won solo ahead of Matisse Julien and Lukas Carreau. “I decided to attack with one kilometer to go and I managed to create a gap of a few seconds between myself and the other riders in the front group,” Parisella explained. I took the last turn with a head start and was able to keep them off in the final sprint. I would like to thank my teammates from Team Quebec who controlled the peloton throughout the race.”
Canuel had the opposite situation than Team Quebec. As the sole rider for the world-beating pro team Boels-Dolmans, she had to be savvy to take the win.
“It’s really difficult tactically when you’re alone. My goal was to be patient and not wait for a sprint, because it does not benefit me personally” Canuel who excels at climbing and time trialing said. “My strategy was to attack as much as possible and to use the other riders who were in the same situation as me. I think I attacked at the right moment and it allowed me to break away in the last kilometers. I’m so happy, I’ve been in Europe for a long time and being able to represent Canada in Europe is going to be incredible.”
The new Canadian champion won’t have to wait long to wear the maple leaf overseas. She is headed to the Giro Rosa, which will be televised live, in July.
