Weekend race roundup

Big weekend for Canadians with races in Quebec, in the U.S. and in Europe

Canadian Cycling Magazine May 24, 2011

With both the Tour of California and the Grand Prix Cycliste Gatineau wrapping up on the weekend, plus a mountain bike World Cup in the U.K., it was a busy weekend for Canadian riders.

At the women’s Grand Prix Cycliste Gatineau, Team TIBCO/To The Top rider Joelle Numainville narrowly missed the road race win Saturday, losing in a sprint to world champion Georgia Bronzini, of Italy. The race is the most important women’s event on the Canadian calendar and drew a stellar field. Clara Hughes, who won the GP Gatineau’s time trial earlier, finished eighth overall in the 103 km road race. Other Canadians in the Top 10 included Leah Kirchman, in fourth, Veronique Labonte in sixth and Karol-Anne Canuel in seventh.

Ending Sunday was the Tour of California, where RadioShack rider Chris Horner took the overall win. American Pat McCarty, riding for Team SpiderTech powered by C10, won the King of the Mountains jersey. Ryder Hesjedal (Garmin-Cervelo) was the top Canadian in 10^th overall. Christian Meier (UnitedHealthcare) was 20^th and Rob Britton (Bissell) was 23^rd. Also in the Top 100 were SpiderTech riders Zach Bell, in 97^th and Svein Tuft, in 98^th and Andrew Pinfold (UnitedHeathcare) in 100^th. SpiderTech had four more riders finish the race, including Will Routley, in 113^th, Keven Lacombe, who was 8^th in the final stage, in 117^th, Ryan Anderson in 118^th and Martin Gilbert in 119^th.

Also this weekend, the UCI Mountain Bike World Cup circuit visited Dalby Forest in Yorkshire, U.K. In the elite women’s race, Catharine Pendrel (Luna) was the top Canadian finishing seventh. Marie Helene-Premont (Maxxis-Rocky Mountain) was 11^th and Emily Batty (Subaru-Trek) was 15^th. Amanda Sin was 38^th and Mical Dyck was 51^st. On the men’s side, Derek Zanstra (Team Canada) was the top finisher in 27^th with Geoff Kabush (Maxxis-Rocky Mountain) in 45^th and Max Plaxton (Team Canada) 48^th. Andrew Watson (Team Canada) was 91^st and Raphael Gagne (Team Canada) was 108^th.

In the under-23 men’s event, Team Canada riders Evan McNeely and Antoine Caron finished 42^nd and 49^th, respectively and Francis Morin (BH-Suntour-Peisey Vallandry) was 58^th. In the women’s under-23 race, Team Canada riders Mikaela Kofman was 13^th and Laura Bietola was 18^th.