Quebec’s Echelon Project Races at Tour du Maroc

A team of up-and-coming Canadians is currently flying the colours of the Echelon Project, a development program run by the West Quebec Wheelers, at the 10 day, UCI 2.2, Tour du Maroc. Through the first four stages, the riders, Émile Jean, Braydon Bourne, Matteo Dal-Cin, Stephen Keeping, Conor O’Brien and Cody Canning, have managed to race aggressively despite stifling temperatures, strong winds, and mountainous terrain. Yesterday saw a big shake-up in the General Classification, with only five riders now left within a minute of the leader, the Bulgarian Peter Kusztor, and the next-best more than four minutes in arrears. Only 14 riders remain within 10 minutes of the yellow jersey. In the remaining stages, the team will continue to send riders up the road, hoping that breakaways might be given some leeway now that the G.C. has settled down. It would be a massive highlight for one of the Echelon Project riders to contend for a stage victory, though reaching the final finish line in Casablanca will be an achievement in itself.