Tour de Beauce

(Photos: @VeloImages)

(Photos: ©VeloImages)

Race: Tour de Beauce, Stage 2

Start/Finish: Lac Mégantic/Mount Mégantic, Quebec, Canada

Distance: 169.0 kilometers

Mount Mégantic, Canada — Stage 2 of the Tour de Beauce began in Lac Mégantic and saw Steve Fisher (Canyon Bikes) launch a solo move immediately heading out of town but was brought back by the first of five categorized climbs on the day. Six riders soon escaped and built a maximum gap of 3:20 before getting caught after the third categorized climb.

Quickly a new six-man break formed that featured a rider from all the GC teams, so it was unclear if this group would get caught. They built a lead of 2:50, but with 20 km remaining, the group splintered leaving Matteo Dal-Cin (Rally Cycling) and Robin Carpenter (Holowesko/Citadel P/B Hincapie Sportswear) off the front while the chase, which included all of Team Novo Nordisk’s riders, caught the remaining escapees. Scaling Mount Mégantic, Dal-Cin dropped Carpenter and held onto solo to the win.

Corentin Cherhal

“Today saw us climbing 3,000 meters in 170 kilometers. It was full gas from the first climb. I was in the front, but I had no legs for the breakaway. It calmed down a little bit before Holowesko went to the front and took control. The first lap was normal and then it split before we reached the climb. We fought and made it back before the final climb. For those five kilometers up Mount Mégantic, I just shut off my brain and simply pedaled.”

Team Novo Nordisk, the world’s first all-diabetes pro cycling team, is currently competing in two races: Tour de Korea and Tour de Beauce. Friday’s Stage 3 of the Tour de Korea is a 167.8-km run from Muju to Yeongju and features one categorized climb. Friday at the Tour de Beauce is a double-day with a morning 19.7-km time trial and an evening 77-km circuit race, both around Saint-Georges.

Results: 

• 1^st: Matteo Dal-Cin (Rally Cycling): 4:17:30
• 2^nd: Robin Carpenter (Holowesko/Citadel P/B Hincapie Sportswear): 1:05 behind Dal-Cin
• 3^rd: Sepp Kuss (Rally Cycling): 1:37 behind Dal-Cin

Team Novo Nordisk Results: 

• Fabio Calabria: 42^nd: 8:32 behind Dal-Cin
• Corentin Cherhal: 57^th: 10:41 behind Dal-Cin
• Stephen Clancy: 58^th: 11:18 behind Dal-Cin

(Photos: ©VeloImages)

Race: Tour de Beauce, Stage 3a-3b

Start/Finish: Saint-Georges/Saint Georges, Quebec, Canada

Distance: Time Trial: 19.4-kilometers, Road Race: 77-kilometers

Saint-Georges, Canada — Team Novo Nordisk raced twice on Friday in Canada, starting with a 20-kilometer out-and-back time trial in the morning and a short but intense evening road race that finished near the Riviere Chaudiere in Quebec.

Under heavy rains, the riders started the day with a race against the clock. Alexander Cowan (Silber Pro Cycling) laid down the fastest time in 25:17 beating out TJ Eisenhart (Holowesko/Citadel P/B Hincapie Sportswear) and Stage 2 winner Matteo Dal-Cin (Rally Cycling). The solid time trialing skills moved Cowan into the overall leader’s jersey by nine seconds over Jordan Cheyne (Jelly Belly P/B Maxxis).

In the evening, the race began under threatening skies, but the roads remained relatively dry throughout the 77-kilometer course. Breakaways flew from the start, which immediately caused the race to splinter into three groups: breakaway, chase, and peloton. The break eventually grew to 18 riders but then shed four riders halfway through the race. The peloton was strung out as it laid down the chase, but with three kilometers to go, the escapees still had 35 seconds. In the end, Chris Lawless (Axeon Hagens Berman) won up an intense final kicker with Cowan holding onto the leader’s jersey.

Stephen Clancy

“It was an intense, fast road race. I think racing at 6 pm following a time trial. After all the cold rain, this made motivation a little low for most of the peloton. A break established early on, and it was touch and go for a while if they’d come back, but it didn’t in the end. We know it was a missed opportunity, so we need to do something tomorrow in Quebec City.”

Team Novo Nordisk, the world’s first all-diabetes pro cycling team, is currently competing in two races: Tour de Korea and Tour de Beauce. Saturday’s Stage 4 of the Tour de Korea is a 156-km run from Yeongju to Chungju and features one categorized climb and at the Tour de Beauce, it’s a 35-lap criterium around a 2-kilometer course in the heart of Québec City.

Gallery:

Results 2a: 

• 1^st: Alexander Cowan (Silber Pro Cycling): 25:17
• 2^nd: TJ Eisenhart (Holowesko/Citadel P/B Hincapie Sportswear): 0:08 behind Cowan
• 3^rd: Matteo Dal-Cin (Rally Cycling): 0:16 behind Cowan

Team Novo Nordisk Results: 

• Stephen Clancy: 48^th: 3:27 behind Cowan
• Fabio Calabria: 52^nd: 3:41 behind Cowan
• Corentin Cherhal: 60^th: 4:08 behind Cowan

Results 2b: 

• 1^st: Chris Lawless (Axeon Hagens Berman): 1:40:44
• 2^nd: Steve Fisher (Canyon Bicycle): same time as Lawless
• 3^rd: Sepp Kuss (Rally Cycling): 0:03 behind Lawless

Team Novo Nordisk Results: 

• Corentin Cherhal: 40^th: 1:22 behind Lawless
• Fabio Calabria: 43^rd: 1:30 behind Lawless
• Stephen Clancy: 55^th: 1:42 behind Lawless

(Photos: ©VeloImages)

Race: Tour de Beauce, Stage 4

Start/Finish: Quebec City/Quebec City, Canada

Distance: 70 kilometers

Quebec City, Canada — Saturday’s 70-kilometer stage took place on a four-corner, two-km course around Parliament Hill in Quebec City. An eight-man break formed on the opening lap of the 35-lap course but after half a dozen laps, three riders dropped.

The remaining five riders worked well together, and their gap hovered around a minute for most of the race. With five laps remaining, Matteo Dal-Cin (Rally Cycling) attacked from the break and only two riders were able to grab his wheel.

The trio, which also included Robin Carpenter (Holowesko/Citadel P/B Hincapie Sportswear) and Ian Garrison (Axeon Hagens Berman), entered the final lap carrying a 30-second lead and it was apparent that they wouldn’t be caught.

In the end, Garrison was the fastest man to the line while Alexander Cowan (Silber Pro Cycling) held onto the overall race lead heading into the final stage.

Team Novo Nordisk, the world’s first all-diabetes pro cycling squad, continues racing on Sunday at the final stages of the Tour de Korea and Tour de Beauce. In Korea, the riders tackle a 65-km race around Seoul. In Canada, the team takes on a 122.4-km circuit race around Saint-Georges.

Gallery:

Results: 

• 1^st: Ian Garrison (Axeon Hagens Berman): 1:32:55
• 2^nd: Robin Carpenter (Holowesko/Citadel P/B Hincapie Sportswear): same time as Garrison
• 3^rd: Matteo Dal-Cin (Rally Cycling): same time as Garrison

Team Novo Nordisk Results: 

• Fabio Calabria: 28^th: 0:18 behind Garrison
• Stephen Clancy: 31^st: 0:18 behind Garrison
• Corentin Cherhal: 65^th: 3:51 behind Garrison