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Nordhaug wins the 2012 Montreal WorldTour GP

Norway’s Lars Petter Nordhaug (Sky Procycling) out-paced Moreno Moser (Ita) Liquigas-Cannondale in second for the biggest win of his career

Gerrans wins the 2012 Quebec City WorldTour GP

Australia’s Simon Gerrans (Orica GeenEdge was the man of the hour trumping Belgian Greg Van Avermaet (BMC Racing)

Chaddock wins 2012 Canadian Crit Championship

Ben Chaddock (Team Exergy) and Rhae-Christie Shaw (Exergy TWENTY12) win big at the National Criterium Championships in Lac Megantic, Quebec

Roth wins the 2012 Canadian road championship

Ryan Roth (SpiderTech) is the new Canadian road champion, edging out Michael Barry (Team Sky). Antoine Duchesne (Garneau-Québécor) wins the U23 title.

Ramsden wins the Women's 2012 Road Nationals

Denise Ramsden is the new Elite and U23 Women's Canadian road champion. Quebec's Clara Hughes finished 2nd and Joelle Numainville in 3rd place.

Where does the magic come from?

Lachine seems to be a tiny oasis where road cycling is properly recognized in a country where the sport is otherwise almost forgotten

Joelle Numainville 4th at 2012 GPC Gatineau

Ina-Yoko Teutenberg of Germany wins the 134km Grand Prix de Gatineau road race; Quebec's Joelle Numainville places 4th

Hughes remporte le Chrono Gatineau 2012

Clara Hughes leads a Specialized-lululemon sweep in the 18.4km GP Gatineau Chrono Individual Time Trial

St John and Black win 2012 eQuinelle GP Criteriums

Derrick St. John (Stevens p/b The Cyclery) and Chloe Black (Trisports Cycle/Eclipse) were the big winners in the elite categories of the eQuinelle GP Criterium in Keptville

Le retour de l'enfant prodigue!

Remi Pelletier-Roy (Garneau-Quebecor) wins the GP de Contrecoeur with help from Garneau team-mate Brett Tivers on a cold and rainy afternoon.

MANCEBO WINS 2012 TOUR OF THE BATTENKILL

Francisco Mancebo Perez (Competitive Cyclist Racing Team) wins the Tour of the Battenkill pro elite men’s 200km race in a time of 4:55:54

QUEBEC GIRLS ROCK 2012 Tour of the BATTENKILL

Quebec women do extremely well as Veronique Fortin (Tibco/To the Top) wins the 99.2km/62-mile race at the Tour of the Battenkill in a time of 3:00:38

Miroir du Cyclisme wallpaper Collectables

Large (French) widescreen Miroir du Cyclisme desktop calendars available for download under the Wallpaper tab at the top of the page

Tour of The Battenkill: Le 14-15 avril 2012

Dans quelques semaines, nous débuterons la saison 2012 avec une couverture approfondiedu prestigieux Tour of The Battenkill

SpiderTech débute la saison 2012 du bon pied

Boivin revient à la charge, et remporte un troisième podium pour Team SpiderTech

Une troisième cas de dopage au Quebec

Benjamin Martel tests positive as the dominos continue to fall in Quebec

Dying to Win

Grasping the reality and magnitude of the drug culture and looking for practical solutions rather than looking away

What happened to Rocky Mountain?

Four Rocky Mountain-Desjardins Valeurs Mobilieres riders join Équipe EKOÏ.com/Gaspésien in 2012

Miguel Agreda crosses the line

Another champion admits to doping in what is quickly unravelling as Quebec's biggest drug scandal.

Arnaud Papillon tests positive for EPO

The Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport announced today that cyclist, Arnaud Papillon, received a two-year sanction for the use of erythropoietin (EPO).

Rui Costa remporte le Grand Prix de Montreal

Tour de France stage winner, Rui Alberto Faria da Costa (Por) Movistar Team out-duels the favourites on the final lap to claim the 205.1km Grand Prix Cycliste de Montreal.

Philippe Gilbert remporte le GP de Quebec

« C’était une course très difficile parce que Team Sky a assuré le rythme dès le départ. Ça roulait extrêmement vite».

L’UCI WorldTour arrive à Québec et a Montréal L’UCI WorldTour arrive à Québec et a Montréal L’UCI WorldTour arrive à Québec et a Montréal

Stéphane Cossette ne participerai pas au Sprint Challenge a Québec

Stéphane Cossette, qui a remporté le premier UCI ProTour événement jamais tenu en Amérique du Nord ne sera pas de retour à Québec cette année pour défendre son titre. Les nouvelles règles stipulent que les coureurs qui se spécialisent dans la course sur piste sont exemptés de l'événement.

Championnats Qubecois sur route Elite - CLM

Rémi Pelletier Roy est le nouveau champion du Québec CLM / Clara Hughes termine 6e contre les hommes élite en préparation pour les Championnats du Monde.

Véronique Fortin remporte le championat du Quebec sur route

Veronique Fortin, la championne canadienne sur route, termine seul devant sa plus proche rivale remportant le Championnat du Québec.

Antoine Matteau; Le nouveau champion du Quebec elite sur route

Il a dompté la pluie et le froid; Entrevue avec Antoine Matteau, nouveau champion du Québec sur route

Charles Matte; Le nouveau champion du Quebec Junior sur route

Jean-Francois Laroche; Encore Champion des Mardis Cyclustes de Lachine

Jean-François Laroche remporte le championnat des Mardis Cyclistes de Lachine pour une quatrième fois!

Derrick St John remporte le Grand Prix de Vaudreuil -Soulange

Derrick St John s'échappe de son groupe échappée sous la pluie et des vents extrême pour gagner la Grand Prix de Vaudreuil-Soulange de façon convaincante.

David Veilleux; Will he be the next Quebec cyclist to make it big?

After a 25th place finish at the Paris-Roubais earlier this year,David Veilleux electrifies local fans as he prepares for his return to Europe

Miguel Agreda Rojas wins final stage of Les Mardis Cyclistes

Miguel Agreda Rojas wins his second stage of the Mardis Cyclistes in style leaving no doubt as to why he is the newly minted Quebec Criterium Champion

Thomas Voeckler dit non à Montréal et Québec

Le champion de route français en 2010 et vainqueur du Grand Prix de Quebec l'année dernière décide de ne pas venir au Canada en 2011.

Tuesday, January 24, 2012

feedback / vos commentaires

Name the mystery rider    Photo © Pasquale Stalteri Photography / All Rights Reserved

Miroir du cyclisme veut vos suggestions et commentaires. Que pensez-vous?

Miroir du cyclisme wants your suggestions and comments. What's on your mind?

s'il vous plaît laissez vos commentaires ci-dessous
please leave your comments below

+

Testez votre connaissance du cyclisme: Pouvez-vous identifier correctement le coureur mystère?

Test your cycling knowledge: Can you correctly identify the mystery rider?

Optum p/b Kelly Benefit Strategies to Announce New Women’s Team

Lex Albrecht    Photo © Pasquale Stalteri Photography / All Rights Reserved

January 24, 2012 – U.S.-based Team Optum presented by Kelly Benefit Strategies is launching a new pro women’s road team this season in conjunction with its top level men’s squad. The roster of strong women riders includes five Canadians – Lex Albrecht, Leah Kirchman, Joelle Numainville, Denise Ramsden, and Annie Ewart.

The team’s General Manager is a Canuck as well, Jacob Erker, of Symmetrics fame. The official women’s team presentation will be held in MinneapolisMN, on January 28, with both the men’s and women’s squad’s presented on January 30.

The new title sponsorship from Optum has allowed Kelly Benefit Strategies to become the presenting sponsor and the creation of a top level women’s team, with the aim of increasing both sponsors presence in cycling, but also to reach more Americans who love the sport and want to live more actively and educate themselves about healthy lifestyles. The new crew is one of the top three professional women’s teams in North America.

Team Optum p/b Kelly Benefit Strategies Women’s Team Roster:

Lex Albrecht (CAN)
Leah Kirchman (CAN)
- Kristen Sanders
- Janel Holcomb
- Jade Wilcoxson
- Emma Grant
Denise Ramsden (CAN)
- Courteney Lowe
- Carmen Small
Annie Ewart (CAN)
- Anna Barensfeld

Team Website: HERE

"This will be one of the top three professional women's teams in North America. I am very proud to be part of a team of this calibre, and I think that it's great news for women's cycling that a new team has been brought onto the scene in North America.  

I'm looking forward to contributing to the team's success, learning from the more experienced riders, and continuing to develop personally as a cyclist.  I can't wait to wear the team's colours and represent the excellent group of sponsors that are behind our team.

I had a great season in 2011 and hope to continue on the same track. I have a feeling that 2012 with Team Optum presented by Kelly Benefit Strategies is going to be a lot of fun, and bring a plethora of extraordinary experiences."

Lex Albrecht


Related Links:

Veloptimum

Team website (Women's team roster + photos and interviews)


Monday, January 23, 2012

2012 top WorldTour teams & rosters

© Pasquale Stalteri Photography / All Rights Reserved / 2011  UCI WorldTour GP de Quebec

2012
UCI List of Top 15 WorldTour Teams and Rosters
 in alphabetical order

Wednesday, January 18, 2012

A look inside the FQSC

Photo: Pasquale Stalteri Photography / All Rights Reserved

What does the FQSC do?
A look inside the Fédé…
by John Symon
_________________________________

Recent comments by some Miroir du Cyclisme (MdC) readers included several criticisms of the Fédération québécoise des sports cyclistes (FQSC). So MdC contacted Louis Barbeau, director of the non-profit group which has governed cycling events in this province since 1960, to get his perspective on these.

In terms of complaints against the FQSC’s specific handling of any issue, Barbeau would like to hear what people say, but simply asks that the public use the FQSC’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) as the forum. This event is held in November. “This is where we can go over events from the past year and look for places where we can improve,” he explains. “We certainly listen to anybody who makes good suggestions.”

“There have to be rules to govern cycling events or else we would have anarchy,” Barbeau told us in response to general criticisms that the FQSC is too bureaucratic. “To ensure a full calendar of events [editor’s note: the FQSC with a staff of 14 oversees more than 400 events annually] we have to work to protect cyclists and organizers with rules.” He also points out that some well known cycling events have been operating for many years: The Tour de Beauce for 26 years; the Tour de l’Abitibi for 44 years; and the Mardis Cyclistes for 35 years. “If these events have been running for that long, we must be doing something right,” contends Barbeau.

“It’s not easy to put on an event,” continues Barbeau. “To organizers, we provide as much support as we can. For cyclists, we set maximum registration costs that can be charged, but no minimum.” There was recently a proposed Ultimate XC event where the organizer seemed interested in profiteering. “But most of our events are organized by bike clubs,” maintains Barbeau.

On the specific point of ‘the high costs’ charged to cycling events by security and police forces, Barbeau says that Quebec should consider itself lucky. He points to the Canadian National Championships in Ontario last year and the difficulties organizers had there with reluctant municipalities and high policing costs. Those costs forced the relocation of some events.

“Here, the Sureté du Québec (SQ) police officers love to participate in cycling events, for instance riding motorbikes in front of the peloton. We had one event last year, l’Échappée Belle, where the SQ was inundated with requests to participate with competing events. The SQ is really stretched, but they came through to help us. The FQSC writes an article every year for the SQ newsletter to express our appreciation for the help that they provide.”

“Very few events pay for all policing costs,” Barbeau says. “Most organizers could not afford to pay for those costs. With the Classique Montreal—Quebec Louis Garneau, for example, some of the SQ officers would have to be paid double or triple-time for their work. We simply wouldn’t be able to hold that kind of event without very strong support from the SQ. They could easily charge us some $10,000 for their work there.”

“The density of automobile traffic has increased over recent years making it more difficult to ensure the safety of riders," notes Barbeau. “So we now ask organizers to provide their own security. But the cycling community should be very thankful for just how supportive the SQ, MTQ, and municipalities are towards our sport.”

Barbeau also suspects that many people have a poor understanding of the role played by the FQSC. There was some question about how the federation should remove ‘a convicted doper’ from the management of one Quebec team, but Barbeau points to the UCI rule on that point. While the FQSC has the power to remove those convicted of doping offences from the summer of 2011 forward, it does not have the power to apply such a rule retroactively.

“The vast majority of organizers in the Quebec cycling community appreciate what we are doing in the FQSC,” responds Barbeau when asked about how the federation is perceived. “They understand what the issues are and realize that we are doing the best that we can. The FQSC received a Maurice award for the ‘Federation of the year’ in 2009 by Sports Quebec in recognition of the work done with cycling.”

André Michaud, the president of the FQSC, then publicly thanked the employees of the federation as well as the cyclists, organizers, partners, coaches, media, commissaires, and volunteers “who all make up this big team.” He went to say that the recognition given to the FQSC is to be shared with all the artisans who are working for the development of cycling in Quebec.

John Symon

2009 FQSC communiqué (in French):


*Editors Note: It is interesting to consult the Union Cycliste International (UCI) website to see where various UCI-sanctioned events take place in 2012 in the different disciplines of cycling. 

The 2 WorldTour races in Quebec City and Montreal (Sep 7 & 9) are the only 2 such events in North America. The Coupe des Nations Ville Saguenay (May 30—June 3) and the Tour de Beauce (June 12—17) are the only 2 elite men’s events in Canada.
 

On the elite women’s calendar, the Chrono Gatineau (may 19) and Grand Prix Cycliste de Gatineau (May 21) are the only 2 events in Canada and there are only 2 other events in North America.

With paracycling, the Défi Sportif (April 27—28) and the Baie-Comeau    UCI World Cup are the only 2 events in Canada. The Mont Ste-Anne World Cup (June 23—24) is the only mountain bike event listed in Canada.

That the UCI accorded so many prestigious events to Quebec could be interpreted as a vote of confidence in the FQSC.

Friday, January 6, 2012

Les Mardis Cyclistes; Where does the Magic Come From?

Tino Rossi           Photo © Pasquale Stalteri Photography / All Rights Reserved
 Les Mardis Cyclistes; 
Where does the Magic Come From? 
by Pasquale Stalteri & John Symon
___________________________________

Lachine seems to be a tiny oasis where road cycling is properly recognized in a country where the sport is otherwise almost forgotten. Here big crowds have turned out for 34 years to cheer as a field of up to 140 of the top senior men cyclists in Quebec, Canada, and even internationally race at speeds of up to 70kmh around LaSalle Park. In recent years, women’s races and cadet races have been also added to the menu. But how did all this come to be? And where does the magic come from?

“The first Mardis de Lachine happened in 1978,” recounts Mardis founder, Joseph ‘Tino’ Rossi when we met with him for lunch at his favourite restaurant on Lachine’s lakefront. “I lived on Ile Bizard then and didn’t know Lachine well. I was riding with seven friends from the Lachine cycling club on our way over to Momesso’s Café. Along the way, we got lost and just discovered LaSalle Park by accident. It looked like the perfect spot for a crit race. None of us had an odometer of our bikes then, so we asked somebody with a car to drive around the park and tell us what the distance was. He did this and told us that the distance was exactly one mile; it was perfect!”

Miroir du Cyclisme (MdC) tried to find out more about that fateful day by completing Rossi’s journey; ending up at Momesso’s on Upper Lachine Rd in NDG where submarine sandwiches and espressos are the house specialty. We drank coffee there with owner, Paul Momesso (brother of former Canadiens player, Sergio) who was one of the seven riders with the Lachine cycling club that day. He remembers being equally impressed then with how LaSalle Park seemed perfect for bike races.

Momesso’s version of events is that the Lachine club previously raced on Ile Perrot, but was chased off that island after a dispute with the mayor there. So there might have been an added impetus to find an alternate place to race.

Rossi recounts going back to LaSalle Park for the first race there and using chalk to etch the start/finish line on the asphalt. There were fewer than 10 cyclists on the start line at that first evening race in 1978. Afterwards, a few complaints were received by the Lachine mayor Guy Descary about cyclists disrupting traffic, but Descary ended up by calling his Public Works director and telling him to give all available assistance to Rossi and the Mardis races.

Momesso raced the Mardis cyclists in 1978 and 1979, finishing third one evening. “I positioned myself to be first, but two guys came out of nowhere and out-sprinted me to the finish,” he recounts. Already, the Mardis series were developing a following among Quebec’s road cycling aficionados. But who were those two guys strong enough to come out of nowhere and take the two top spots on the podium?

The winner of the 1978 Mardis season was Roger Chartrand who was also Quebec’s road champ that same year. MdC contacted Chartrand, now living in the BC Rockies, for his version of cycling in those early days.

“Rossi was a pioneer and a visionary,” asserts Chartrand. “He made a show, drew in spectators, brought in a sound system and played disco music, had beautiful hostesses presenting the awards, spoke to the crowd, found sponsors, and made it happen,” as Chartrand puts it. While most bike events from the 1970s only lasted a few years and then disappeared, the Mardis Cyclistes series is still going strong today.”

Chartrand was perhaps more commonly known by his nickname, ‘le cascadeur’ (the stuntman) because, “Spectators were guaranteed that I would either win or crash,” as he puts it. In one legendary race, five other riders deliberately boxed Chartrand in during the final sprint. But he bunny-hopped his bike onto the sidewalk and made spectators scatter, passing the five cyclists and going on to victory. Among Chartrand’s other stunts was doing warm-up rides around the park against the direction that all other riders were going. He also recounts doing these exploits on a $100 ‘clunker’ bike.

Rossi insisted that Chartrand join the start line each week because ‘le cascadeur’ was the magnet who drew the crowds. Rossi obviously had a sense of ‘show business’ and knew what spectators wanted to see. “Back then, winning a Mardis race only brought me $25 and I won another $400 for the season,” relates Chartrand who worked winters as a ski instructor and otherwise took summers off. Apart from the financial compensation, Chartrand appreciated the notoriety that his exploits generated. “People came up to me on the street to shake hands with me. My fame also made it easy to find chicks.”

Chartrand describes cycling in the 1970s as ‘an obscure sport’ and regrets that his father never turned out to watch any of the Mardis races. Chartrand also lavishes great praise on Rossi who was able to raise the profile of cycling “almost immediately” after becoming involved.

While cycling was then an obscure sport in Canada, there were some big names coming into town to race around LaSalle Park. Some Quebec cyclists refer to this period as a ‘magical time’ in the history of the Mardis. Chartrand recounts racing against Louis Garneau, Pierre Harvey and Claude Langlois. But he also remembers a certain amount of solidarity between Quebec riders and how they raced together against Ontario cyclists such as Steve Bauer, Jocelyn Lovell, Gord Singleton, and Alex Stieda.

“Bauer made us suffer when he would ride at Mardis races, coming in like a locomotive,” said Chartrand. “One time Bauer passed the pack and only about 20 other cyclists were able to finish with him. Lovell also provided fierce competition, but the Quebec riders tended to gang up against him.”

Some MdC readers might not fully appreciate who these riders were, so here are a few quick details:

·         Steve Bauer (7-Eleven Cycling Team) raced the Tour de France (TdF)  nine times, finishing fourth overall in 1988. Bauer also won silver at the 1984 Barcelona Olympics. He is considered Canada’s most distinguished road cyclist of all time
·         Jocelyn Lovell dominated the Canadian cycling scene in the 1960s and 70s, winning national titles, Commonwealth Games and Pan-Am Games before a tragic accident left him in a wheelchair.
·         Gord Singleton became the first Canadian to win a World Championship (1982) and once simultaneously held world records in the 200 metres, 500 metres and 1000 metre events.
·         Alex Stieda (7-Eleven) in 1986 became the first North American to wear the TdF’s yellow jersey; this was five years before Lance Armstrong started riding pro.

Louis Garneau and Pierre Harvey are probably better known to MdC readers and both went on to become Olympic cyclists while Harvey also became an Olympic Nordic skier. His son, Alex Harvey, is currently the top-ranked Nordic skier worldwide. Langlois won gold at the 1979 Pan-American Games and was selected for the Canadian team for the 1980 Olympics.

Not only the names, but also the exploits from those early days remain legendary. Danny Deslongchamps, the 1980 and 1981 series winner, is probably most vividly remembered for one evening in Lachine where he lapped the pack and also won the bunch sprint!

“The races on Tuesday nights in Lachine were always fun,” Stieda wrote to us from Edmonton. “Whenever we traveled to Montreal for larger races from Western Canada, it was a treat to take part in these crits…it gave us a way of measuring to see where our strength and skill was at any given time of the year against the Eastern boys.”

Foreign riders also come in for guest appearances and Rossi claims that an unknown Australian named Cadel Evans raced one stage in about 2001. That Australian, of course, went on to win the 2011 TdF while riding for BMC.

And in June 2009, 10,000 spectators turned out to watch Floyd Landis (riding with OUCH) finish in the middle of the pack. Landis (then with PHONAK) finished first at the 2006 TdF only to be disqualified by a positive doping test. Rossi was criticized by many for ‘inviting a convicted doper’ to the Mardis races, but points out that Landis’ infraction occurred in 2006 and he served a two-year suspension that ended in 2008. Rossi defends the Landis invite, comparing it to giving a job to an ex-convict who has served his time and repaid his debt to society.

In 2011 the New Zealand junior team made a stop on its way to the Tour de l'Abitibi. Kiwi rider, Dion Smith (Pure Black) rode against the senior men to claim second place behind David Veilleux (Europcar) that evening. Smith, fresh from a fourth place finish at the Iron Hill crit in Pennsylvania, admitted that his legs were pretty stiff after the Mardis. That same season, Austria’s Andreas Müller (Berliner TSC), a top track cyclist with 17 national titles, came in to finish sixth on June 21. Müller told us that he was very impressed with the high level of competition in Lachine.

In recent years, Columbian and Dutch teams have competed around LaSalle Park. Apparently, the 2010 Giro winner, Italian cyclist Ivan Basso (Liquigas) follows webcams of the Mardis series. Is there another crit series in North America that comes close to such international prominence?

All top male Quebec professional road riders have used the Mardis as their launching pad. This list includes David Veilleux (Europcar), Dominique Rollin (Française des Jeux), Martin Gilbert (SpiderTech p/b C10), and Guillaume Boivin (SpiderTech). Racing around LaSalle Park was a prelude to international prominence for these cyclists. Veilleux is the current Canadian crit champ and tells us that the Mardis races were a great place to practice. Even top Quebec women cyclists, like Joëlle Numainville (Webcor in 2011), can often be found among the spectators.

Others, like current Mardis champion, Jean-François Laroche (Fantino Mondello), have remained amateurs and concentrated on the Lachine series. For him, Mardis is not so much a launching pad but rather a final destination.

And it is not only Quebec riders who have used the Mardis as a springboard toward greater things. Steve Bauer first came to national prominence in 1978, winning the national crit title that year in a race won around LaSalle Park. Back in those early days, Bauer was just sponsored by a Hamilton bike shop. Bauer keeps coming back to LaSalle Park, racing the Mardis as recently as 2005, finishing sixth (an impressive result at age 46 and without a team). He has since found a team, SpiderTech, but now has taken on the role of team owner and often watches the Mardis series from the sidelines.

In more recent years, other notable Canadian and foreign riders have raced at the Mardis. In June 2007, the Canadian crit champ of the day, Cam Evans (formerly with Symmetrics) flew in from Vancouver to take a stage win. He told us then that he felt honoured to compete in Canada’s most prominent crit series.

Many point to Tino Rossi as the reason for the crit series’ success. When we asked Rossi about this, he modestly claimed instead that it is the site:

“Where else in North America can you find such a spot for crit races?” he asks. “Not only is the distance exactly one mile, with four 90-degree corners, but Lachine has now resurfaced the asphalt, banked those corners, and moved the manhole covers out of the way.”

Rossi gives great credit to his technical director, Marc-Wayne Addison, for taking care of many important details that allow the races to run smoothly. Rossi, who turns 72 this year, now concentrates on specific aspects of the Mardis races. These include such things as talking to sponsors, relations with local governments, and shouting into a microphone on the Mardis start line asking cyclists, “Are you ready to rumble?”

While the Mardis series has benefited greatly from support provided by the Montreal borough of Lachine, Lachine has also benefited from holding the Mardis races. To promote the Mardis series, Rossi and Lachine applied in the 1970s for funding to former Participaction program, a Canadian government initiative to promote healthy living and physical fitness.  That funding was used to hire some of the first staff members of Lachine’s recreation department.

"Today there are 70 employees working for Lachine's recreation department," says current Lachine Mayor, Claude Dauphin. "These employees provide such services as support to sports and cultural organisations in the fields of administration, financing and equipment. They also work hand-in-hand with our Public Works department when it comes to setting up for events, as it is the case with the Mardis Cyclistes. We are proud to be long-time associates with Tino Rossi and his fine organisation."

Is there something magical about LaSalle Park? Rossi is among those who believe so, pointing out that the same site was used for bike races in the 1930s, before Rossi was even born. He mentions brothers Pierre and Albert Gachon as among those who raced around LaSalle Park then. Pierre Gachon became, in 1937, the first North American to compete in the TdF. Both Gachon brothers--since deceased—have been inducted into the FQSC Hall of Fame. A local road club that gained prominence back then was, “les Rapides de Lachine,” a name appropriated today by a local triathlon club.

MdC asked Rossi what his plans are for the series. “I don’t want an international (UCI) sanction because that will swallow my budget,” he confided. Instead Rossi wants to do more of the same, only better. “This year there will be a record prize offered of $50,000 for anyone breaking the course speed record*; I’m negotiating that with Lloyd’s of London.”

As revealed earlier, Rossi has also just picked up a new title sponsor, the Jean Coutu Pharmacy Group (PJC). In late 2011, the Mardis series lost its former title sponsor, Saputo, but Rossi remained optimistic that a replacement would be found. That optimism has obviously paid off.

We suggested to Rossi that the Mardis’ prominence in Quebec road cycling circles might only be rivalled by the UCI WorldTour Grand Prix races in Quebec City and Montreal. Rossi retorted that there was no comparison between the Mardis and the WorldTour GPs, which appeal to a much higher calibre of rider. But then he reflected and noted that, “While it is good to aim higher, it is better just to have stability.” And, with Rossi in charge, the 35-year-old MCL series certainly represents stability.

* = the Mardis speed record was established in 2009 by Guillaume Boivin (then with VW) when he won the 50km crit in a time of 58 minutes 52 seconds 



* = the Mardis speed record was established in 2009 by Guillaume Boivin (then with VW) when he won the 50km crit in a time of 58 minutes 52 seconds 

Thursday, January 5, 2012

Interview with David Veilleux

Miroir du Cyclisme January cover © Pasquale Stalteri
Part 1


Part 2


Part 3

Sunday, January 1, 2012

2012 SpiderTech roster confusion

2011 Quebec City UCI WorldTour © Pasquale Stalteri Photpgraphy / All Rights Reserved

2012 SpiderTech roster;
Why the confusion?

As mentioned earlier, the confusion about SpiderTech’s 2012 17-man roster seems to stem from the team’s own communications. The December 2 press release from SpiderTech (as posted in French on Veloptimum) makes no mention of seven returning SpiderTech team members:

1.      Flavio de Luna
2.      Lucas Euser
3.      Martin Gilbert
4.      Keven Lacombe
5.      Simon Lambert-Lemay
6.      Jonathan Pat McCarty
7.      François Parisien

The editor at Veloptimum wrote a special note in blue to say, “Surprisingly, this press release (below) makes no mention whatsoever [of the four returning Quebec-based] riders,” [our translation from French].  Those four are Gilbert, Lacombe, Lambert-Lemay, and Parisien. The editor there then contacted SpiderTech to get confirmation that these four are indeed returning to SpiderTech.

Regarding the other three riders not named in that press release, De Luna is from Mexico while Euser and McCarty are Americans.

Cyclingnews also ran this press release on Dec. 3, but that Australian-based publication seems to have had additional information so that they counted a squad of 16 men, including 13 returning riders [this should read 17 men, including 14 returning riders]. But again, the seven names above are missing from the text. However, an image of a moustached François Parisien (one of the missing names) can be found at the back of the photo gallery.

Racing News, a UK-based publication also claims that there are 16 men on the SpiderTech squad in 2012. The same seven names are missing from the text there.

Velonation, however, ran the release, together with the complete 17–man roster, indicating who are returning riders and who the new arrivals are.

Readers are left wondering why the seven names were omitted from the text of the press release. And why does one publication list all 17 names while two others count just 16 names and yet another publication had to contact SpiderTech for more information?  Were different versions of this press release sent to different media? All the websites listed here, except Veloptimum, are English-language publications.

Veloptimum (French)

Cycling News


Road Cycling

Velonation




-Dec 02, 2011 SpiderTech press release (in French):


TORONTO – Le 2 décembre 2011 – L’équipe SpiderTech propulsée par C10 a reconfirmé et recruté une équipe internationale expérimentée qui s'appuiera sur le succès de la campagne inaugurale de 2011 sur le circuit procontinental UCI. 2011 a marqué la première étape vers l'objectif de l'équipe de devenir la première équipe cycliste professionnelle canadienne à rivaliser sur le World Tour, notamment au Tour de France.
Cofondateur de cette première équipe canadienne procontinentale, médaillé d'argent olympique et l’un des deux seuls Canadiens à porter le tant convoité maillot jaune au Tour de France, Steve Bauer est convaincu que l'équipe sera extrêmement compétitive en 2012, à la fois en Europe et en Amérique du Nord. La formation composée de 16 cyclistes accueille cette année trois nouveaux athlètes qui se joignent à 13 des membres de l’équipe 2011.
« L'expérience acquise lors de courses européennes et nord-américaines contre les meilleures équipes professionnelles en 2011 est inestimable pour nos coureurs alors que nous nous préparons pour 2012. Le succès que nous avons connu en 2011 a prouvé à tous les sceptiques qu'une équipe canadienne peut rouler et rivaliser avec les meilleures équipes et les meilleurs coureurs au monde » a déclaré Bauer lors d'une conférence de presse à Toronto.
Parmi les coureurs vedette en 2012 on compte Will Routley (Whistler, C.-B.), champion canadien Route 2010 et médaillé d'argent à l’édition 2011 des Championnats canadiens Route, Guillaume Boivin (Longueuil), médaillé de bronze aux Championnats du monde Route 2010 de l'Union cycliste internationale (U23), David Boily (Québec), meilleur grimpeur au Giro di Sardegna et porteur du maillot jaune durant cinq étapes et deuxième au classement général au Tour de l'Avenir, ainsi que Hugo Houle (Sainte-Perpétue), deux fois champion canadien U23 en 2011.
Afin de compléter le groupe des coureurs de retour, Steve Bauer et Josée Larocque, gérante de l'équipe, ont également puisé dans la réserve de talents de certaines des plus grandes équipes professionnelles du World Tour. Les résultats solides en 2011 combinés à une infrastructure d'équipe établie ont permis à Bauer et Larocque de recruter des coureurs des autres équipes professionnelles.
« Le cyclisme professionnel est une entreprise et les coureurs ont des options de signer avec des équipes différentes. Toutes les équipes doivent se vendre aux athlètes pour attirer les meilleurs talents. Je suis ravi que nous ayons été en mesure de recruter Caleb Fairly d'Amarillo, au Texas (anciennement de l'équipe HTC Highroad) et Bjorn Selander de Hudson, Wisconsin (anciennement de l'équipe RadioShack). Ces athlètes apportent une riche expérience internationale et avec des curriculums impressionnants » ajoute Bauer.
La saison dernière, Caleb Fairly a pris part à 28 départs du World Tour avec l'équipe HTC-Highroad, y compris les Grands Prix cyclistes de Québec et de Montréal. La saison précédente, il a roulé pour l'équipe Garmin-Transitions du World Tour en tant que stagiaire, avec qui il a remporté le Tour de Battenkill 2010 et a terminé troisième dans le Giro della Toscana.
Bjorn Selander l'année dernière a roulé avec l'équipe RadioShack, prenant part au Giro d'Italia, une course pendant laquelle il a porté le maillot blanc du meilleur jeune, ainsi que la fameuse course Paris-Roubaix. La saison précédente, il a parcouru Paris-Roubaix, le Tour de Catalogne et le Tour de Pologne, toutes des courses du World Tour. En 2009, il a roulé avec Trek-Livestrong, et a terminé cinquième au Tour de Beauce, dont une deuxième place dans la phase finale de la tournée.
En 2011, l'équipe SpiderTech propulsée par C10 a couru environ 130 jours et a cumulé huit victoires UCI, 30 podiums et plus de 60 Top-10.
L’équipe SpiderTech propulsée par C10 a démontré sa domination en sol canadien cet été aux Championnats canadiens IMMUNITY-FX 2011 de l’Association cycliste canadienne, balayant le podium dans la course sur route d'élite et remportant la course du contre-la-montre en plus de remporter les deux titres canadiens U23 dans la course sur route et contre la montre.
L'équipe s'envolera pour l'Europe au début de janvier pour un camp préparatoire avant le début de la saison de course printanière. L'équipe publiera son calendrier des courses complet pour 2012 en janvier.


Veloptimum: Note du webmestre :


Étonnamment ce communiqué de presse ne fait nullement mention de Martin Gilbert, Keven Lacombe, Simon Lambert-Lemay, Bruno Langlois et François Parisien, membres de l'édition 2011 de Spidertech.
Une vérification auprès de la direction de l´équipe nous a permis d´apprendre que Bruno Langlois ne sera pas de retour mais Martin Gilbert, Keven Lacombe, Simon Lambert-Lemay et François Parisien seront de l´équipe en 2012.
Un fidèle lecteur des Vélo Nouvelles nous informe que Bruno joindra l´équipe Garneau Club Chaussures.



SpiderTech 2012; mystery riders?

2011 Quebec City UCI WorldTour © Pasquale Stalteri Photpgraphy / All Rights Reserved
SpiderTech 2012;
Who are the 5 mystery riders? by John Symon

A photo posted at the Cycle  Sports Management web site:

shows the 17-man SpiderTech team for 2012, but the team has only announced 12 of its riders to date. Can you identify the 5 others?

  • 1.       Zach Bell * (photo)
  • 2.       David Boily *
  • 3.       Guillaume Boivin *
  • 4.       Caleb Fairly (from Texas and previously of HTC Highroad and Garmin-Transitions)
  • 5.       Hugo Houle *
  • 6.       Martin Gilbert *
  • 7.      Raymond Kunzli (from Switzerland / first pro contract)
  • 8.       Keven Lacombe *
  • 9.       Simon Lambert-Lemay *
  • 10.   François Parisien *
  • 11.   Will Routley *
  • 12.   Bjorn Selander (from Wisconsin and previously of RadioShack / 2011)

* = rode for team in 2011 & returning to SpiderTech

Veloptimum notes that former SpiderTech riders Bruno Langlois and Charly Vivès will both be with Garneau Club Chaussures in 2012. And as widely reported, Svein Tuft will be riding for Australian-based GreenEDGE this year.