Les Mardis Cyclistes: August 16, 2011 Miguel Agreda Rojas wins stage 10

Miguel Agreda Rojas © Pasquale Stalteri

Stage 10 Results: Top 5:

1. Miguel Agreda Rojas (Garneau-Club Chaussures)
2. Pierre- Etienne Boivin (Team Spirit GTH Cannondale)
3. Jean Francois Laroche (Fantino Mondello Cycles Regis)
4. Mathieu Roy (Gaspesien-Passion Vélo)
5. Samuel Witmitz (Garneau-Club Chaussures)

Final Championship Results: Top 10:

1.   Jean Francois Laroche (Fantino Mondello Cycles Regis)

2.   Mathieu Roy (Gaspesien –Passion Vélo)
3.   Dominic Chalifoux (Trek-Bontrager)
4.   Erik Lyman (Team Spirit GTH Cannondale)
5.   Benjamin Martel (Team Spirit GTH Cannondale)
6.   Martin Gilbert (SpiderTech p/b C10)
7.   Pierre- Etienne Boivin (Team Spirit GTH Cannondale)
8.   Jean- Michel Lachance (Rocky Mountain- Desjardins)
9.   David Veilleux (Europcar)
10. Miguel Agreda Rojas (Garneau-Club Chaussures)

Full results

Stage 10 race summary:

• The Garneau-Club Chaussures team are present in full force once again in an attempt to beat the course record (prized at $10,000) but abandon the mission shortly into the race.
• The peleton stays together throughout the race with the exception of a few very short lived breakaway attempts.
• Miguel Agreda Rojas (Garneau-Club Chaussures) shows why he is the reigning Québec criterium champion and breaks away in the last lap to capture the stage victory.
• Jean-Francois Laroche (Fantino Mondello Cycles Regis) finishes in third place and wins the overall Mardis Cyclistes championship for the fourth time.

Click to Enlarge Photos 

Les Mardis Cyclistes © Pasquale Stalteri

Jean-Francois Laroche © Pasquale Stalteri

Miguel Agreda © Pasquale Stalteri

Miguel Agreda © Pasquale Stalteri

Jean-Francois Laroche © Pasquale Stalteri

Jean-Francois Laroche © Pasquale Stalteri

Jean-Francois Laroche © Pasquale Stalteri

Brett Tivers © Pasquale Stalteri

Release by Mardis Cyclistes

Montréal, August 16, 2011– Miguel Agreda Rojas (Garneau-Club Chaussures- Norton Rose) took the tenth and final stage of the pro elite men’s race at the Mardis Cyclistes de Lachine. The 34-year-old cyclist originally from Peru rode the 50km course in 1:0:50 for an average speed of 49.3kmh. Pierre-Étienne Boivin (Amical Cycliste Thann) finished second while Jean-François Laroche (Fantino Mondello – Cycles Régis) finished third this evening.

The Garneau team turned out in force with 10 cyclists in the field of 109. Their original plan was to beat the all-time course speed record and pick up $10,000 in prize winnings, but about halfway through the race they realized that this was not possible and changed strategies.

“We decided instead to go with our plan B, that is to conserve our energy at the back of the pack and then to move forward close to the finish. This strategy worked magnificently thanks to impeccable team work, just as we have done all season. We were exhausted by the 243km Montréal--Québec City race on Sunday, so it’s fantastic to win here this evening,” explained Rojas. Sunday’s race was won by his team mate, Brett Tivers of New Zealand.

Rojas won the evening, but Laroche won the season title by accumulating 980 points over the ten weeks of Tuesday evening races. Mathieu Roy (Gaspésien/Passion Vélo) finished second in cumulative points (790) while Dominic Chalifoux (Trek-Bontranger) finished third (632). There was not much doubt this evening that Laroche would win the title but his Fantino Mondello team mates nonetheless chased down Roy and Chalifoux when these two broke away from the pack. Laroche, who was also the series champion in 2010, now has four pro elite Saputo cups to his credit.

“It feels good to equal my great rival, Martin Gilbert (Spidertech) in winning four season titles,” declared Laroche with a big grin before uncorking a bottle of champagne. While Gilbert is a professional cyclist, Laroche is an amateur and earns his pay as a lawyer at Stikeman Elliott.

In the awards ceremony, Chalifoux picked up the ‘best master’ (30 years and over) jersey while Félix Côté-Bouvette (Prud’Homme IGA)   won the ‘best junior of the season’ jersey.  Hugues Lapointe (Nativo Devinci) was declared the ‘most aggressive’ cyclist. Former Montreal Canadien player Yvon Lambert was on hand for most of the podium presentations together with Lachine politicians, officials from Saputo, Quilicot Bicycles, etc.

Women’s and Junior races

Among the women, Elisabeth Albert (Rocky Mountain) won both the evening’s stage race and the season’s Mozzarellissima cup. Véronique Drapeau-Zgoralski (Juvederm-Specialized) finished second in the race for the season title, followed by Audrey Labrie (Piste.ca). Caroline Brunet (Garneau), an Olympic medal winning kayaker reportedly crashed this evening and walked to a nearby hospital with an injured shoulder.

Olivier Brisebois (Cycles Bernard Hynault) won this evening’s stage among the junior men, but his rival Shawn Turcotte (Prud’Homme IGA) ended up as the season winner in the Lait's Go Cup.

Keltie Campbell (Cuisses d’Or) won the minime girl’s race but it was Melyssa Fortin (VC Longueuil) who won the Ultime Cup season title. The story was similar among the minimes boys where Charles Côté (VC Longueuil) won the evening’s stage race but fell four points short of taking the Hop&Go season title which he ceded to Édouard Laparé-Morin (Espoirs Laval).

Some 150 people filled the V.I.P. tent including Montreal Mayor Gerald Tremblay and Lachine Mayor Claude Dauphin. Dauphin and Mardis Cyclistes founder Tino Rossi unveiled a statue of two bicycles which underline the paramount place that the sport of cycling occupies in the borough of Lachine. Despite heavy downpours in late afternoon, weather conditions were good for the evening’s races.

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Les Mardis Cyclistes: August 9, 2011 Benjamin Martel wins stage 9

Benjamin Martel / Finish line © Pasquale Stalteri

Lyman / Roy late breakaway © Pasquale Stalteri

Peleton under heavy downpour © Pasquale Stalteri

More photos below ...

Stage 9 results:  Top 5:

1. Benjamin Martel (Team Spirit GTH Cannondale)
2. Hugues Lapointe (Nativo Davinci)
3. Mathieu Roy (Gaspesien / Passion Vélo)
4. Jean-François Laroche (Fantino Mondello Regis)
5. Dominic Chalifoux (Trek-Bontrager)
Full results

Stage 9 race summary:

• Race started late and ran under dark and slippery conditions due to heavy rain.
• Many short and unsuccessful breakaway attempts throughout the race.
• Eric Lyman and Mathieu Roy breakaway with 10 laps to go and are later joined by Dominc Chalifoux but are caught by the peleton with 2 laps remaining.
• Benjamin Martel gets away in the final lap and wins the stage
  

Other notes of interest:

• The Garneau-Club Chausseurs team was present in full force with newly minted "Senior 1" Quebec criterium champion Miguel Agreda Rojas and NZ powerhouse Brett Tivers but under less than ideal racing conditions, both riders did not place.
• Defending champion Jean-François Laroche (Fantino Mondello Regis) holds onto the yellow jersey heading into the final stage with a significant but not insurmountable lead over Mathieu Roy (Gaspesien / Passion Vélo).
•  Benjamin Martel (Team Spirit GTH Cannondale) is now in 4th place overall just behind Quebec "Maitre A" criterium champion Dominic Chalifoux (Trek-Bontrager).

Official press release below

Click to enlarge images

release by Mardis Cyclistes

Montréal, August 9, 2011–Benjamin Martel (Team Spirit Cannondale) won the ninth stage in pouring rain with an after-dark finish. Martel, 37, launched his attack with only two laps to go in the 31-lap, 50km race. Cautious cyclists rode slowly this evening with Martel stopping the clock at 1:06:37 for an average speed of 45kmh, the slowest of the nine races run to date in this 34th season of the Mardis Cyclistes series. Some eight seconds later, the pack followed Martel with Hugues Lapointe (Nativo Devinci) finishing second and Mathieu Roy (Gaspésien) in third. They were closely followed by defending champion Jean-François Laroche (Fantino Mondello) and by Dominic Chalifoux (Trek Bontrager).

Only 62 cyclists were on the start line and many of them DNF’d before the finish. Erik Lyman (Team Spirit) and Mathieu Roy (Gaspésien) broke away from the pack with 10 laps to go, but were swallowed up by the pack at two laps from the finish. That was the moment Martel chose to launch his attack.

“It was a strategic win and also a team victory,” said Martel. “Team Spirit rode very well this evening and it feels great to end up on the podium. I hate riding in the rain and braked hard on the turns. Perhaps I owe this victory in part to my experience and endurance.” His teammate, Lyman, finished in tenth position.

In the general classification, Laroche built up his lead to 765 cumulative points and will be riding next Tuesday’s race in the yellow leader’s jersey. Roy is a distant second place at 561 points with Chalifoux follows in third at 551 points. The grand finale on August 16 will see a doubling of points. This means that next week’s winner could pick up to 300 points and might be able to wrestle the title away from Laroche.

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Les Mardis Cyclistes: August 2, 2011 Jean-Francois Laroche wins stage 8

Stage 8 Results: Top 5:

1. Jean-Francois Laroche (Fantino Mondello Cycles Regis)

2. Maxime Vives (Powerwatts-FITTIME)
3. Erik Lyman (Team Spirit GTH Canondale)
4. Felix Cote Bouvette (Prud'Homme-IGA)
5. Dominic Chalifoux (Trek-Bontranger)

Full results

Photos and official press release below


Stage 8 race summary:

• In spite of several very short lived breakaway attempts, the peleton remains intact right to the end.
• Laroche wins his second stage of the season out-sprinting Maxime Vives and Erik Lyman.

 Click to enlarge images

Release by Mardis Cyclistes

August 2, 2011 (Lachine, QC) – Jean-François Laroche (Fantino Mondello – Cycles Régis) won a convincing victory in the senior men’s race this evening, stopping the clock at 1 :02 :17 in the 50km race for an average speed of 48.1kmh. He was followed closely in a group sprint to the finish by Maxime Vives (Powerwatts) in second and Erik Lyman (Team Spirit Cannondale) in third.

Junior racer Félix Côté-Bouvette (Prud’homme-IGA) and master racer Dominic Chalifoux (Trek-Bontrager) distinguished themselves by finishing fourth and fifth respectively. The Rocky Mountain team, despite many attacks all through the race, had to content itself with merely a sixth place finish by Jean-Michel Lachance.

Laroche, 31, joked that his victory was easier in the absence of his main rivals. These include Mathieu Roy (suffering a gastro), Martin Gilbert and David Veilleux (both cycling in Europe).  “It makes a difference when the big guns like Martin or David are not there. Nonetheless, my team mates worked splendidly for me here. Even if my rivals had been here, I think we would have beaten them in that sprint,” said Laroche. In particular, he praised team mate Pierre-Olivier Boily.  The Fantino team seemed in control during the entire race, quickly hitting the gas to catch anyone who tried to break away from the pack.

Maxime Vives was more than happy to end up in second. “To finish behind Jean-François, that’s always good. He admitted that there was some elbowing among cyclists to see who could follow Laroche’s wheel.” Vives also claimed to have not been feeling in top form at the beginning of the evening, “But I feel better now.”

Erik Lyman, 38, was pleased to see the race end in a bunch sprint rather than a breakaway as happened on previous Tuesday evenings. .  The sprinters had a chance to talk. “For my part, I’m happy to end up on the podium. The Fantino team worked well and Laroche did a tremendous sprint.”

With his win in this evening’s eighth race of the season, Laroche increased his cumulative lead and looks unstoppable at 670 points with only two more stage races left in the season.  Dominic Chalifoux (Trek-Bontrager) is a distant second at 457.

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Les Mardis Cyclistes: July 26, 2011 Miguel Agreda Rojas wins stage 7

Stage 7 Results: Top 5:

1. Miguel Agreda Rojas (Garneau-Club Chaussures)

2. Jordan Brochu (Rocky Mountain-Desjardins)
3. Jean-Michel Lachance (Rocky Mountain-Desjardins)
4. Philippe Nadon (Rocky Mountain-Desjardins)
5. Mathieu Roy (Gaspesien / Passion Velo)

Leaders after 7 stages:

1 Jean Francois Laroche (Fantino Mondello Cycles Regis)
2 Mathieu Roy (Gaspesien-Passion Vélo)
3 Martin Gilbert (SpiderTech p/b C10)
4 David Veilleux (Europcar)
5 Dominic Chalifoux (Trek-Bontrager)
6 Jean- Michel Lachance (Rocky Mountain-Desjardins)
7 Pierrick Naud (Rocky Mountain-Desjardins)
8 Benjamin Martel (Team Spirit GTH Cannondale)
9 Erik Lyman (Team Spirit GTH Cannondale)
10 Pierre- Etienne Boivin (Team Spirit GTH Cannondale)

Stage 7 race summary:

• Series leader and defending champion, Jean-Francois Laroche (Fantino Mondello Cycles Regis) retains his yellow jersey.
• Mathieu Roy (Gaspesien / Passion Velo) crashes again tonight but finishes 5^th jumping him up into second place in the overall standings over Martin Gilbert (SpiderTech p/b C 10) and David Veilleux (Europcar) who hold 3^rd and 4^th place respectively.
• Jean-Michel Lachance (Rocky Mountain-Desjardins) who currently sits in 6^th place overall puts on another strong performance tonight picking up a third place finish behind team-mate Jordan Brochu.
• Benjamin Martel (Team Spirit GTH Cannondale) presently in 8^th spot overall displays an aggressive ride  and finishes 6^th.  
• Miguel Agreda Rojas (Garneau-Club Chaussures) gets a jump on the 4 Rocky Mountain-Desjardins riders present in the break and wins.

Read:

• Victoire surprise d'un «vieux» de 34 ans by Yvan Matineau
• Official post race press release below

Click to enlarge images

Mardis Cyclistes Official press release:

July 26, 2011 (Lachine, QC) - Miguel Agreda Rojas (Garneau) won Tuesday evening’s seventh stage of Mardis Cyclistes Saputo pro-elite men’s races in Lachine, stopping the clock at 1:0:44 on the 50km course for an average speed of 49.3 km/h. Jordan Brochu (Rocky Mountain-Desjardins) finished second while his team mate, Jean-Michel Lachance, completed the podium.

“I attacked in the second-to-last straight stretch. After seeing that I had created a hole, I closed my eyes and gave it everything I had. I am surprised to have won, but I am also very happy,” explained Rojas, a 34-year-old Peruvian living in Quebec since 2001. He launched himself from a breakaway group that included two other Garneau riders and four Rocky Mountain riders.

Despite two Rocky Mountain riders on the podium, there was disappointment that the victory was not theirs. “There was a misunderstanding,” explained Brochu. “I was the only one to jump onto Rojas’ wheel when he attacked and I had just finished a relay. With four guys in the break, we should have done better.” But Brochu’s second place finish was nonetheless impressive considering that he injured his scaphoid (wrist) on May 22 and has barely raced since then.

Another Rocky Mountain rider, Pierrick Naud, announced that he is leaving in the next few days for Belgium to join the Canadian U23 team there to race in Belgium, France, and in Holland. “I am hoping to make the selection for the World Championships,” he said. The 2011 UCI World Road Championships take place from September 19—25 in Copenhagen, Denmark.

Naud is presently ranked seventh in cumulative points but will no longer be a contender to win the 10 stage series. Other key riders who will be in Europe for the rest of the Mardis season include third-ranked Martin Gilbert (Spidertech p/b C10) and fourth ranked David Veilleux (Europcar).

Jean-François Laroche (Fantino Mondello) still leads the series with 547 points, but is now facing a new challenger in Mathieu Roy (Gaspésien) who finished fifth in this evening’s race and catapulted himself to second place in the cumulative standings with 437 points.

There was much buzz this evening because the 2011 winner of the prestigious Tour de France, Australian Cadel Evans (BMC) previously raced at the Mardis Cyclistes in about 2001. He is rumoured to have finished fifth in one stage race then.

Lachine Mayor Claude Dauphin fired the starter’s pistol for the 67 cyclists competing in the men’s race here. The crowds were thin this evening. Even the illustrious founder of the Mardis Cyclistes, Tino Rossi, was absent. The weather was cool and the pavement was dry despite a downpour in the late afternoon.

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