MAINE & DUCHESNE WIN NATIONAL ROAD TITLES

Athletes faced a tough 15 kilometre circuit in and around the town of La Baie, with each category racing between eight and twelve laps. Each lap included a steep one kilometre climb that proved to be the deciding factor in many of the races. The women raced 120 kilometres and the men 181 kilometres.

Photo Rob Jones/Canadian Cyclist (All Rights Reserved)
Media: Please contact Karine Bedard for image use.

Each race became one of attrition, with the fields gradually being whittled down every lap on the long climb. In the women’s race, Maine was part of an early breakaway that was caught by the remnants of the field, and she again went off the front with a lap and a half to go when Kinley Gibson (The Cyclery) attacked. With both major teams in the break, there was no incentive to chase, and the pair quickly opened a 30 second gap. Coming into the final 200 metres, Maine jumped and easily took the title by a few bike lengths. Sara Bergen (Rally Cycling) won the sprint for third. With her win, Maine became both the Elite and Under-23 Canadian champion.

“Our plan was to race our bikes super hard and take advantage of the opportunities that presented themself,” said Maine. “Kinley [Gibson] attacked and I sat on her wheel. She rode the most incredible lap and I could feel my legs start to cramp. When she started to go, I knew that I had to go for it. I can’t believe this happened!”

The men’s race included European-based pros Duchesne, Svein Tuft (Michelton Scott) and Ben Perry (Israel Cycling Academy), plus strong North American teams Silber Pro Cycling and Rally Cycling. Duchesne and Perry were part of an early move that split the field in the chase.  The front of the race saw multiple riders join and get dropped, with only Duchesne and Perry consistently there. With the race down to less than 30 riders from 128 starters, Duchesne, Perry and Nigel Ellsay (Rally Cycling) finally broke clear of the chasers with less than 40 kilometres remaining. In the sprint, Duchesne went to the front early and held off Perry for the win, with Ellsay taking third. Edward Walsh (T-Palm PCW) was the Under-23 champion, finishing tenth overall.

Photo Vincent Drouin/VeloGazette (All Rights Reserved)

“I really believed it this time; I felt really strong coming out of Dauphine,” said Duchesne. “I felt confident, but stressed and nervous, since I knew I could win it. I tried to put myself at the front so I wouldn’t have to worry about chasing stuff down. I was in every move all day long and still managed to have a little left for the sprint.”
 
About Cycling Canada
Cycling Canada is the governing body for competitive cycling in Canada. Founded in 1882, Cycling Canada aims to create and sustain an effective system that develops talented Canadian cyclists to achieve Olympic, Paralympic, and World Championship medal performances. With the vision of being a leading competitive cycling nation by 2020 celebrating enhanced international success, increased national participation and world class event hosting, Cycling Canada manages the High Performance team, hosts national and international events and administers programs to promote and grow cycling across the country. Cycling Canada programs are made possible through the support of its valued corporate partners – Global Relay, Lexus Canada, Mattamy Homes, Louis Garneau, lululemon, 4iiii, Argon18 and Bear Mountain Resort – along with the Government of Canada, Own The Podium, the Canadian Olympic Committee and the Canadian Paralympic Committee.

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