Demi Vollering (SD Worx) left only crumbs to his opponents in the Itzulia stage race in Spain. On Sunday, the Dutch cyclist took over the third and final stage, as she had done on the first two. Olivia Baril (Valcar – Travel & Service) tried to keep her fifth place in the general classification, except that her 14and place (+1 min 23 s) of the day dragged her to the final ranking where she finished 11thand row (+2 min 34 s).
Posted yesterday at 1:31 p.m.
The athlete from Rouyn-Noranda was disappointed not to have taken up the challenge launched by her sports director the day before, before the stage where she had won a brilliant second place.
“Today (Sunday) was really difficult! I did my best, my team too, but it wasn’t enough to keep my place in the general classification. I have no regrets because I tried the best I could. I just wasn’t strong enough,” Baril explained after covering the 140 kilometers in the San Sebastian area, where she trains.
“I’m not at all acclimatized to the heat,” added the young woman, still tired from her effort and who was keeping an eye on the men’s Tro-Bro Léon race at the time of the interview, because her boyfriend Charles -Étienne Chrétien (Premier Tech U23) was a member of the breakaway of the day.
Magdeleine Vallières-Mill (EF Education-TIBCO-SVB), from Sherbrooke, placed 40and in a group of six riders who crossed the finish line 3 minutes 38 seconds behind. In the final ranking, she climbed two places and thus finished at 31and row (+12 min 17 s).
Vollering won the lap with a 47 second lead over her compatriot Pauliena Rooijakkers (Canyon/SRAM Racing). American Kristen Faulkner (Team BikeExchange – Jayco) completes the podium at 1 min 7 s.
The Tro-Bro Léon in the rain
At the Tro-Bro Léon, the event considered the Breton Paris-Roubaix, Charles-Étienne Chrétien (Premier Tech U23) made a good impression by being a member of the breakaway of the day which included four riders. The 22-year-old athlete held on for 120 kilometers and was knocked out 40 kilometers from the finish, which he reached in 49and place (+4 min 30 s), one rank ahead of his compatriot Pier-André Côté (+3 min 34 s, Human Powered Health).
The young Matisse Julien (Premier Tech U23), aged only 19, was the best Canadian of the day with his 42and place (+3 minutes 21 seconds) on the course which was made muddy in places due to the rain. Frenchman Hugo Hofstetter (Arkéa Samsic) won in the sprint.
Other Quebec results: 74-Nickolas Zukowsky (+15 min 19 s, Human Powered Health)Abandon-Francis Juneau (Premier Tech U23)Abandon-Robin Plamondon (Premier Tech U23)Abandon-Nicolas Rivard (Premier Tech U23)