In doing so, Tuft writes a new chapter in Canadian cycling history, becoming the first Canadian to win a professional cycling road race in Europe while wearing the National Champion jersey. Tuft won twice last year in time trials races.
Riders from Team SpiderTech strategically took part in every break of the race, and allowed Tuft to join a breakaway with approximately 33 kilometres left in this 181.7-kilometre race.
The break was eventually brought back with nine other riders for about nine kilometres. With 18 kilometres to go, Tuft launched a powerful attack and rode solo for the remainder of the race to take the win, showing a 36-second gap over the second place of Willem Vauteurs of World Tour team Vacansoleil-DCM.
“The boys rode a perfect race today. Everybody is starting to feel the form of those hard climbing French stage races. Early on we had Will [Routley], Zach [Bell] and myself in the break — and I knew it was going to be a good day. The pressure was on right from the gun and I knew we had all our bases covered with strong guys in the break and with Martin and Guillaume sitting in the group behind,” said Tuft, winner of both the road race and time trials at the 2011 Road Canadian Championships.
“As the day wore on, I could see the riders starting to feel the fatigue and I knew it was time to go in the headwind section about 12k out. I knew once I had 30 seconds, I would be able to break the chase group. There were some technical sections that really suited me late in the race. I knew if I could get to the technical section, I could get out of sight and gain time,” continued Tuft. “It was a very satisfying win and I’m really proud of the guys. We will be looking for another one tomorrow at Overjise.”
Directeur sportif Kevin Field had great things to say about the teamwork from the riders on Team SpiderTech: “The boys rode amazing today. Gripped it and ripped it. We had numbers in every move today. What an historic performance for Canadian cycling today.”
A second contingent of SpiderTech riders is starting the 2011 USA Pro Cycling Challenge in Colorado, which runs through Sunday. In Europe, racing resumes tomorrow with UCI 1.1 Overijse in Belgium, the second to last race of the 2011 season on European soil for Team SpiderTech.
2011 GP Stad Zottegem (August 23, 2011)
Class: UCI 1.1
Location: Belgium
Stage: 1-day race
Distance: 181.7 Km
Official website HERE.
Results
1. Svein Tuft (Can) Spidertech Powered by Planet Energy 4:06:13
2. Willem Wauters (Bel) Vacansoleil – DCM 00:36
3. Adam Blythe (Gbr) Omega Pharma – Lotto 00:41
4. Troels Rønning Vinther (Den) Glud & Marstrand – Lrø Rådgivning
5. Markus Eichler (Ger) Nsp
6. Jean-Pierre ‘Jempy’ Drucker (Lux) Verandas Willems – Accent
7. Gorik Gardeyn (Bel) Vacansoleil – DCM
8. Baptiste Planckaert (Bel) Landbouwkrediet
9. Wouter Mol (Ned) Vacansoleil – DCM
10. Jelle Wallays (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen – Mercator 00:51
11. Björn Thurau (Ger) Nsp 01:04
12. Klaas Lodewyck (Bel) Omega Pharma – Lotto 01:19
13. Eric Baumann (Ger) Team Netapp 02:32
14. Roy Hegreberg (Nor) Sparebanken Vest – Ridley
15. Bert-Jan Lindeman (Ned) Vacansoleil – DCM
16. Guillaume Boivin (Can) Spidertech Powered by Planet Energy
17. Boris Dron (Bel) Lotto – Bodysol – Pôle Continental Wallon
18. Koen Barbe (Bel) Landbouwkrediet 02:43
19. Andrew Fenn (Gbr) An Post – Sean Kelly Team 02:52
20. Jens Debusschere (Bel) Omega Pharma – Lotto 03:43
21. James Spragg (Gbr) Donckers Koffie – Jelly Belly
22. Evan Oliphant (Gbr) Endura Racing
23. Thomas Guldhammer (Den) Concordia – Himmerland
24. Remco Broers (Ned) Differdange – Magic Sportfoot.de 03:49
25. Jurgen Francois (Bel) Colba – Mercury 04:10
26. Sven Jodts (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen – Mercator 04:47
27. Sven Vandousselaere (Bel) Omega Pharma – Lotto 05:01
28. Sebastian Körber (Ger) Nutrixxion – Sparkasse
29. Ian Wilkinson (Gbr) Endura Racing
30. Remco Te Brake (Ned) De Rijke
31. Christian Moberg Jørgensen (Den) Glud & Marstrand – Lrø Rådgivning
32. Kenny De Ketele (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen – Mercator
33. Stefan Schafer (Ger) Lkt Team Brandenburg
34. Simon Lambert-Lemay (Can) Spidertech Powered by Planet Energy
35. Martin Gilbert (Can) Spidertech Powered by Planet Energy
36. Jonas Ljungblad (Swe) Differdange – Magic Sportfoot.de
37. Sébastien Delfosse (Bel) Landbouwkrediet
38. Leopold König (Cze) Team Netapp 05:19