July 17, 2018 (Val-d’Or, Que.) – Team Canada’s Riley Pickrell, 16, from Victoria, B.C., won the opening stage of the 50th annual Tour de l’Abitibi from Rouyn-Noranda to Val-d’Or, 115.6 km that finished in a bunch sprint.

With bonus points he now has an 8-second lead over Mexico’s Eduardo Cruz de la Mora, from the American team Alterra Home Loans Cycling Team in the overall standings. Team Japan’s Taisei Hino is third at nine seconds back.

Pickrell also holds the orange Points Jersey, and of the blue Best Young Rider’s Jersey. “It’s a remarkable start,” exclaimed Pickrell. “We executed our game plan to perfection. The strategy was to send riders to the front during the road section to force powerful teams like France and the United States to go hunting, and allow me to save energy.”

The second stage of the Tour on Wednesday consist of a 137.3 km road race that will begin and end in Val-d’Or, passing by Senneterre and to the south of Barraute. This stage was added to the program last Friday and replaced the 96 km urban circuit event at Lebel-sur-Quévillon which was canceled by authorities because of forest fires north of the municipality.

Results (brief)

1. Riley Pickrell (Can) Team Canada 2:26:15
2. Eduardo Cruz De La Mora (USA) Alterra Home Loans Cycling Team
3. Taisei Hino (Jpn) Team Japan
4. Tom Mainguenaud (Fra) Team France
5. Lucas Boniface (Fra) Team France
6. Bastien Bodnar (Fra) Sélection SCO-Dijon
7. Nicolas Rivard (Can) Espoirs Elite – Primeau Velo
8. Lucas Bourgoyne (USA) Team USA
9. Rémy Belouze (Fra) Sélection SCO-Dijon
10. Théo Marichy (Fra) Espoirs Elite – Primeau Velo

GC after Stage 1
1. Riley Pickrell (Can) Team Canada 2:26:01
2. Eduardo Cruz De La Mora (USA) Alterra Home Loans Cycling Team 0:08
3. Taisei Hino (Jpn) Team Japan 0:09
4. Antonin Corvaisier (Fra) Team France 0:11
5. Thomas Schellenberg (Can) Team Canada 0:11

Full results here.