September 15, 2007 (Saint-Flour, France) — The Canadian team struggled through the final three stages of the Tour de l’Avenir, which took in the hilly backroads of the Auvergne region of central France.

The team’s hopes for a high placing on the final overall standings rested with Christian Meier, who was sitting in 11th position after stage seven. But Meier had been suffering from a leg injury since his crash in the second stage, and the problem worsened as the race got hillier.

Meier lost 40 seconds on the overall standing on stage eight, then a further minute on stage nine, which finished with a brutally steep climb. “My leg just felt completely blocked, and I couldn’t push more than 280 Watts,” said a frustrated Meier.

A few kilometres into the final stage, it was clear Meier was not fit to continue and he chose to stop rather than aggravate the injury. An exhausted Brad Fairall also pulled out of the Tour on the final stage, leaving just David Veilleux and Ryan Anderson to rally to the finish.

“It was a tough Tour for the guys, but despite our problems we accomplished what we came here to do, which was prepare for the Road Worlds,” said team director Kris Westwood. “With a bit of rest, the guys should be in top form in Stuttgart at the end of the month. Christian will see a chiropractor when we get back to our base in Conches and hopefully we can sort out whatever is causing his leg problem.”

One of the Canadians at the Tour de l’Avenir won’t be competing at the Road Worlds – Eric Boily is not part of the final five-man roster. He will return home Monday to continue his studies.

Apologies for the lack of reports over the last few days as the team was staying in one of the few places in France without wireless data access.

Results

1. Oleh Opryshko (Ukr) Ukrainian National Team 3.47.42 (38.999 km/h)
2. Dario Cataldo (Ita) Italian National Team 0.38
3. Tony Martin (Ger) German National Team 0.4
4. Jelle Vanendert (Bel) Belgian National Team 0.42
5. Bauke Mollema (Ned) Dutch National Team
6. Andre Steensen (Den) Danish National Team
7. Edvald Boasson Hagen (Nor) Norwegian National Team
8. Guillaume Levarlet (Fra) French National Team A
9. Benat Intxausti (Spa) Spanish National Team
10. Marcel Wyss (Swi) Swiss National Team
11. Kristof Vandewalle (Bel) Belgian National Team
12. Frederik Wilmann (Nor) Norwegian National Team 0.46
13. Simon Spilak (Slo) Slovenian National Team 0.48
14. Maciej Paterski (Pol) Polish National Team
15. Thomas Peterson (USA) USA National Team
16. Anthony Roux (Fra) French National Team A 0.5
17. Ignatas Konovalovas (Ltu) Lithuanian National Team 0.52
18. Dalivier Ospina (Col) Mixed Team 0.54
19. Jarlinson Pantano (Col) Mixed Team 0.55
20. Rui Costa (Por) Portuguese National Team 0.56
21. Martin Kohler (Swi) Swiss National Team
22. Tejay Van Garderen (USA) USA National Team
23. Thomas Kvist (Den) Danish National Team
24. Craig Lewis (USA) USA National Team
25. Lukasz Modzelewski (Pol) Polish National Team
26. Abdelkader Belmokhtar (Alg) Mixed Team
27. José Mendes (Por) Portuguese National Team
28. Adrian Honkisz (Pol) Polish National Team
29. Jose Herrada (Spa) Spanish National Team
30. Sébastien Fournet Fayard (Fra) French National Team B 1.04
31. Diego Milan (Spa) Spanish National Team
32. Jakob Bering (Den) Danish National Team
33. Laurent Beuret (Swi) Swiss National Team
34. Mickael Larpe (Fra) French National Team B
35. Dominic Klemme (Ger) German National Team 1.09
36. Paul Voss (Ger) German National Team 1.15
37. Michael Randin (Swi) Swiss National Team 1.19
38. Steven Kruijswijk (Ned) Dutch National Team 1.21
39. Jonas Jörgensen (Den) Danish National Team
40. Dmytro Novosad (Ukr) Ukrainian National Team
41. Reto Hollenstein (Swi) Swiss National Team 1.23
42. Javier Aramendia (Spa) Spanish National Team
43. Simon Geschke (Ger) German National Team
44. Herberts Pudans (Lat) Latvian National Team 1.31
45. Nelson Rocha (Por) Portuguese National Team 1.4
46. Peter Stetina (USA) USA National Team 1.44
47. Jean-Charles Senac (Fra) French National Team A 1.45
48. Fabio Taborre (Ita) Italian National Team 1.54
49. Kristofers Racenajs (Lat) Latvian National Team
50. Aleksey Kunshin (Rus) Russian National Team 2.01
51. Dennis Van Winden (Ned) Dutch National Team 2.15
52. Andrey Klyuev (Rus) Russian National Team 2.53
53. Rafaa Chtioui (Tun) Mixed Team 3.07
54. Dmitriy Gruzdev (Kaz) Kazakh National Team
55. Kristjan Koren (Slo) Slovenian National Team
56. Andriy Suralyov (Ukr) Ukrainian National Team
57. Grega Bole (Slo) Slovenian National Team
58. Adriano Malori (Ita) Italian National Team
59. Andreas Frisch (Den) Danish National Team
60. Mathias Belka (Ger) German National Team 3.18
61. Cyril Bessy (Fra) French National Team B 3.3
62. Nicolas Hartmann (Fra) French National Team A
63. Tom Leezer (Ned) Dutch National Team 3.4
64. Sergey Shcherbakov (Rus) Russian National Team 4.12
65. Viesturs Luksevics (Lat) Latvian National Team 5.14
66. Valerio Agnoli (Ita) Italian National Team 7.17
67. Yoann Offredo (Fra) French National Team B
68. Stijn Neirynck (Bel) Belgian National Team
69. Oscar Sanchez (Col) Mixed Team
70. Thomas Brigaud (Fra) French National Team B
71. Marcos Garcia (Spa) Spanish National Team
72. Ivan Rovny (Rus) Russian National Team
73. Marco Coledan (Ita) Italian National Team
74. Blaz Jarc (Slo) Slovenian National Team
75. Gediminas Kaupas (Ltu) Lithuanian National Team
76. Sondre Sortveit (Nor) Norwegian National Team
77. Ryan Anderson (Can) Canadian National Team
78. Stefan Schafer (Ger) German National Team
79. David Veilleux (Can) Canadian National Team 7.23
80. Lars Boom (Ned) Dutch National Team
81. Jos Van Emden (Ned) Dutch National Team 9.57
82. Joze Senekovic (Slo) Slovenian National Team
83. Tomasz Krupinski (Pol) Polish National Team
84. Stian Sommerseth (Nor) Norwegian National Team 12.26
85. Alexander Kristoff (Nor) Norwegian National Team
86. Nazar Jumabekov (Kaz) Kazakh National Team 24.26
87. Christer Rake (Nor) Norwegian National Team 26.33
DNF Haijun Ma (Chn) Mixed Team
DNF Bradley Fairall (Can) Canadian National Team
DNF Christian Meier (Can) Canadian National Team
DNF Pawel Cieslik (Pol) Polish National Team

Final GC

1. Bauke Mollema (Ned) Dutch National Team 35.14.04
2. Tony Martin (Ger) German National Team 0.44
3. Andre Steensen (Den) Danish National Team 0.55
4. Simon Spilak (Slo) Slovenian National Team 1.09
5. Benat Intxausti (Spa) Spanish National Team 1.32
6. Guillaume Levarlet (Fra) French National Team A 2.58
7. Craig Lewis (USA) USA National Team 3.24
8. Kristof Vandewalle (Bel) Belgian National Team 3.45
9. Frederik Wilmann (Nor) Norwegian National Team 3.48
10. Dario Cataldo (Ita) Italian National Team 4.37
11. Jose Herrada (Spa) Spanish National Team 5.02
12. Thomas Kvist (Den) Danish National Team 5.2
13. Michael Randin (Swi) Swiss National Team 7.38
14. Laurent Beuret (Swi) Swiss National Team 7.54
15. Edvald Boasson Hagen (Nor) Norwegian National Team 8.17
16. Ignatas Konovalovas (Ltu) Lithuanian National Team 8.3
17. Marcel Wyss (Swi) Swiss National Team 8.43
18. Jelle Vanendert (Bel) Belgian National Team 9.1
19. José Mendes (Por) Portuguese National Team 9.53
20. Tejay Van Garderen (USA) USA National Team 10.47
21. Dalivier Ospina (Col) Mixed Team 10.58
22. Rui Costa (Por) Portuguese National Team 11.41
23. Maciej Paterski (Pol) Polish National Team 11.46
24. Rafaa Chtioui (Tun) Mixed Team 12.31
25. Mickael Larpe (Fra) French National Team B 13.01
26. Thomas Peterson (USA) USA National Team 13.14
27. Dennis Van Winden (Ned) Dutch National Team 13.29
28. Sébastien Fournet Fayard (Fra) French National Team B 14.05
29. Peter Stetina (USA) USA National Team 14.48
30. Aleksey Kunshin (Rus) Russian National Team 15.18
31. Adrian Honkisz (Pol) Polish National Team 15.39
32. Dmytro Novosad (Ukr) Ukrainian National Team 15.43
33. Javier Aramendia (Spa) Spanish National Team 16.23
34. Anthony Roux (Fra) French National Team A 16.3
35. Nelson Rocha (Por) Portuguese National Team 16.36
36. Adriano Malori (Ita) Italian National Team 17.09
37. Jarlinson Pantano (Col) Mixed Team 18.37
38. Jakob Bering (Den) Danish National Team 18.53
39. Steven Kruijswijk (Ned) Dutch National Team 20.4
40. Lukasz Modzelewski (Pol) Polish National Team 20.47
41. Simon Geschke (Ger) German National Team 20.54
42. Nicolas Hartmann (Fra) French National Team A 21.19
43. Dmitriy Gruzdev (Kaz) Kazakh National Team 25.14
44. Oleh Opryshko (Ukr) Ukrainian National Team 25.41
45. Abdelkader Belmokhtar (Alg) Mixed Team 26.11
46. Fabio Taborre (Ita) Italian National Team 26.25
47. Martin Kohler (Swi) Swiss National Team 26.42
48. Ivan Rovny (Rus) Russian National Team 28.4
49. Valerio Agnoli (Ita) Italian National Team 29
50. Grega Bole (Slo) Slovenian National Team 29.05
51. Reto Hollenstein (Swi) Swiss National Team 29.31
52. Marcos Garcia (Spa) Spanish National Team 30.26
53. Mathias Belka (Ger) German National Team 30.39
54. Kristjan Koren (Slo) Slovenian National Team 30.45
55. Andriy Suralyov (Ukr) Ukrainian National Team 32.2
56. Lars Boom (Ned) Dutch National Team 36.39
57. Tom Leezer (Ned) Dutch National Team 36.48
58. Viesturs Luksevics (Lat) Latvian National Team 37.54
59. Diego Milan (Spa) Spanish National Team 39.45
60. Ryan Anderson (Can) Canadian National Team 40.01
61. Andreas Frisch (Den) Danish National Team 42.44
62. Cyril Bessy (Fra) French National Team B 45.23
63. Marco Coledan (Ita) Italian National Team 45.32
64. Paul Voss (Ger) German National Team 45.4
65. Herberts Pudans (Lat) Latvian National Team 46.47
66. Sondre Sortveit (Nor) Norwegian National Team 46.55
67. Stian Sommerseth (Nor) Norwegian National Team 47.28
68. Jos Van Emden (Ned) Dutch National Team 48.23
69. Jean-Charles Senac (Fra) French National Team A 49.08
70. Yoann Offredo (Fra) French National Team B 49.09
71. Oscar Sanchez (Col) Mixed Team 52.29
72. Andrey Klyuev (Rus) Russian National Team 52.36
73. Sergey Shcherbakov (Rus) Russian National Team 55.22
74. Stijn Neirynck (Bel) Belgian National Team 56.15
75. Jonas Jörgensen (Den) Danish National Team 1.00.56
76. Dominic Klemme (Ger) German National Team 1.03.35
77. Blaz Jarc (Slo) Slovenian National Team 1.03.53
78. Alexander Kristoff (Nor) Norwegian National Team 1.05.56
79. Kristofers Racenajs (Lat) Latvian National Team 1.07.07
80. Tomasz Krupinski (Pol) Polish National Team 1.12.27
81. Thomas Brigaud (Fra) French National Team B 1.17.28
82. Gediminas Kaupas (Ltu) Lithuanian National Team 1.21.40
83. David Veilleux (Can) Canadian National Team 1.25.54
84. Nazar Jumabekov (Kaz) Kazakh National Team 1.26.17
85. Stefan Schafer (Ger) German National Team 1.28.00
86. Christer Rake (Nor) Norwegian National Team 1.36.02
87. Joze Senekovic (Slo) Slovenian National Team 1.52.01