August 04, 2015 (Tannersville, NY) – Canada’s Lex Albrecht (Optum p/b Kelly Benefit Strategies) and Matteo Dal-Cin (Silber Pro Cycling) claimed the overall at the Tour of the Catskills this past weekend. Albrecht finished 2nd on the women’s final 124.4 Stage 3 road race to take the GC title with Gabrielle Pilote Fortin (Can) DNA p/b K4 Racing 4th on the final stage and 5th overall. Pedal caught up with Albrecht post-race for her take on her victory.

“I raced Tour of the Catskills in New York State for the first time of my cycling career, this past weekend. Schedule conflicts in the past prevented me from competing in Tour of the Catskills.  I was supporting myself at the 3-day stage race, as a good part of my team (Optum Pro Cycling presented by Kelly Benefit Strategies) is finishing a second European block. I had stayed  behind in North America after Nationals for a short break and to get training for the later part of the season in.

“After the first stage time trial, I found myself less than two seconds off of the leader, in second place. Going “for all” on the second stage was the plan: the QOM and sprint points, and of course the stage win.  It was exciting to pull it off.  Defending the GC position was my priority on the last day, where the experience of climbing Devil’s Kitchen (a 4.25km climb with pitches at 22%) awaited 10km before the finish of the 122km stage.  I put on my Quarq powermeter with a set of compact chainrings and a 28 tooth casette, and was happy with the choice.  The stage winner maintained a gap she made on the second half of the climb, but I was able to control it enough to keep the GC position safe, and score another 2nd place stage finish.

“To bring home the overall victory, and all 3 jerseys from the Tour of the Catskills is especially significant this year, as it is the last year the event will take place as a stage race.  I’m heading off to Campo Alto tomorrow to prepare for the US Pro Challenge women’s race in Colorado at the end of the month with Optum Pro Cycling presented by Kelly Benefit Strategies,”

Dal-Cin won the 150.3km Men Pro 1/2 Stage 3 race with Kyle Boorsma (Can) Crimps Cycling Club in third and Alexander Cataford (Can) Silber Pro Cycling 4th. Cataford took second overall with James Piccoli (Can) Team Veloselect 4th overall and Jack Burke (Can) NCCH 5th.

In the Men’s 40+ category David Grazi (Can) True North Medical Road Corps was second while Canada went 1-2 in the Men 50+ race with Jon Gee (Can) Ride with Rendall and Andre Lamarche (Can) Trek-Fiera second.

Results (brief)

Women
1. Stefanie Sydlik (USA) QCW Breakawaybikes.com p/b Felt Bicycles-JLVelo 5:55:56
2. Lex Albrecht (Can) Optum p/b Kelly Benefit Strategies 3:56:29
3. Cecillia Davis (USA) CRCA/Stan’s NoTubes p/b Velo Classic Cycling
4. Gabrielle Pilote Fortin (Can) DNA p/b K4 Racing 3:59:43
5. Cheryl Clark (USA) Team Velo 5 4:00.39
6. Miriam Brouwer (Can) Giant Toronto/Liv p/b Powerwatts 4:02:50
7. Paolina Allan (Can) CYLK Junek Velodrome 4:03:33
8. Nancy Labbe-Giguere (Can) pedalpowertraining.com
9. Jacqueline Parker (USA) Unattached
10. Cheryl Rondeau (Can) CYKL Junek Velodromes

Men
1. Matteo Dal-Cin (Can) Silber Pro Cycling 4:45:57
2. Eneas Freyre (USA) TTEndurance
3. Kyle Boorsma (Can) Crimps Cycling Club
4. Alexander Cataford (Can) Silber Pro Cycling 4:46:17
5. Michael Le Rossignol (Can) Silber Pro Cycling 4:46:32
6. Alec Hoover (USA) Table Rock Tours
7. James Piccoli (Can) Team Veloselect
8. Jack Burke (Can) NCCH
9. Jorge Ortiz (USA) DOM360.com
10. Timothy Ahearn (USA) Team ERRACE p/b DSO Manufacturing

Final GC

Women

1. Lex Albrecht (Can) Optum p/b Kelly Benefit Strategies 6:20:10
2. Cecillia Davis (USA) CRCA/Stan’s NoTubes p/b Velo Classic Cycling 2:56
3. Stefanie Sydlik (USA) QCW Breakawaybikes.com p/b Felt Bicycles-JLVelo 3:02
4. Cheryl Clark (USA) Team Velo 5 4:46
5. Gabrielle Pilote Fortin (Can) DNA p/b K4 racing 6:38
6. Miriam Brouwer (Can) Giant Toronto/Liv p/b Powerwatts  9:58
7. Paolina Allan (Can) CYLK Junek Velodrome 13:43
8. Nancy Labbe-giguere (Can) pedalpowertraining.com 15:47

Men
1. Matteo Dal-Cin (Can) Silber Pro Cycling 7:36:17
2. Alexander Cataford (Can) Silber Pro Cycling 0:30
3. Eneas Freyre (USA) TTEndurance 0:53
4. James Piccoli (Can) Team Veloselect 1:00
5. Jack Burke (Can) NCCH 1:12

Men 40+
1. Eric Follen (USA) Momentum Barracuda Racing 5:45:51
2. David Grazi (Can) True North Medical Road Corps 2:31

Men 50+
1. Jon Gee (Can) Ride wth Rendall 6:12:46
2. Andre Lamarche (Can) Trek-Fiera 0:28

Full results coming.