July 11, 2007 (Saint-Georges de Beauce, QC) – It was another day of exciting racing today in Quebec as Cam Evans (BC, Symmetrics) took the win with an impressive solo finish against a strong elite men’s field.

In what has been a familiar trend at this year’s Road Nationals, today witnessed a complete change in the weather from yesterday. Monday’s time trials were run in wet and stormy conditions, while Tuesday’s Espoir men and Elite Women’s road races took place under blue skies and a sweltering hot sun. It was back to inclement weather conditions as the elite men rolled up to the start line today’s competition with the forecast predicting a strong chance of rain and thunderstorms.

The 65 competitors headed out of Saint-Georges on the neutral start with 180 kms of racing ahead of them. From the gun the racing was aggressive with riders attempting to break away from the field. At the 37km mark a strong break formed consisting of Svein Tuft (BC, Symmetrics), Dominique Perras (QC, Kelly Benefits Strategy/Medifast), Jean-François Laroche (QC, Sleeman Clear TATV), François Parisien (QC, Slipstream), Mark Walters (ON, KodakGallery p/b Sierra Nevada), Cam Evans (BC, Symmetrics), Ryan Roth (ON, Kelly Benefits Strategy/Medifast) Bruno Langlois (QC, EVA-Devinci), Peter Morse (ON, Jet Fuel Coffee), Andrew Pinfold (BC, Symmetrics), Andrew Randell (ON, Symmetrics), Greg Reain (ON, Calyon / Litespeed), Dustin MacBurnie (NS, Team Race.com).

Noticeably absent from this strong break were two of the pelotons strongest riders – defending champion Dominique Rollin (QC, KodakGallery p/b Sierra Nevada Pro Cycling) and Charles Dionne (QC, Colavita/Sutter Home). Symmetrics was well represented in both the break and the bunch, and with the majority of race favourites in the break, what appeared to be an early move, turned out to be the decisive split.

Dionne and Rollin chased on the front but with Symmetrics controlling it was all for not. Meanwhile the break worked well together and soon shed Morse and Laroche on one of the hills. By 122km the break had an advantage of 5.50 and any serious attempt on the part of the field to catch the riders was quickly fleeting.

At the 146km mark, Tuft attacked and was covered by Roth and the duo quickly got 15 seconds on the remaining riders. Going up the last large hill on the course Walters, Reain and MacBurnie were dropped, leaving Evans, Parisean, Perras, Langlois and Randell in the chase group. As the riders reached the finishing circuits, Roth and Tuft were brought back and Symmetrics again showed the depth of their team as they sent Evans off the front.

Evans has been racing strongly of late with second place finishes at the Rochester Twilight Criterium and Fitchburg Longsjo Stage Race. He commented that Symmetrics was well-represented in the break so they started sending riders off the front and he just happened to be the one that stayed away. “When I’m racing well I get this snappy feeling in my legs and it was definitely there today,” Evans remarked after the race.

He rolled across the line 36 seconds clear of teammate Andrew Randell, who out-sprinted Perras for second place on the podium. Evans is looking forward to returning to Vancouver on Thursday and competing at the hometown BC Superweek races, July 13-22, in his new national champion kit.

Several Symmetrics riders have commented on how well the team is riding at the moment and how they are looking forward to a strong showing at BC Superweek. With Christian Meier’s Espoir victory yesterday, and Cam Evans victory today, they will definitely be a team to be watch.

Results

1. Cameron Evans (BC) Symmetrics 4:33:30
2. Andrew Randell (ON) Symmetrics 0:36
3. Dominique Perras (QC) Kelly Benefit Strategy/Medifast 0:39
4. Svein Tuft (BC) Symmetrics 0:44
5. François Parisien (QC) Slipstream 0:50
6. Bruno Langlois (QC) Eva-Devinci 0:56
7. Ryan Roth (ON) Kelly Benefit 1:39
8. Mark Walters (ON) Kodak Gallery p/b Sierra Nevada 9:01
9. Dustin MacBurnie (NS) Team Race.com NE 9:49
10. Greg Reain (ON) Caly / Litespeed 10:37
11. Derrick C St John (ON) The Cyclery
12. Jacob Erker Symmetrics
13. Eric Wohlberg Symmetrics
14. Alexandre Nadeau Sleeman Clear TATV
15. Jean-François Racine (QC) Garneau-Crocs
16. Zach Bell (BC) Symmetrics
17. Geoff Kabush (BC) Symmetrics
18. Peter Morse (ON) Jet Fuel Coffee
19. Will Routley (BC) Symmetrics
20. Mathieu Roy (QC) Eva-Devinci
21. Jeff Sherstobitoff (BC) Symmetrics
DNF Dominique Rollin (QC) KodakGallery p/b Sierra Nevada Pro Cy
DNF Nick Friesen (AB) Kelly Benefit
DNF Ugo Lapierre (QC) Le Yéti
DNF Pascal Bussières Ryno Performance
DNF Jean-François Laroche Sleeman Clear TATV
DNF Charles Dionne Colavita Olive Oil/Sutter Home
DNF Darko Ficko (ON) La Bicicletta
DNF Peter Sanowar (ON) Ital Pasta Transport Belmire
DNF Ryan McKenzie (AB) Volkswagen/Trek
DNF Rob Britton (BC) La-Z-Boy Cycling
DNF Yves Lefebvre (QC) CI/Wood Gundy
DNF Jeff Schiller (ON) Cyclepath Thunder Bay
DNF Martin Gilbert (QC) Kelly Benefit
DNF Maxime Vives (QC) Caly / Litespeed
DNF Thierry Laliberté (QC) Sportif Bromt
DNF Michel Jean (QC) Élicycle Sport Expert
DNF Osmond Bakker (ON) The Cyclery
DNF Jean-Sébastien Béland (QC) Volkswagen-Trek
DNF Matthew Bonin (ON) Cycle Solutis
DNF Martin Caya (QC) Club Cycliste Drummd
DNF Trevor Connor (BC) La-Z-Boy Cycling
DNF PhillipDeVille Yann Cortes (QC) Caly / Litespeed CI/Wood Gundy
DNF Luc Dionne (QC) CI/Wood Gundy
DNF Derrek Ivey Cycle Solutis/Angry Johnny’s Racing
DNF Hugues Lapointe Équipe Bluberi – Martin Swiss – Special
DNF Marco Li Cycle Solutis
DNF Benoît Lussier (QC) CI/Wood Gundy
DNF Erik Lyman (QC) Caly / Litespeed
DNF Jean-Philippe Marion (QC) Vélo Club Tahiti et des Îles
DNF Benjamin Martel (QC) Garneau-Crocs
DNF Brendan Matthias (BC) Mazurcoaching.com
DNF Buck Miller (ON) Team Race.com
DNF Andrew Pinfold (BC) Symmetrics
DNF Alexi Richer (QC) CI/Wood Gundy
DNF Sébastien Rousseau (QC) Marini-Cadence
DNF Torrey Pass
DNF Daniel Martin Safeway
DNF Matthew Knight
DNF Jamie Sparling (BC) La-Z-Boy Cycling
DNS Michael Nash (ON) Ride with Rendall
DNS Glen Rendall (ON) Ride with Rendall
DNS Heath Cockburn (ON) La Bicicletta
DNS Ryan Morris (ON) Team Rio Grande
DNS Justin Steeds (ON) Racer Sportif/Aquila Racing
DNS Don Zuck (ON) InVita Racing