July 8, 2008 (Saint-Georges, QC) – The Elite men’s and women’s road races took place in St. Georges de Beauce, Quebec, July 4-6 and Alex Wrubleski (Webcor Builders) and Christian Meier (Symmetrics) emerged victorious.

The weather was hot and humid and the sun was shining as Canada’s best road racers converged on the tiny town about an hour east of Quebec City to decide who would earn the honour of wearing the maple leaf jersey throughout the upcoming year. The women’s race took place on Saturday (July 5) on the same 28.6km course that was used for the Junior and Masters road races a week earlier. They completed four (4) laps for a total of 117kms. The course is relatively flat but does have a long grinding rise to start the lap and strong cross winds throughout the back section of the course. The men raced on Sunday (July 6) on a hilly 9.6km circuit through the centre of town.

To say that the men’s course was exciting would be an understatement. The course worked it’s way through a residential section before plunging down towards the river that runs through the centre of town, after a quick false flat section and another descent right into downtown, the course hung a sharp right and climbed 1km up towards the finish line. The riders took in 18 laps for a total of 172.8km.

The Women’s RR
In the women’s race, the heavy hitters made their presence known early as Anne Samplonius (QC) Equipe de Quebec moved to the front in the crosswind section in an attempt to pare down the field to the only the strongest competitors. The racing was visibly faster this year compared to last year as the field didn’t concern itself with saving their legs for the hilly finishing circuits that characterized last year’s course. With the 2008 circuit being a flatter affair, it would be up to the competitors, not the course, to make the race.

After repeated attempts to blow the race apart, the field was finally shattered when under the pressure of Samplonius and Alex Wrubleski (SK) Webcor Builders, the final selection was made. The group was a who’s who of women’s road cycling in Canada consisted of Samplonius, Wrubleski, Felicia Gomez (BC) and Julie Beveridge (AB) Aaron’s L5Flyers, Leigh Hobson (ON) Cheerwine, Heather Logan (ON) Team Ontario, Erinne Willock (BC) Webcor, Joelle Numainville (QC) Équipe du Québec, Sue Schlatter (ON) and Natasha Elliot (ON) from EMD Serono Stevens, Audrey Lemieux (QC) Équipe du Québec, and Merrill Collins (ON) La Bicicletta.

The group worked well together until 18km to go when the attacking began in earnest. Wrubleski, Hobson and Willock went to the front, animating the race and in the process dropped Elliot, Lemieux and Numainville. The attacking would come to no avail however and the stage was set for a sprint from this very select group of riders. There was a slight rise on the course with 1km to go which would give a rider a final chance to get away but no one took up the challenge. In an exciting sprint finish Wrubleski claimed her 2nd title in three years with fellow Olympian Hobson taking second while Gomez rounded out the podium in third. Beveridge scored U23 women’s title finishing 7th overall in the race.

Men’s RR
The Elite/U23 men’s race began with 140 competitors on the start line and like the women’s race a day earlier, the men raced from the gun – only 5km into the race the field was strung out as a break attempted to establish itself.

Eight riders did manage to get away; Eric Wohlberg (ON) Symmetrics, Martin Gilbert (QC) Équipe du Québec, Mark Pozniak (Can) Team Ontario, Mark Walters (Can) Team RACE Pro, Jean-Sébastien Perron (QC) EVA-Devinci, Pascal Bussiere (QC) 2peer.com, Georges-Édouard Duquette (QC) EVA-Devinci, Jacob Erker (AB) Symmetrics Cycling. The group worked well together to drive the gap between the break and the field and the effort from the field behind to chase them down was evident on the strained faces of the riders.

In an unfortunate moment Gilbert crashed himself out of the break while trying to eat on the downhill section of the course. Fortunately he was able to get back on as he worked well with Zach Bell (YK) Symmetrics Cycling, who was attempting to bridge from the field. The Olympic Madison team worked well together to rejoin the break, however reports from the race caravan indicate that no hand slings were employed during the effort.

At the end of the 7th lap four more riders bridged to the leaders – Derek Ivey (ON) Mazurcoaching.com, Kevin “Buck” Miller (ON) Team RACE Pro, Bruno Langlois (QC) VW and Jeff Sherstobitoff (BC) Symmetrics. At this point the race had blown itself into pieces and pre-race favourites Svein Tuft (BC), Cam Evans (BC) Symmetrics Cycling and Dominic Rollin (QC) Toyota United were all in the third group behind the leaders. After attack and counter-attack the eventual podium break was established and contained Erker, Langlois and Meier.

With three laps to go, the lead group of three was reduced to two as Erker suffering from cramps was dropped. Meier and Langlois worked together but it was Meier who attacked in the final surge to the finish to take the victory on the line only one year after earning himself the Espoir national title. Langlois would take second and Erker was able to hold on for third.

In the Espoir category David Veilleux (QC) Kelly Benefit Strategies/Medifast would take the title followed by Eric Boily (QC) Volkswagen in second and Dave Vukets (ON) Trek Red Truck P/B Mosaic in third.

It was a great weekend of racing and the wins were hard fought and well deserved. The Road Nationals will return to St. Georges again next year for the third and final time. Rumour has it that following 2009 the Road Nationals will likely head west, possibly to Vancouver.

For Elite/U23 Women’s full results and more photos click here.
For Elite/U23 Men’s full results and more photos click here.