G.P. IGA Ste-Martine Report, Results & PHOTOS

by John Symon

May 01, 2012 (Ste-Martine, QC) – Casey Roth (Ride with Rendall Cycling Team) won Sunday’s senior men’s 96km race at the G.P. IGA Ste-Martine on Sunday, followed by Dominic Chalifoux (Trek-Bontrager) in second and Charly Vives (Garneau-Quebecor) in third.

Among those competing in the senior men’s race was SpiderTech’s Francois Parisien back from an injury. “The rest of the team is in Europe,” Parisien told us. “My knees feel good today and I’m in the race to do my best. And I’ll be going to California. [The Amgen Tour of California is held from May 13—20].”

It was Alizee Brien (Specialized-Mazda-SGC) who won the senior women’s 58km race at Ste Martine, followed by teammate Anne-Marie Morin in second. But apparently it was Morin who put her arms up to signify victory, not Brien. Elisabeth Albert (Rocky Mountain) was third.

“Conditions were difficult with the wind, but I owe my victory to my team mates,” Brien said to Pedal. “Elles on ralenti le peloton pendant que j’ai fait mon échappée. (They slowed down the pack while I made my breakaway.)” Brien, who is only 18 years old, raced as a senior.

Pedal also understands that Albert, who studies Medicine, has only put in some 500km this season on her bike and had to rush back to l’Universite de Sherbrooke for an exam immediately following the Ste. Martine podium.

Jean-Philippe Lambert won the 74km Masters A race, followed by Guillaume Belzile and by Jean-Charles Pinsonnault. Stephane Lebeau, a former world champion, competed in this heat rather than the Master’s D where he belonged according to his age. Lebeau was a favourite, but did not finish on the podium.

Czeslaw Lukaszewicz, one of the race organizers, told Pedal that there were more than 600 registrations (across all categories) for the event. Lukaszewicz was a former Canadian road champion (1994 & 1997). The G.P. IGA Ste-Martine is the second stage of the nine-Stage Tour de la Montérégie series, which is new this year. This coming weekend sees the GP de Granby on Saturday and the GP de Brossard on Sunday.

The weather was sunny, but brisk with wind gusts of up to 40kmh causing many spectators to bundle up as if it were a winter day. The gusts turned into a tail wind on one leg of the 10.5km loop, pushing cyclists at a tremendous speed along Montée Antoine Goyette going into a difficult 90 degree corner onto Rang Touchette near the start/finish line.