June 02, 2016 (Gatineau, QC) – Two of Canada’s top riders landed on the podium at the 7th edition of the Grand Prix Cycliste Gatineau Hydro Quebec, 104.4km, road race on June 2 with Joelle Numainville (Equipe du Quebec) claiming second and Leah Kirchmann (Team Canada) third. But the day belonged to Kimberly Wells (Aus) Colavita-Bianchi who timed her sprint finish perfectly following almost three hours of racing to claim the victory.

A neutralized start began in sunny but windy conditions that included the threat of showers. The attacks began from the first kilometre as the peloton made its way towards Gatineau Park, one of Canada’s renowned national parks, for two big circuits as Canada’s Allyson Gillard (TRJ Telecom-Desjardins) and American Aliya Trificate (Stringray/Trek/Lacasse) gained about 30 seconds on the pack.

But the break was short-lived and soon after Trek Red Truck’s Leah Guloien escaped alone and soon had a 45-second lead. But as the second lap ended, the pack led by Karol-Ann Canuel (Team Canada) was on her, and then a dangerous group of 12 riders formed at the front including Numainville, Kirchmann, Steph Roorda, Alison Jackson and others.

Upon leaving Gatineau Park and entering the lower circuit of the race course, the break held a lead of approximately 30 seconds. Behind a chase pack of 30 riders were wary of the situation and reeled them in. As they approached the finishing circuits consisting of five laps of a 9.4km circuit a group of 25 riders pulled away. As the pace picked up the group shattered and nine riders including Canuel and Numainville were away.

Over the subsequent laps of the lower circuit several teams, including local squad, The Cyclery Opus team, did lots of work to animate the race and the gap started to come down. On the last lap, the peloton was together and the attacks began again but none would stick as the pack chased down everything setting the stage for a bunch sprint finish.

Team Canada lead through the last few corners and it appeared at this point that the squad was set up well for a victory with veteran sprinters Kirchmann and Numainville at the front. However, Australian speed queen, Wells, was in the battle at the finish as well and made good on her well-timed sprint to take the win over the two Canucks who settled for the second and third spots on the podium.

“I love racing here,” said Numainville who has won here before. “Each year I’m super motivated, they changed the course and I love it. I just finished a big block of training at altitude and it’s my first week back. It feels like a new season again…you never know how it will be until you’re in the race but I felt great and in control the whole time. I started to kick at about 200m to go and knew it would be a long sprint and I’m happy with my performance. I’m really looking forward to the time trial tomorrow – it’s a big goal as well and having done well here in the past helps with my confidence. I feel good so we’ll see what happens.”

Following her victory, Wells reflected on the team meeting that took place prior to the start of today’s event. Colavita-Bianchi brought four riders to the start line and raced strategically to be successful. “Every single one of our riders needed to come to the start line with the attitude that they themselves could win the race. That’s the way our Colavita squad raced today and we’ve taken home this giant trophy,” commented Wells who couldn’t be happier. After fighting for position into the last corner, she added that it was “…such a relief to throw my hands in the air after all the hard work that my team did today”. And it wasn’t an easy race.

According to Wells’ teammate, Lauretta Hanson, “It was a tough race for us. One of our teammates crashed so we were down to three. We got dropped over a major climb on the second lap and had to chase back on. It was a hard day but well worth it,” she concluded.

With day one, and the Grand Prix Cycliste Gatineau Hydro Quebec road race wrapped up, tomorrow will see 45 riders take on the 19.3km individual time trial, with hopes for a strong performance from the Canadian riders as Canuel was second here last year.

Results

1. Kimberly Wells (Aus) Colavita – Bianchi 2:48:25
2. Joelle Numainville (Can) Équipe du Québec
3. Leah Kirchmann (Can) Team Canada
4. Sara Bergen (Can) Trek Red Truck p/b Mosaic Homes
5. Joanne Marie Kiesanowski (Nzl) Team TIBCO – Silicon Valley Bank
6. Allison Jackson (Can) Team Canada
7. Mandy Heintz (USA) Visit Dallas DNA Pro Cycling
8. Jamie Gilgen (Can) Visit Dallas DNA Pro Cycling
9. Irena Ossola (USA) SAS – MACOGEP – ACQUISIO Mazda
10. Gray Patton (USA) PHI Hotel Group/ P-K Express
11. Lauretta Hanson (Aus) Colavita – Bianchi
12. Jessica Mundy (Aus) Fearless Femme Racing
13. Brianna Walle (USA) Team TIBCO – Silicon Valley Bank
14. Nina Laughlin (USA) Visit Dallas DNA Pro Cycling 00:06
15. Annie Foreman-Mackey (Can) The Cyclery Opus
16. Kathrin Hammes (Ger) Team TIBCO – Silicon Valley Bank
17. Leah Guloien (Can) Trek Red Truck p/b Mosaic Homes 00:09
18. Rebecca Fahringer (USA) CRCA/Velo Classic p/b STANS No Tubes
19. Ashley Barson (Can) Rise Racing
20. Marie Soleil Blais (Can) Fearless Femme Racing
21. Justine Clift (Can) The Cyclery Opus
22. Elisabeth Albert (Can) Équipe du Québec
23. Kendelle Hodges (Aus) Fearless Femme Racing
24. Luce Bourbeau (Can) SAS – MACOGEP – ACQUISIO Mazda
25. Kendall Ryan (USA) Team TIBCO – Silicon Valley Bank
26. Katherine Maine (Can) Team Canada
27. Jessica Cutler (USA) Colavita – Bianchi 00:14
28. Stephanie Roorda (Can) Team Canada
29. Kristen Arnold (USA) CRCA/Velo Classic p/b STANS No Tubes
30. Adriane Provost (Can) SAS – MACOGEP – ACQUISIO Mazda 00:18
31. Lauren Dagostino (USA) Fearless Femme Racing
32. Sarah Anne Rasmussen (Can) SAS – MACOGEP – ACQUISIO Mazda
33. Ellen Watters (Can) The Cyclery Opus
34. Fredérique Larose-Gingras (Can) Stingray/Trek/Lacasse
35. Gillian Ellsay (Can) Trek Red Truck p/b Mosaic Homes
36. Alizée Brien (Can) Team TIBCO – Silicon Valley Bank 00:23
37. Karol-Ann Canuel (Can) Team Canada 00:23
38. Anna Gabrielle Traxler (Can) Trek Red Truck p/b Mosaic Homes 00:26
39. Breanne Nalder (USA) Visit Dallas DNA Pro Cycling 00:32
40. Catherine Ouellette (Can) Équipe du Québec 01:06
41. Clio Dinan (USA) CRCA/Velo Classic p/b STANS No Tubes 02:06
42. Kaitlyn Steeves (Can) NCCH p/b DEC Express 02:06
43. Gabrielle Pilote-Fortin (Can) Équipe du Québec 02:09
44. Tara Macdonald (Can) NCCH p/b DEC Express 06:46
45. Miriam Brouwer (Can) The Cyclery Opus 06:46
46. Nicole Dorinzi (USA) PHI Hotel Group/ P-K Express 06:53
47. Kinley Gibson (Can) Trek Red Truck p/b Mosaic Homes 09:22
48. Emily Flynn (Can) The Cyclery Opus 09:22
49. Suzanne Hamilton (Can) Trek Red Truck p/b Mosaic Homes 09:24
50. Ariane Bonhomme (Can) The Cyclery Opus 09:24
51. Janie Rioux Coulombe (Can) TRJ TELECOM-DESJARDINS FORD 09:24
DNF Gretchen Stumhofer (USA) Colavita – Bianchi
DNF Olivia Baril (Can) Équipe du Québec
DNF Emily Underwood (USA) Sélection de la Région Capitale Nationale
DNF Sophie Bernard (Can) Sélection de la Région Capitale Nationale
DNF Isabelle Mayrand (Can) Sélection de la Région Capitale Nationale
DNF Sarah Iepson (USA) Sélection de la Région Capitale Nationale
DNF Hannah Van Kampen (Nzl) Sélection de la Région Capitale Nationale
DNF Sara Giovannetti (Can) PHI Hotel Group/ P-K Express
DNF Emily Marcolini (Can) PHI Hotel Group/ P-K Express
DNF Stephanie Swan (USA) PHI Hotel Group/ P-K Express
DNF Allyson Gillard (Can) TRJ TELECOM-DESJARDINS FORD
DNF Dominique Danco (Can) TRJ TELECOM-DESJARDINS FORD
DNF Melissa Fortin (Can) TRJ TELECOM-DESJARDINS FORD
DNF Natascha Piciga (Can) Giant Toronto/Liv
DNF Andrea Elliott (Can) Giant Toronto/Liv
DNF Amy Mausser (Can) Giant Toronto/Liv
DNF Rachel Blair (Can) Giant Toronto/Liv
DNF Amelia Bell (Can) NCCH p/b DEC Express
DNF Hillary Lowry (Can) NCCH p/b DEC Express
DNF Shannon Malseed (Aus) NCCH p/b DEC Express
DNF Chelsea Knapp (USA) NCCH p/b DEC Express
DNF Hélène Pilote Fortin (Can) Stingray/Trek/Lacasse
DNF Elise Piedalue (Can) Stingray/Trek/Lacasse
DNF Geneviève Fradet-Carlos (Can) Stingray/Trek/Lacasse
DNF Aliya Traficante (USA) Stingray/Trek/Lacasse
DNF Tate Devlin (USA) CRCA/Velo Classic p/b STANS No Tubes
DNF Hanna Muegge (Ger) Fearless Femme Racing
DNF Sarah Mason (Can) Rise Racing
DNF Barbie Hope (Can) Rise Racing
DNF Thea Mizuhara (Can) Rise Racing
DNS Beth Ann Orton (USA) Visit Dallas DNA Pro Cycling