July 10, 2007 (Montreal, QC) –Tonight’s Mardis Cyclistes Saputo criterium race was won by Sleeman Clear TATV’s fastman Jean-Francois Laroche, with a time of 1:02:45 on the 50km course. Laroche is 2-for-2 as he also won last week’s Mardis race.

Following him was Ramos Kleber (Flying Horse) and Guillaume Boivin (EVA-Devinci). Spectators might have been confused by the jerseys the riders wore as Laroche was wearing a green jersey while Kleber, from Brazil, was wearing a Garneau Crocs jersey, and Boivin, fresh from placing second in the junior men’s road race in Beauce, was wearing a red jersey.

“I felt good going into the race this evening, and I won because my team supported me,” Laroche explained. “There were lots of them and I rode their wheels. I could hear them breathing.” Laroche, 27, also finished first in two sprints, finished second in three sprints, and finished third in another, gaining 150 points tonight out of a total of 175. Laroche laughed when asked by Pedal if “he was ready to quit his day job yet”. As reported last week, Laroche works as a lawyer.

Now the overall points leader (321) Laroche will be trading his green jersey in for a yellow one at next week’s stage five on July 17. Charly Vives (Calyon/Litespeed) is in second with 284 points and Keven Lacombe (Volkswagen-Trek) is in third with 271. Lacombe, like many of the other big names, was absent this evening. Earlier today Lacombe competed at the U23 road race at the 2007 Road Nationals in Beauce which is preventing many riders from racing at the Mardis Cyclistes event this week.

The worst crash of the evening happened in front of the VIP tent, involving three riders, including Owen Eastmond (Piste.ca-Rossi), owner of the Bicyclettes Rossi bike shop. We heard that none of the injuries were serious. A field of 98 cyclists were on hand when the starting pistol was fired.

The 24km Laits Go Cup was won this evening by Jean-Samuel Deshaies (Velo Club d’Amos) with a time of 32:21, followed by Jean-Simon Houle (Ste-Foy-Qc Metro) and Raphael Massé-Viau (Maillot bleu). Massé-Viau currently leads in overall points with 379, followed by Philippe-Antoine Alexandre (Club Record) at 362 and Mikael Bilodeau (Espoirs Laval) at 350.

The women’s Shape Cup, run concurrently with the Laits Go Cup, was won by Shanie Bergeron (Specialized-Vinci-Menikini) with a time of 32:21, followed by Laurie-Anne Dupont-Renaud (CIBC Wood-Gundy) and Vanessa Godbehere (Marioni-Cadence). Dupont-Renaud still leads, however, in overall points with 250 versus 234 for Bergeron. Catherine Couture follows with 119.

The 16km Hop & Go Junior Cup was won by Joakim Albert (Ste-Foy-Qc Metro) with a time of 24:43, followed by Francis Lambert-Lemay (Velo Club Longueuil) and Sebastien Boivin (Maillot Bleu). In overall points, it’s Lambert-Lemay (431), followed by Boivin (340) and Albert (338).

A crowd of approximately 1,500 spectators lined the one-mile route around LaSalle Park in Lachine on this gorgeous summer evening. For more information (in French), go to www.mardiscyclistes.net

Results (brief)

1. Jean-Francois Laroche (Sleeman Clear TATV) 1:02:45
2. Ramos Kleber (Brazilian racing for Garneau Crocs)
3. Guillaume Boivin (EVA-Devinci)