June 18, 2018 (Saint-Georges, QC) – Would he make it? The final weekend of the Tour de Beauce featured a criterium around historic Quebec City on Saturday afternoon and a 12-lap city circuit race of 122km around St. Georges on Sunday.

For our team, the criterium on Saturday won solo by Team Canada’s James Piccoli, passed without incident and all five our riders would start the final stage on Sunday. Given the pace and difficulty of the Tour, this was a success for our young team.

The final stage around St. Georges is hilly, fast and technical, with 15 corners in 10 kilometres and a 1.3-kilometre KOM averaging 5.2 per cent, and typically has a 50 per cent attrition rate.

Sitting in the staging area before the start, RwR rider Tim Rugg made a statement: “I am lining up at the front.”

It was the last day, a day to leave it all out there, and Tim had a plan.

As soon as the start was signaled, Tim turned the jets on. By the second corner, he had a good gap on the peloton. A few other riders moved up and soon a strong breakaway of nine riders formed, including Piccoli who was not sitting far off the GC lead, and Tim was in this break.

By the third lap, the breakaway had 50 seconds on the peloton.

This was looking good. If this breakaway stuck, and if Tim remained in the group, the team was looking at a solid result.

Would he make it? An untimely flat made the decision.

No, Tim would not continue with the breakaway, and the breakaway did end up staying away until the finish with enough of a gap to catapult Piccoli to the top step on the podium.

Tim fell back and ultimately finished the day riding solo between the leaders and the grupetto. But you never know if you don’t try, and try he did.

One of our guest riders, Aria Kiani, had a very solid race and had the team’s best finish in the second group on the road.

We leave the Tour de Beauce with all of our riders having learned and experienced. No, we did not get any notable results but, as an amateur development team, stage results are not necessarily our primary indicator of success at a race of this level. The results may not be seen for a few years, as the team’s riders at this year’s race continue to develop and apply the experience and lessons they gained this week.

The breakaway today had nine riders in it at first, and then eight once Tim got his flat. Among those eight, and often at the front, were Jordan Cheyne who was riding hard for Piccoli on Team Canada, and Matteo Dal-Cin of Rally Cycling. Both of these riders spent time with Ride with Rendall as amateurs and are now professionals leading the breakaway at the Tour de Beauce.

Which among our riders this year will be leading the breakaway in a future edition of the Tour de Beauce?

That is the result we are aiming for with our riders who, with their dedication and effort, along with the support of the staff and the entire Ride with Rendall club, are well prepared to achieve it.