August 24, 2013 (Matane, QC) – Canada added three medals to its tally on Saturday during the first day of road races at the 2013 UCI World Cup Finals in Matane, QC, with Shelley Gautier, Marie-Eve Croteau and Mark Ledo all winning medals.

Shelley Gautier (Toronto, ON) continued on her winning ways in today’s road race, winning the T1 24.9-kilometre race by a large margin of 10:43. Gautier is continuing to show a remarkable progression with her racing speed, and she is looking good in the final week before the World Championships.

In winning this race, Gautier successfully defended her World Cup Title in the class, keeping the coveted White Jersey.

Racing in the T2 class, Marie-Eve Croteau (Québec, QC) is continuing her progression on her return to the competition after missing 10 months due to a concussion, and today proved to be a great motivator for the defending World Champion. Croteau took the second place in a photo-finish, by only a few centimeters, the width of a tire, after 47:20 of racing.

In the H3 road race, Mark Ledo (Maple, ON) ended the gruelling 66.4-kilometre race in third place, a race that ended in a four-man sprint to the finish line. Joel Jeannot was the fastest in the sprint, taking the victory, followed in second by Arkadiusz Skrzypinski of Poland.

“I am very satisfied with this podium today. I am feeling in great form and can’t wait for the World Championships race next week in Baie-Comeau,” said Mark Ledo, after his race.

Three Canadians competed in the H2 race, with a satisfied Charles Moreau (Trois-Rivières, QC) posting the best Canadian result in sixth place. Moreau crossed the finish line 4:46 after the winning time of 1:32:44 posted by Walter Ablinger. Jimmy Pelletier (Québec, QC) ended his day on the roads of Matane in 12th place, while Mark Beggs (Montreal, QC) did not finish the race crashing in a fast and technical area. Beggs did not suffer injuries.

Louis-Albert Corriveau-Jolin (Ste-Claire, QC) finished seventh in the T2 race with a time of 51.01. In the women’s H2 race, Myrian Adam (St-Jean-sur-le-Richelieu, QC) did not finish her race, while Robert Labbé (Quebec, QC) finished seventh in the Men H1 race.

The event continues on Sunday with the last day of competition in this inaugural Para-cycling Road World Cup event in Matane. The teams from all across the world will take a ferry to Baie-Comeau, where they will continue their final preparations for the 2013 UCI Para-Cycling Road World Championships.

Results

Men H1 (58.1km)
1. Luca Mazzone (Italy) 1:32:48
2. William Groulx (USA) 0:04
3. Tobias Fankhauser (Switzerland) 5:15

7. Robert Labbe Canada 14:59

Men H2 (58.1km)
1. Walter Ablinger (Austria) 1:32:44
2. Vittorio Podesta (Italy)
3. David Franek (France) 2:17

6. Charles Moreau (Canada) 4:46
12. Jimmy Pelletier (Canada) 17:33
Dnf. Mark Beggs (Canada)

Men H3 (66.4km)
1. Joel Jeannot (France) 1:51:48
2. Arkadiusz Skrzypinski (Poland)
3. Mark Ledo (Canada)

Men T2 (24.9km)
1. David Stone (Great Britain) 13:30.6
2. Giorgio Farroni (Italy) 4.87
3. Steven Peace (USA) 27.28

7. Jolin Corriveau Louis-Albert (Canada) 01:19.1

Women H2
1. Renata Kaluza (Poland) 1:35:01
2. Francesca Fenocchio (Italy) 4:05
3. Dana Brelsford Alicia (USA) 5:43

9. Myriam Adam (Can-Independant) -3 Laps

Women T1 (24.9km)
1. Carol Cooke (Australia) 47:20:00
2. Marie-Eve Croteau (Canada)
3. Jana Majunke (Germany) 8:17

Women T2 (24.9km)
1. Shelley Gautier (Canada) 1:03:02
2. Bianca Woolford (Australia) 10:43