July 23, 2009 (Val-d’Or, QC) – Canadian Stuart Wight captured top honors at Stage 2 after taking the lead in the breakaway. He quickly out-distanced his opponents when he gained access to the city circuit entering Val-d’Or. In addition capturing first place brown, and the blue jersey (best first year junior), Team Canada also took second place on the podium thanks to the efforts of Wight’s team mate Antoine Duchesne, at six seconds behind the leader. Austria’s Marco Haller finished 16th and keeps the orange jersey.

The two Canadians took part in a breakaway consisting of 15 riders just after the 22 km mark of the race. The first riders of this breakaway were dropped 80 km later as they made their first ascent in the urban circuit. Wight amazed everyone by going solo for the full three laps of the city circuit. His 15-second lead proved more than enough to win the stage ahead of teammate Antoine Duchesne and American Charlie Avis, who finished second in the last stage of the 2008 Tour de l’Abitibi. Duchesne and Avis, 9 seconds ahead of the breakaway, battled right to the checkered flag, almost crashing while crossing the finish line, in front of horrified spectators.

Wight won the stage in a time of 2 hours 40 minutes and 18 seconds. He was part of a ten team breakaway that led early on in the race between St-Mathieu and Val-d’Or. The pack forged a three-and-a-half-minute lead on the peloton. Among the 15 rider breakaway, Abitibien Jordan Brochu was dropped on the second lap of the city circuit and finished eleventh for the day.

The stage saw countless flat tires and a crash involving a Baraboo Sharks’ rider, whose competition ended due to the many cuts and bruises he suffered.

Two stages await the riders tomorrow. The first will see them start 500 meters below ground in an individual time trial, while the second will feature a round-trip between Val-d’Or and Malartic.

Brown jersey (first individual classment):
Stuart Wight (Canada)

Orange jersey (points leader):
Marco Haller (Austria)

Blue jersey (first year best junior):
Stuart Wight (Canada)

Stage 2 results here.
GC after Stage 2 here.

Results

1. Stuart Wight (Canada) 2 :40 :19
2. Antoine Duchesne (Canada) 2 :40 :23
3. Charlie Avis (USA National Team) 2 :40 :23
4. Ty Magner (Florida Velo Development ) 2 :40 :31
5. Nicolas Armstup Madsen (Danemark) 2 :40 :31
6. Ryan Aitcheson (Canada) 2 :40 :31
7. Martin Weiss (Autriche) 2 :40 :31
8. Andrew Barker (USA National Team) 2 :40 :31
9. Anders Newbury (Baraboo Sharks) 2 :40 :31
10. Laurent Dallaire (Probike Pool Kuota) 2 :40 :31

GC after Stage 2

1. Stuart Wight (Canada )
2. Antoine Duchesne (Canada ) 0:00:10
3. Charlie Avis (USA National Team) + 0:00:11
4. Nicolas Armstup Madsen (Danemark ) + 0:00:14
5. Ryan Aitcheson (Canada ) + 0:00:22
6. Ty Magner (Florida Velo Development) + 0:00:26
7. Jordan Brochu (Équipe Québec )+ 0:00:26
8. Martin Weiss (Autriche )+ 0:00:26
9. Tyler Gunman (Nouvelle-Zélande )+ 0:00:26
10. Andrew Barker (USA National Team )+ 0:00:26