April 05, 2014 (Ottawa, ON) – The West of Quebec Wheelers cycling club is proud to announce that a winter’s work led by the Echelon Project has resulted in a Canadian team taking to the start line in the 2014 Tour of Morocco.

The Echelon Project is the club’s initiative to connect aspiring Canadian cyclists with challenging international opportunities. This year the Project targeted the prestigious, 10-day, 1600km Tour du Maroc. This internationally sanctioned event is one of the gems of the UCI Africa Tour and is an opportunity for our Canadian developing racers to take on teams from 19 other nations from five continents.

Echelon Project founder John Large: “In 1987, I had the good fortune to race this Tour and I have been wanting to help get a Canadian team back to this special race ever since. Morocco is a beautiful country with a huge passion for cycling. The race organization is first class and Moroccan hospitality is world renowned.”

“These opportunities are invaluable for the development of the team as a whole and for the individuals as bike riders and citizens of the world. We are grateful for the warm welcome from the Moroccan Cycling Federation for the chance to showcase our young Canadian athletes. Under the leadership of former national team stars, Ross Chafe and Bruce Spicer, our boys are in great hands to challenge for a stage win and overall success,” added Large.

The race kicked off on Friday, April 4 with Stage 1 and ends in Casablanca on April 13 – brief results from Stage 1 below.

Tour Schedule
April 04 – Stage 1 – El Jadida – Safi – 148 km
April 05 – Stage 2 – Safi – Essaouira – 140 km
April 06 – Stage 3 – Essaouira – Agadir – 182 km
April 07 – Stage 4 – Talioune – Ouarzazate – 180 km
April 08 – Stage 5 – Ouarzazate – Tinghir – 170 km
April 09 – Stage 6 – Tinghir – Errachidia – 137 km
April 10 – Stage 7 – Errachidia – Midelt – 126 km
April 11 – Stage 8 – Midelt – Meknes – 155 km
April 12 – Stage 9 – Meknes – Rabat – 164 km
April 13 – Stage 10 – Rabat – Casablanca – 120 km

Riders
Stephen KEEPING (Bridgewater NS)
Matteo DAL CIN (Ottawa ON)
Conor O’BRIEN (Ottawa ON)
Braydon BOURNE (Ottawa ON)
Emile JEAN (Trois RIviere, QC)
Cody CANNING (Victoria BC)

Support Staff
Ross Chafe – Director Sportif
Bruce Spicer – Driver Extraodinaire
Bob Barnett – Soigneur

Follow this Echelon Project initiative on Facebook.

Stage 1 – El Jadida to Safi – 148 km
1. Manuel Antonio Leal Cardoso (Por) Banco BIC-Carmin    3:01:36
2. Zsolt Der (Hun) Utensilnord
3. Alessandro Dovigo (Ita) Event Soullimit-Cyber Team
4. Unai Iparraguirre (Esp) Start-Trigon Cycling Team
5. Mirko Casali (Ita) UC Pistoeiese
6. Yannick Mayer (Ger) Bike Aid – Ride For Help
7. aap Jacobus Christiaan Roelof Kooijman (Ned) Parkhotel Valkenburg Cycling
8. Matteo Drapperi (Ita)
9. Diego Milan Jimenez (Dom) CCD
10. Essaïd Abelouache (Mar) National Team Morocco

37. Emile Jean (Can) Echelon Project
51. Conor O’Brien (Can) Echelon Project
89. Matteo Dal-Cin (Can) Echelon Project
90. Stephen Keeping (Can) Echelon Project
71. Braydon Boume (Can) Echelon Project    0:13
113. Cody Canning (Can)Echelon Project 5:28