Published June 13, 2006 01:00AM
By Rob Jones, Special to VeloNews
The 21st edition of Canada’s premier stage race, the Tour de Beauce, began on Tuesday with a 164 kilometer stage through the rolling hills south of Quebec City. Valeriy Kobzarenko (Navigators Insurance) won the stage and yellow jersey of race leader after dropping three breakaway companions in the final five kilometers of the stage.
Kobzarenko finished 21 seconds ahead of second place Fausto Esparza Munoz (Tecos Trek VH), who out sprinted Kobzarenko’s teammate Sergey Lagutin and Stefan Parinussa of the German Team Sparkasse. The first of the small groups which made up the remnants of the peloton rolled across the finish line 2:23 behind Kobzarenko.
Many of the riders were hoping for an easy ride, coming off the Commerce Bank Triple Crown series finale in Philadelphia on Sunday, but attacks began immediately. Three riders carved out a lead of three minutes by the first KoM – Peter Woestenberg (Team Altipower), Jean-Sébastien Perron (Calyon-Litespeed) and Will Frischkorn (TIAA-CREF).
A chase group of eight joined them, including Walters, Glen Chadwick (Navigators), David O’Loughlin (Navigators) and Danny Pate (TIAA-CREF), but this was too much and Symmetrics went to the front to pull everything back together.
After a brief pause in the action, what proved to be the winning move went clear, initiated by Triple Crown winner Sergey Lagutin. “It was maybe 50 kilometers from the finish” explained Kobzarenko, “when Sergey went I was on his wheel, then two others joined us.”
The break steadily increased their lead over the gradually climbing terrain, to just under three minutes with 10 kilometers to go. On the final short steep climb 5 kilometers from the finish Kobzarenko put in a hard effort and a gap opened up to Munoz riding second wheel. With the encouragement of team Director Ed Beamon, Kobzarenko powered through to the finish.
“Valeriy has been doing a incredible amount of work for the team” commented Beamon, “so given this opportunity we wanted him to take the win if possible.”
Behind the four leaders “everything exploded on the last two climbs”, explained Dominique Rollin (Team Canada). “In the last 10 kilometers it was all small groups, coming across the line, each one another 10, 20 seconds behind the one in front.”
Race NotesLagutin takes the white Points jersey, Frischkorn the Climbers jersey, Jairo Salas Atehortua (Colombia ES Pasion) the red Young Rider’s jersey and Walters the Blue jersey of top Canadian.Beamon is unsure of how hard Navigators will defend the jersey tomorrow. “This is a difficult race to control, so we will have to look at all our options. this is certainly not the race where you want to have your team riding at the front for six days. But, we have four riders in the top-10, so we have a few cards to play.” Kobzarenko is coming back from a few years of serious injury. He is a former Ukrainian road champion, and a silver medalist in the Pursuit at the 1998 world championships. As well, he represented the Ukraine at two Olympic Games. On Wednesday the riders face the longest stage of 180 kilometers, with three rated climbs, followed on Thursday by the feared Mont Megantic stage, which finishes at over 1100 meters, with an average gradient of over 12 percent for the last 5 kilometers.
Results – Stage 1
1. Valeriy Kobzarenko (Ukr), Navigators Insurance 3:49:48
2. Fausto Esparza Munoz (Mex), Tecos Trek Vh at 0:21
3. Sergey Lagutin (Uzb), Navigators Insurance
4. Stefan Parinussa (Ger), Team Sparkasse both s.t.
5. Jairo Salas Atehortua (Col), Colombia Es Pasion 2:23
6. David O’loughlin (Irl), Navigators Insurance
7. Danny Patte (USA), Team Tiaa-Cref
8. John Fredy Parra Calada (Col), Tecos Trek Vh
9. Cesar Augusto Grajales (Col), Navigators Insurance all s.t.
10. Jairo Hernandez (Col), Colombia Es Pasion 2:26
Results – Stage 1
1. Valeriy Kobzarenko (Ukr), Navigators Insurance 3:49:48
2. Fausto Esparza Munoz (Mex), Tecos Trek Vh at 0:21
3. Sergey Lagutin (Uzb), Navigators Insurance
4. Stefan Parinussa (Ger), Team Sparkasse both s.t.
5. Jairo Salas Atehortua (Col), Colombia Es Pasion 2:23
6. David O'loughlin (Irl), Navigators Insurance
7. Danny Pate (USA), Team Tiaa-Cref
8. John Fredy Parra Calada (Col), Tecos Trek Vh
9. Cesar Augusto Grajales (Col), Navigators Insurance all s.t.
10. Jairo Hernandez (Col), Colombia Es Pasion 2:26
11. Jarley Colorado Hernandez (Col), Colombia Es Pasion
12. Gregorio Ladino Vega (Col), Tecos Trek Vh both s.t.
13. Mark Walters (Can), Navigators Insurance 2:41
14. Jean-Sébastien Maheu (Can), Équipe Du Québec
2:43
15. Trent Wilson (Aus), Jittery Joe's – Pb Zero Gravity
16. Koki Simbo (Jap), Aisan Racing Team
17. Dustin Macburnie (Can), Canadian National Team
18. Yovanny Torres Castro (Col), Colombia Es Pasion
19. Diego Montoya (Col), Colombia Es Pasion
20. Cameron Hughes (Aus), Italpasta – Transport Belmire C.C.
21. Francisco Matamoros Navarro (Mex), Tecos Trek Vh all
s.t.
22. Glen Alan Chadwick (Aus), Navigators Insurance 2:48
23. Andrew Pinfold (Can), Symmetrics
24. Zachary Garland (Can), Équipe Du Québec
25. Hector Rangel Zimarron (Mex), Tecos Trek Vh
26. Richard Faltus (Cze), Team Sparkasse
27. Timo Honstein (Ger), Team Sparkasse
28. Takeaki Ayabe (Jap), Aisan Racing Team
29. Alexis Rojas Dias (Col), Colombia Es Pasion
30. Edward King (USA), Priority Health Cycling
31. Ciaran Power (Irl), Navigators Insurance
32. Francois Parisien (Can), Team Tiaa-Cref all s.t.
33. Cody Stevenson (Aus), Frf Couriers – Caravello 2:55
34. Brent Bookwalter (USA), Priority Health Cycling
35. David Veilleux (Can), Garneau – Optik
36. Bernie Sulzberger (Aus), Dfl – Cyclingnews – Litespeed
37. Kevin Miller (Can), Fiordifrutta
38. Rodolfo Lopez (Mex), Tecos Trek Vh
39. Ger Soepenberg (Ned), Altipower
40. Bruno Langlois (Can), Canadian National Team
41. Ian Macgregor (USA), Team Tiaa-Cref all s.t.
42. Sebastian Frey (Ger), Team Sparkasse 2:57
43. Peter Hatton (Aus), Jittery Joe's – Pb Zero Gravity 2:59
44. Mitsuteru Tanaka (Jap), Aisan Racing Team
45. Philippe Abbott (Can), Italpasta – Transport Belmire C.C.
46. Kane Oakley (Aus), Dfl – Cyclingnews – Litespeed
47. Jesus Zarate Estrada (Mex), Tecos Trek Vh
48. Brendan Brooks (Aus), Frf Couriers – Caravello
49. Jeremy Vennell (NZl), Dfl – Cyclingnews – Litespeed
50. Martin Lazarski (Can), Canadian National Team
51. Mathieu Roy (Can), Garneau – Optik
52. Rahsaan Bahati (USA), Team Tiaa-Cref
53. Jamie Lamb (Can), Garneau – Optik
54. Peter Mcdonald (Aus), Frf Couriers – Caravello
55. Tony Mann (Aus), Frf Couriers – Caravello all s.t.
56. Eric Boily (Can), Volkswagen Trek 3:21
57. Dominique Rollin (Can), Canadian National Team
58. Cameron Jennings (Aus), Dfl – Cyclingnews – Litespeed
59. Dan Timmerman (USA), Fiordifrutta all s.t.
60. David O'brien (Can), Équipe Du Québec 3:42
61. Maxime Vives (Can), Calyon-Litespeed 3:44
62. Raphaël Tremblay (Can), Volkswagen Trek
63. Stefan Loffler (Ger), Team Sparkasse both s.t.
64. Derek Mcmaster (Can), Italpasta – Transport Belmire C.C. 3:47
65. Christian Meier (Can), Symmetrics s.t.
66. Brian Sheedy (USA), Priority Health Cycling 3:51
67. Thoren Wieditz (Can), Italpasta – Transport Belmire C.C.
68. David Harrigan (Aus), Dfl – Cyclingnews – Litespeed
69. Charly Vives (Can), Calyon-Litespeed
70. Simon Kelly (Irl), Team Murphy & Gunn / Newlyn
71. Michael Ford (Aus), South Australia.Com – Ais
72. Clovis Auger (Can), Volkswagen Trek
73. Miles Olman (Aus), South Australia.Com – Ais
74. Wesley Sulzberger (Aus), South Australia.Com – Ais
75. Pim Van Den Berg (Ned), Altipower
76. Joe Mcdonnell (Aus), Frf Couriers – Caravello
77. Tom Flammang (Lux), Team Sparkasse
78. Chad Hartley (USA), Team Tiaa-Cref
79. Bryan Smith (USA), Team Tiaa-Cref
80. Joshua Gewirtz (USA), Fiordifrutta
81. Austin King (USA), Jittery Joe's – Pb Zero Gravity
82. Ryan Roth (Can), Canadian National Team
83. Frank Wierstra (Ned), Altipower
84. Erik Lyman (Can), Calyon-Litespeed
85. Peter Woestenberg (Ned), Altipower
86. Peter Dawson (Aus), South Australia.Com – Ais
87. Jean-Sébastien Beland (Can), Volkswagen Trek
88. Phillip Cortes (Can), Garneau – Optik
89. Joshua Dillon (USA), Fiordifrutta
90. Alexandre Lavallée (Can), Garneau – Optik
91. Russel Downing (GBr), Dfl – Cyclingnews – Litespeed
92. William Frischkorn (USA), Team Tiaa-Cref
93. Thijs Poelstra (Ned), Altipower all s.t.
94. Greg Reain (Can), Canadian National Team 4:14
95. David J. Richter (USA), Italpasta – Transport Belmire C.C.
4:19
96. Niek Asbroek (Ned), Altipower 4:39
97. Peter Sanowar (Can), Italpasta – Transport Belmire C.C. 5:56
98. Alexi Richer (Can), Équipe Du Québec s.t.
99. Condor Murphy (Irl), Team Murphy & Gunn / Newlyn 6:00
100. Ryan Mckenzie (Can), Volkswagen Trek 6:10
101. Glen Mitchell (NZl), Priority Health Cycling s.t.
102. Matthew White (USA), Fiordifrutta 6:14
103. Christian Lademann (Ger), Team Sparkasse 6:35
104. Tom Zirbel (USA), Priority Health Cycling 7:05
105. Richard England (Aus), Priority Health Cycling 7:22
106. Andrew Randell (Can), Symmetrics 7:30
107. Satoshi Hirose (Jap), Aisan Racing Team 8:09
108. Ken Akita (Jap), Aisan Racing Team 8:50
109. Joel Dion-Poitras (Can), Calyon-Litespeed 9:28
110. Jean-Sebastien Perron (Can), Calyon-Litespeed
111. Derek Burke (Irl), Team Murphy & Gunn / Newlyn both s.t.
112. Brandon Crichton (Can), Symmetrics 10:23
113. Christopher Rozdilsky (USA), Fiordifrutta
114. Sam Bewley (NZl), Equipe Nat. Nouvelle-Zelande
115. Neil Shirley (USA), Jittery Joe's – Pb Zero Gravity
116. Jacob P. Erker (Can), Symmetrics
117. Svein Tuft (Can), Symmetrics
118. Jean-Michel Lachance (Can), Garneau – Optik
119. Sean Finning (Aus), South Australia.Com – Ais all s.t.
120. Marsh Cooper (Can), Symmetrics 14:38
121. Brooke Boocock (Can), Calyon-Litespeed 15:44
122. Peter John Herzig (Aus), Frf Couriers – Caravello 15:52
123. Evan Elken (USA), Jittery Joe's – Pb Zero Gravity 15:59
124. Philip Wong (USA), Jittery Joe's – Pb Zero Gravity
125. Daniel Maggiacomo (Can), Italpasta – Transport Belmire C.C.
both s.t.
126. Darren Shea (NZl), Equipe Nat. Nouvelle-Zelande 16:23
127. Morgan Fox (Irl), Team Murphy & Gunn / Newlyn 17:10
128. Jean François Racine (Can), Équipe Du Québec
OTL
129. Adam Coker (NZl), Equipe Nat. Nouvelle-Zelande OTL
130. Daniel Niezink (Ned), Altipower OTL
131. Matthew Haydock (NZl), Equipe Nat. Nouvelle-Zelande OTL
132. Robbie King (USA), Priority Health Cycling OTL
133. Alexandre Cloutier (Can), Volkswagen Trek OTL
134. Ariel De Cardenas (Can), Équipe Du Québec OTL
135. Martin Picard (Can), Équipe Du Québec OTL
136. Joshua Marden (Aus), Frf Couriers – Caravello OTL
DNF. Paul Healion (Irl), Team Murphy & Gunn / Newlyn
DNF. Joshua England (NZl), Equipe Nat. Nouvelle-Zelande
DNF. Andrew Thompson (NZl), Equipe Nat. Nouvelle-Zelande