Dates: July 12, 2009
Written by: Thom Coupe
Stage 5: Dillion Keeps Yellow and Claims Overall Victory
Results: http://www.tourdequebec.com/2009/results/stage_5.pdf
Although we had been more or less controlling every stage thus far, with Josh’s lead at only 14sec, the job at hand was no stress-free walk in the park. The course consisted of 17 laps around a challenging 5.9k circuit. With grades of 19-20% on the 600-meter Cote de Beaupre, halfway through each lap, Stage 5 proved to be the most difficult course of the week.
From start to finish all of BikeReg.com/Cannondale was at the front of the pack executing some really good ‘heads-up’ racing. If any of the top GC contenders tried making a move a blue and white jersey atop a speedy Cannondale was on their tail and shutting them down. Our intentions were not to attack but to follow moves and to keep the race under control by keeping the GC threats in check while keeping Josh fresh and as sheltered as possible. Justin, Weller, Allister and myself all took turns chasing down attacks as soon as the gun went off, while Josh stayed out of the wind and conserved his energy. The first time up the Beaupre, Dion of Fly V Australia, who going into the stage was sitting 7th overall, made the first big attack. He strung the field out and shed some riffraff, but didn’t get a gap. BikeReg.com/Cannondale had the race on a tight leash and Dion was a marked man.
The end of the first lap marked the 1st of the stage’s 7 intermediate sprints. It should be known that ‘bonification sprints’ and ‘races within races’ are a few things Canada loves. The first 2 were sprints for the Noir (black) Jersey of Cobativity (most aggressive rider) and they came at the end of lap 1 and 3. Because BikeReg.com/Cannondale had been so aggressive and at the front all week, I had a go at a couple of sprints in previous stages and without really trying I found myself 12 points out of the Noir Jersey going into stage 5. It was clear before the start of Stage 5 that the Black Jersey was neither mine nor the team’s priority or focus. First and foremost I was riding to protect Josh’s yellow jersey and overall lead. However, after Dion’s surge up the Beaupre I found myself near the front going into the start/finish and after following the sprinter’s wheels I easily managed to get 2nd in the sprint and grabbed some points without really sprinting. Somewhat surprised I didn’t let it get in the way of the day’s main focus.
On the false flat after the second time up the Beaupre, Michael Joannisse of Nativo Concept attacked. Joannisse was sitting 2nd behind Josh in the GC by just 14 seconds and needless to say, all our eyes were on that guy. In our team rotation of alternating BikeReg riders to cover the attacks, it was my turn and without thinking I jumped on Joanisse’s wheel. When I looked back we had a small gap and a Garneau Club Chaussure rider was bridging by himself across to us. Within seconds a breakaway of 3 was formed. I sat on the back of the group not rotating through as to limit Joannisse’s advantage on Josh and to protect Josh’s overall lead. I was not going to and did not work with Joannisse because essentially that would have been like working against my teammate and by no means was I going to allow Joannisse to take Josh’s yellow jersey. The break rolled like this with me riding caboose until we approached the second intermediate sprint, which I took at the line. After disrupting the rhythm of the break I then quickly resumed my position at the back as Joannisse again pulled into the stiff headwind on the back stretch. As we approached the Beaupre climb on the 4th lap, the Garneau rider took it into the hill and upped the pace on the steep pitches of the Beaupre. I was on Joannisse’s wheel and he couldn’t keep up with the pace the Garneau rider was setting on the climb. Half way up he opened a gap. Seeing this, I recognized that Josh’s main threat was now vulnerable so I attacked and surged around Joannisee who couldn’t and didn’t respond. I then drilled it over the false flat after the climb opening the gap to Joannisse. With the Garneau rider on my wheel not being a threat to the overall we worked together and left Joannisse behind.
Being so early in the race I figured this was the ideal situation for BikeReg.com/Cannondale. Now that Joanisse was dropped, I assumed he would be caught by the field and that the pressure for our guys to control the race would lessen some with me still up the road. The break’s gap seemed to stay around 1.5mins as I continued working with the Garneau rider for close to 9 laps. I took the last intermediate sprint for the Noir Jersey, and unexpectedly claimed and sealed the overall combatively competition. The following lap I looked back and Joannisse was clawing his way back. At this point the break’s gap was rapidly starting to come down with each lap and now was below 1min. I had thought Joannisse was gobbled up by the peloton, but he had survived. I didn’t stress about it though because at the rate our gap was coming down I knew it wouldn’t be much longer until we saw Alister, Justin, and Weller barreling at us like a BikeReg locomotive.
As Joannisse rejoined us, I again refused to work, sat on and tried to break up the rhythm of the break’s paceline. Within a lap and a half, Justin and Alister came motoring around the bend bring the race back together. Steve, Alister, and Justin killed it on the front of the pack while I was in the break. They thought that Joannisse was up in my group all day long and when they heard the splits of up around 2mins they started to worry that he could take the overall. When the break started coming down rapidly, it was the result of BikeReg drilling it at the front. After everything regrouped, the big guns gave it everything as they put out their last attacks in an effort to win. Josh followed Dion and the others over the top of the Beaupre and a small group of favorites got away.
With some stress aside, the rest of the team had done their part and Josh was in the decisive move heading for one lap to go. On the last lap the front group attacked each other over the top of the Beaupre but the small group of 6 stayed together. Josh took control of the pace on the false flat over the climb and on the run into the finish. He said he set the pace on the run-in so that it was too fast for the others to attack and put time into him. He even lead out the sprint and took 4th on the stage, getting the same time as the winner, Dion, and sealing the deal on his GC overall victory. Alister followed some a move out of the second group over the climb and ended up rolling in at 10th for the day and claiming 9th overall. Great race. Great teamwork. Great fun.
Stage 5 article:
http://www.tourdequebec.com/article-133.html
