08.08.10 - French Riders Take Both World Junior Titles In Photo-Finish Fashion

Laura Bietola and Kris Dahl post Canadian best results

(Offida, Italy – August 8, 2010) Olivier Le Gac and Pauline Ferrand-Prévot, both cyclists from France, won the Road race titles as the 2010 World Junior Championships wrapped up on Sunday in Offida, Italy. Laura Bietola in 28th position and Kris Dahl in 69th place posted Canada’s top results.

The women’s race was decided in the most exciting fashion with the top three riders sprinting to the very end of the 80 kilometres course. Pauline Ferrand-Prévot crossed the finish line first, followed by Rossella Ratto of Australia and American Coryn Rivera, all three showing a time of 2 hours, 31.47 seconds.

In road cycling, riders are given the same time if no separation between bikes appear in the photo finish.

The gold medal in Sunday’s Road Race for Ferrand-Prévot is her second medal of the weekend as she took the silver medal in the Individual Time Trial on Friday.

Laura Bietola (Greenwood, ON) posted the best Canadian result in the women’s race with a 28th place, 5 minutes 40 seconds behind the winner. Bietola will also represent Canada at the Mountain Bike World Championships September 1-5 in Mont-Sainte-Anne, QC.

Annie Ewart (Brentwood Bay, BC), who also competed in the Time Trial race on Friday, placed 40th, 10 minutes behind the gold medalist, while Julia Garnet (Saskatoon, SK) placed 45th. Véronique Drapeau-Zgoralski (Montreal, QC) did not finish.

In Men’s racing, Oliver Le Gac of France took home the junior title in another close finish, stopping the clock at 3:32.5. Le Gac separated himself from the leader’s peloton at the very end to take a three second lead over 14 other riders. At the photo finish, Jay McCarthy of Australia crossed the line second and Jasper Stuyven of Belgium took the third place.

The top 15 riders of the men’s race were all separated by less than 25 seconds in a race that lasted more than three and a half hours.

Kris Dahl (Calgary, AB) posted the fastest Canadian time, crossing the finish line with a time of 3:36.14 for the 69th position. Craig Logan (North Saanich, BC) was 94th. Ryan MacDonald (Greenhill, NS), Jean-Samuel Deshaies (Amos, QC) and Frédéric Poisson (Trois-Rivières, QC) did not finish.

STEWART WIGHT UPDATE

Canadian Time Trial champion Stewart Wight of Riverview, New-Brunswick, crashed during Friday’s Time Trial. Wight, who was on a downhill portion of a curvaceous road, lost control of his bike rolling at speeds upward of 60 km/h. Wight sustained a partial torn of his left quad as well as a broken nose, and will miss the 2010 Youth Olympic Games scheduled for next week in Singapoure. Wight will be replaced by fellow Maritimes rider Ryan MacDonald (Greenhill, NS).

Wight is expected to make a full comeback from the crash, and should resume training and racing in approximately three weeks.

SPOTLIGHT SWITCH TO TRACK ATHLETES

With the road events of the 2010 UCI World Junior Championships now completed, the spotlight now turn towards the Track Cycling World Junior Championships. The event for junior riders will kick off this Wednesday and runs to Sunday in Montichiari, Italy.