07.10.11 - ROBBI WELDON AND LYNE BESSETTE CROWNED WORLD CUP CHAMPIONS

2011 UCI Para-cycling World Cup season comes to an end today in Baie-Comeau

(Baie Comeau, QC – July 09, 2011) The 2011 UCI Para-Cycling Road World Cup Tour came to an end Sunday in Baie-Comeau with the presentation of the road races for the C and tandem categories. Canada added four medals to its collection on the last day of the UCI Road Para-Cycling World Cup Finals, finishing the season on a strong and positive note as the team now enters its preparation phase in anticipation of the 2011 UCI World Championships.

In the C1 road race, Brayden McDougall of Calgary, AB won the silver medal, while his friend and teammate Jaye Milley, who suffered from a horrible crash last week at the 2011 Canadian Road Championships, finished fourth, only a few seconds off the podium.

In the women’s race, the tandem of Robbi Weldon of Thunder Bay, ON and Lyne Bessette of Knowlton, QC took the win after a solo breakaway. In doing so, they win the coveted World Cup title and win the overall standings.

The duo of Genevieve Ouellet and Emilie Roy, both of Québec, QC finished fourth. The duo had an unfortunate puncture in the massive climb on the very last lap, and lost valuable time and energy as they had to double their efforts to close the gap. In the final sprint against the French duo, the Canadian tandem did not have the energy left to cross the finish line ahead of their rivals.

In the men’s tandem race, the tandem of Daniel Chalifour of St-Jérome, QC and Alexandre Cloutier of St-Antoine-de-Tilly, QC finished the race in fifth place, immediately followed by their teammates Alexandre Carrier of Matane, QC and Luc Dionne of Sorel, QC in seventh place.

Marie-Claude Molnar of Sainte-Adèle, QC finished first in the women C1 category, a good performance for the Canadian champion. Matthieu Parent of Granby, QC finished 10th of the men’s C2 race. In the men’s C4 race, Eric Bourgault of Orford, QC was the top Canadian crossing the finish line in eighth place, followed by Sebastien Bouchard in 11th place and Peter King in 12th place. Mark Breton of Charlesbourg, QC finished 10th of the men’s C5 race.

In the last race of the season, the hand cycle relay, Canada’s team comprised of Robert Labbé, Rico Morneau and Mark Ledo took the bronze medal.

Throughout the season, Canadian athletes participated in three UCI Road World Cup events in the time trials and road races disciplines. Karen March of British Columbia ended her World Cup season atop the H1 Standings, winning the prestigious and coveted white jersey. In the T2 category, Marie-Ève Croteau also won the jersey and took home with her the coveted crystal trophy awarded to the season’s top para-cyclists. Robbi Weldon and Lyne Bessette, the defending World Champion in the road race, captured the World Cup titles in the women’s tandem standings, now undoubtedly the best tandem in the world.

The Canadian Para-Cycling Team will now shift their focus to prepare for the 2011 UCI Para-Cycling Road World Championships, to be held in Roskilde, Denmark from September 8 to 11, 2011. In the waiting, they will compete at the 2011 Canadian Track Cycling Championships, held in Bromont, QC, from August 8-14, 2011.

RESULTS – ROAD RACES – 2011 UCI PARA-CYCLING WORLD CUP – BAIE-COMEAU

All results are found on www.uci.ch

MEN C1 – 57 km

1. MENDEZ FERNANDEZ, Juan Jose MC1 SPAIN 1:41:26

2. MCDOUGALL, Brayden MC1 CANADA +2:39

3. BIGOS, Matthew MC1 USA +8:28

4. MILLEY, Jaye MC1 CANADA +8:48

MEN C2 – 57 km

1. ECKHARD TIO, Maurice Far MC2 SPAIN 1:38:39

2. GALVIS BECERRA, Alvaro MC2 COLOMBIA +0:11

3. GRAF, Tobias MC2 GERMANY +0:11

10. PARENT, Matthieu MC2 CANADA +12:31

MEN C4 – 79.8 km

1. JEZEK, Jiri MC4 CZECH 2:08:14

2. NEIRA PEREZ, Cesar MC4 SPAIN +0:04

3. CREPELIERE, Jeremy MC4 FRANCE +7:22

8. BOURGAULT, Eric MC4 CANADA +17:40

11. BOUCHARD, Sebastien MC4 INDEPENDANT +22:28

12. KING, Peter MC4 CANADA +22:28

MEN C5 - 79.8 km

1. SCHWINDT FILHO, Joao Alberto MC5 BRAZIL 2:08:31

2. GOHR, Soelito MC5 BRAZIL 2:08:31 s.t.

3. CHAMAN, Lauro MC5 BRAZIL 2:08:31 s.t.

10. BRETON, Mark MC5 CANADA +16:15

MEN TANDEM – 102.6 km

1. DONVAL, Olivier / SACCOMANDI, John MB FRANCE 2:40:48

2. BLANCO LEAL, David / MORALES RAMIREZ, Jaume MB SPAIN s.t.

3. RACHFAL, Clark / SWANSON, David MB USA +0:02

5. CHALIFOUR, Daniel / CLOUTIER, Alexandre MB CANADA +1:26

7. CARRIER, Alexandre / DIONNE, Luc MB CANADA +1:38

DNF. COTE, Stephane / BOILY, Pierre-Olivier MB CANADA

WOMEN C4 – 57 km

1. MOLNAR, Marie-Claude WC4 CANADA 1:50:04

WOMEN TANDEM – 79.8 km

1. WELDON, Robbi / BESSETTE, Lyne WB CANADA 2:26:40

2. BENITEZ GUZMAN, Josefa / NORIEGA B., Maria Mayalen WB SPAIN +2:56

3. CHAUDIER , Martine / GIRARD, Laure WB FRANCE +3:46

4. OUELLET, Genevieve / ROY, Emilie WB CANADA +3:46