September 11/11 18:57 pm - GP Cycliste de Montreal: Report, Full Results and photos
Posted by Editoress on 09/11/11
Rui Alberto Faria da Costa (Movistar) took the first World Tour victory of his career at the Grand Prix Cycliste de Montreal on Sunday after a 206 kilometre race of attrition. Costa outkicked breakaway companion Pierrick Fedrigo (FDJ), with World Tour number one Philippe Gilbert (Omega Pharma-Lotto) following up his win in Quebec City with third place in Montreal.
Rui Alberto Faria Da Costa (Movistar Team) wins Link to more photos at bottom of page
The GP Cycliste de Montreal doesn't offer the scenic and historic backdrops of Quebec, but it makes up for it with its history as punishing circuit, dating back to the world championships in 1974, when Eddy Merckx outdueled Raymond Poulidor. Since then, this course, dominated by the two kilometre climb up Mont Royal, has played host to the Olympics and multiple World Cups.
The 12.1 kilometre circuit heads up the Camillien-Houde climb, followed by an immediate descent into city streets. Riders then tackle the second climb of the circuit, the short, steep Ecole Polytechnique ascent, followed by a tight, sharp descent and a right onto a section of straight road with the feedzone. After curving around the base of Mont Royal, the riders hit the divided Avenue du Parc, heading down one side past the finish line and making a 180 degree turn to face the final slightly uphill 500 metres to the finish line. They cover the course 17 times, for nearly 4000 metres of elevation gain.
The action started almost instantly, with Ben King (RadioShack) attacking before the base of the climb. This tactic garnered him the U.S. national road title last year, but this year he was chased down almost immediately, and a series of attacks and counterattacks were launched through the lap, splitting the field as the peloton hit the climb for the second time.
Seventy riders made the front split, with the gap growing to 30 seconds as they started lap three. Danny Pate (HTC-Highroad) then launched the most serious attack of the race thus far, gaining 30 seconds. He kept looking over his shoulder, hoping others would join his effort, but it took a lap before three riders bridged up - Anthony Geslin (FDJ), Yukiya Arashiro (Europcar) and Danilo Di Luca (Katusha). Canadian national champion Svein Tuft (SpiderTech) tried to bridge, but crashed in the 180 degree corner at the end of lap four - he suffered abrasions to his hip and arm, but kept riding.
Lap four also saw Gilbert suffer mechanical problems, throwing his bike down while he waited for a replacement. Significantly, no team mates waited for him; possibly due to his statement after winning the Quebec race: that he had a weak team and had no help during his winning ride. Gilbert has also announced that he is leaving the team to join BMC next season. He crashed a lap later, and this time was paced back to the peloton by his team mates.
Once the lead group had formed, the peloton slowed considerably, with both halves joining up again, and the gap shooting up to nearly seven minutes by lap seven. Team Sky decided this was too much, and upped the tempo in the bunch, bringing the gap down steadily, to under four minutes at the halfway mark. By lap 13 (five to go), the gap was under three minutes, and Rabobank was contributing to chase, as was Garmin-Cervelo.
Two laps later, the peloton was considerably diminished and the break was within their sights on the climb, only 23 seconds ahead. Juan Flecha (Sky), Danilo Wyss (BMC) and Jerome Pineau (Quick Step) were about to catch the frontrunners. Pate attacked solo, managing to stay out long enough to grab a few more Climber points and lock up that title.
As Pate was caught, with two and a half laps to go, a group of 15 broke away, including Tom Danielson (Garmin-Cervelo), Michael Barry (Sky), Pate, Gregory Rast (RadioShack), Costa, Jean-Christophe Peraud (AG2R), Tuft and David Veilleux (Europcar). This group was much too dangerous, and both Gilbert and defending Montreal champion Robert Gesink (Rabobank) launched attacks off the front of the peloton. Barry attacked hard at the front to keep the break going, dropping Tuft and Veilleux in the process, but the peloton was reeling them in as the last lap began, and they were caught early on the climb.
Sky immediately launched a counterattack with Simon Gerrans and Rigoberto Uran, followed by Christian VandeVelde (Garmin-Cervelo). They were caught over the top of the climb, and Costa managed to get away before the Polytechnique climb with Fedrigo and Stefan Denifl (Leopard-Trek). The gap was less than ten seconds, but Gesink could not close it, despite having Ryder Hesjedal (Garmin-Cervelo) with him. When Samuel Sanchez (Euskaltel-Euskadi) attacked them, neither responded, waiting for the other to go, and this sealed the win for Costa, as the gap stretched to 16 seconds while the chasers played a dangerous game of chicken.
The bunch finally got themselves organized, but it was too late. Costa and Fedrigo managed to stay two seconds clear of the front of the field, with Gilbert leading the bunch across the line for third.
Costa, completing possibly the best season of his career, commented: "Obviously, winning [stage 8] at the Tour de France is the highlight of my career, but this is pretty close. I was not too worried when we came down the climb with a 15 second lead. I were pretty confident, and never looked back. Once the red flag was past, the only thing on my mind was to win. I knew Fedrigo had to be beaten, but I just went for it."
Gilbert, one of the favourites after winning Quebec and the World Tour for 2011, professed himself completely satisfied with third. "Honestly, it's a superb result. I crashed, and I was really scared, I thought maybe it was over for the world championships. But I managed to get back on the bike, and I was feeling better and better. In the final lap lots of teams worked hard to bring us back, and I'm always at my best when the pace is high. At 500 metres it was probably my longest sprint of the season, and there was nothing else I could do. It's a good result."
Hesjedal was the top Canadian finisher in 11th. We have interviews with Ryder Hesjedal, Svein Tuft and Francois Parisien to go up shortly.
| Grand Prix Cyclist de Montreal, 205.7 km | |
| 1 Rui Alberto Faria Da Costa (Por) Movistar Team | 5:20:18 |
| 2 Pierrick Fedrigo (Fra) FDJ | at s.t. |
| 3 Philippe Gilbert (Bel) Omega Pharma-Lotto | 0:02 |
| 4 Jurgen Roelandts (Bel) Omega Pharma-Lotto | |
| 5 Stefan Denifl (Aut) Leopard Trek | both s.t. |
| 6 Daniele Pietropolli (Ita) Lampre-ISD | 0:04 |
| 7 Marco Marcato (Ita) Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team | |
| 8 Arthur Vichot (Fra) FDJ | |
| 9 Rinaldo Nocentini (Ita) AG2R La Mondiale | |
| 10 Fabian Wegmann (Ger) Leopard Trek | |
| 11 Ryder Hesjedal (Can) Team Garmin-Cervelo | |
| 12 Gerald Ciolek (Ger) Quick Step Cycling Team | |
| 13 Cyril Gautier (Fra) Team Europcar | |
| 14 Björn Leukemans (Bel) Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team | |
| 15 Edvald Boasson Hagen (Nor) Sky Procycling | |
| 16 Tony Gallopin (Fra) Cofidis, le crédit en Ligne | |
| 17 Samuel Sanchez Gonzalez (Esp) Euskaltel-Euskadi | |
| 18 Ben Hermans (Bel) Team Radioshack | |
| 19 George Hincapie (USA) BMC Racing Team | |
| 20 Niki Terpstra (Ned) Quick Step Cycling Team | |
| 21 Anders Lund (Den) Leopard Trek | |
| 22 David Veilleux (Can) Team Europcar | |
| 23 Simone Ponzi (Ita) Liquigas-Cannondale | |
| 24 Luis Pasamontes Rodriguez (Esp) Movistar Team | |
| 25 Jan Ghyselinck (Bel) HTC-Highroad | |
| 26 Peter Stetina (USA) Team Garmin-Cervelo | |
| 27 Brent Bookwalter (USA) BMC Racing Team | all s.t. |
| 28 Johnny Hoogerland (Ned) Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team | 0:10 |
| 29 Hayden Roulston (NZl) HTC-Highroad | |
| 30 Miguel Minguez Ayala (Esp) Euskaltel-Euskadi | |
| 31 Thibault Pinot (Fra) FDJ | |
| 32 Jon Izaguirre Insausti (Esp) Euskaltel-Euskadi | |
| 33 Gorazd Strangelj (Slo) Pro Team Astana | |
| 34 Leonardo Bertagnolli (Ita) Lampre-ISD | |
| 35 Gustav Larsson (Swe) Saxo Bank Sungard | |
| 36 Robert Gesink (Ned) Rabobank Cycling Team | |
| 37 Levi Leipheimer (USA) Team Radioshack | |
| 38 Giampaolo Caruso (Ita) Katusha Team | |
| 39 Jose Joaquin Rojas Gil (Esp) Movistar Team | all all s.t. |
| 40 André Steensen (Den) Saxo Bank Sungard | 0:14 |
| 41 Bruno Pires (Por) Leopard Trek | s.t. |
| 42 Mauro Finetto (Ita) Liquigas-Cannondale | 0:16 |
| 43 Timothy Duggan (USA) Liquigas-Cannondale | |
| 44 Mikael Cherel (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale | |
| 45 Rigoberto Uran Uran (Col) Sky Procycling | |
| 46 Dries Devenyns (Bel) Quick Step Cycling Team | all s.t. |
| 47 Jesus Herrada Lopez (Esp) Movistar Team | 0:21 |
| 48 Simon Clarke (Aus) Pro Team Astana | |
| 49 Christophe Riblon (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale | both s.t. |
| 50 Juan Antonio Flecha Giannoni (Esp) Sky Procycling | 0:28 |
| 51 Matteo Trentin (Ita) Quick Step Cycling Team | |
| 52 Amaël Moinard (Fra) BMC Racing Team | both s.t. |
| 53 Sandy Casar (Fra) FDJ | 0:32 |
| 54 Michael Barry (Can) Sky Procycling | 0:34 |
| 55 Christian VandeVelde (USA) Team Garmin-Cervelo | s.t. |
| 56 Brian Vandborg (Den) Saxo Bank Sungard | 0:38 |
| 57 Ruben Plaza Molina (Esp) Movistar Team | s.t. |
| 58 Pieter Weening (Ned) Rabobank Cycling Team | 0:40 |
| 59 Lars Nordhaug (Nor Sky Procycling | 0:43 |
| 60 Maciej Paterski (Pol) Liquigas-Cannondale | 0:44 |
| 61 Jean-Christophe Peraud (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale | s.t. |
| 62 François Parisien (Can) Team Spidertech powered by C10 | 4:43 |
| 63 Edward King (USA) Liquigas-Cannondale | |
| 64 Stef Clement (Ned) Rabobank Cycling Team | |
| 65 Benjamin King (USA) Team Radioshack | |
| 66 Svein Tuft (Can) Team Spidertech powered by C10 | |
| 67 Sylvester Szmyd (Pol) Liquigas-Cannondale | |
| 68 Cristiano Salerno (Ita) Liquigas-Cannondale | |
| 69 Martin Mortensen (Den) Leopard Trek | |
| 70 Leonardo Fabio Duque (Col) Cofidis, le crédit en Ligne | |
| 71 Simon Gerrans (Aus) Sky Procycling | |
| 72 Anthony Geslin (Fra) FDJ | |
| 73 Mikel Landa Meana (Esp) Euskaltel-Euskadi | |
| 74 Francesco Reda (Ita) Quick Step Cycling Team | |
| 75 Egor Silin (Rus) Katusha Team | |
| 76 Samuel Dumoulin (Fra) Cofidis, le crédit en Ligne | |
| 77 Michel Kreder (Ned) Team Garmin-Cervelo | |
| 78 Laurens Ten Dam (Ned) Rabobank Cycling Team | all s.t. |
| 79 Oscar Pujol (Esp) Omega Pharma-Lotto | 4:48 |
| 80 Matteo Tosatto (Ita) Saxo Bank Sungard | 4:56 |
| 81 John Gadret (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale | |
| 82 Tom Stamsnijder (Ned) Leopard Trek | |
| 83 Thomas Danielson (USA) Team Garmin-Cervelo | |
| 84 Philip Deignan (Irl) Team Radioshack | |
| 85 Marcel Pavarin (Ital) Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team | |
| 86 Matthew Wilson (Aus) Team Garmin-Cervelo | all s.t. |
| 87 Perrig Quemeneur (Fra) Team Europcar | 6:53 |
| 88 Yukiya Arashiro (Jpn) Team Europcar | |
| 89 Grégory Rast (Sui) Team Radioshack | |
| 90 David Loosli (Sui) Lampre-ISD | |
| 91 Danny Pate (USA) HTC-Highroad | all s.t. |
| HD Arnold Jeannesson (Fra) FDJ | |
| 93 Tristan Valentin (Fra) Cofidis, le crédit en Ligne | 8:24 |
| 94 Kristijan Koren (Slo) Liquigas-Cannondale | |
| 95 Grega Bole (Slo) Lampre-ISD | |
| 96 Simon Spilak (Slo) Lampre-ISD | |
| 97 Michael Morkov (Den) Saxo Bank Sungard | |
| 98 Daniel Navarro Garcia (Esp) Saxo Bank Sungard | |
| 99 Bart De Clercq (Bel) Omega Pharma-Lotto | |
| 100 Mirko Selvaggi (Ita) Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team | |
| 101 Dennis Van Winden (Ned) Rabobank Cycling Team | |
| 102 Julien Vermote (Bel) Quick Step Cycling Team | |
| 103 Grischa Niermann (Ger) Rabobank Cycling Team | |
| 104 Pavel Brutt (Rus) Katusha Team | |
| 105 Yannick Eussen (Bel BMC Racing Team | |
| 106 Enrique Sanz (Esp) Movistar Team | |
| 107 Gatia Smukulis (LAt) HTC-Highroad | |
| 108 Ryan Roth (Can) Team Spidertech powered by C10 | |
| 109 Javier Iriarte (Esp) Movistar Team | |
| 110 Caleb Fairly (USA) HTC-Highroad | |
| 111 Jeffrey Louder (USA) BMC Racing Team | all s.t. |
| 112 Laurent Didier (Lux) Saxo Bank Sungard | 10:24 |
| DNF Jos Van Emden (Ned) Rabobank Cycling Team | |
| DNF Maarten Wynants (Bel) Rabobank Cycling Team | |
| DNF Thomas Peterson (USA) Team Garmin-Cervelo | |
| DNF David Zabriskie (USA) Team Garmin-Cervelo | |
| DNF Maarten Neyens (Bel) Omega Pharma-Lotto | |
| DNF Klaas Lodewyck (Bel) Omega Pharma-Lotto | |
| DNF Sven van Dousselaerre (Bel) Omega Pharma-Lotto | |
| DNF Jussi Veikkanen (Fin) Omega Pharma-Lotto | |
| DNF Jeremy Hunt (GBr) Sky Procycling | |
| DNF Christian Knees (Ger) Sky Procycling | |
| DNF Mikel Astarloza Chaurreau (Esp) Euskaltel-Euskadi | |
| DNF Alan Pérez Lezaun (Esp) Euskaltel-Euskadi | |
| DNF Romain Sicard (Fra) Euskaltel-Euskadi | |
| DNF Iván Velasco Murillo (Esp) Euskaltel-Euskadi | |
| DNF Brice Feillu (Fra) Leopard Trek | |
| DNF Alessandro Ballan (Ita) BMC Racing Team | |
| DNF Timothy Roe (Aus) BMC Racing Team | |
| DNF Danilo Wyss (Sui) BMC Racing Team | |
| DNF Tejay Van Garderen (USA) HTC-Highroad | |
| DNF Patrick Gretsch (Ger) HTC-Highroad | |
| DNF Marco Pinotti (Ita) HTC-Highroad | |
| DNF Alfredo Balloni (Ita) Lampre-ISD | |
| DNF Manuele Mori (Ita) Lampre-ISD | |
| DNF Enrico Magazzini (Ita) Lampre-ISD | |
| DNF Jesus Hernandez Blazquez (Esp) Saxo Bank Sungard | |
| DNF Manuel Antonio Cardoso (Por) Team Radioshack | |
| DNF Robbie Hunter (RSA) Team Radioshack | |
| DNF Jason McCartney (USA) Team Radioshack | |
| DNF Filippo Pozzato (Ita) Katusha Team | |
| DNF Danilo di Luca (Ita) Katusha Team | |
| DNF Sergei Ivanov (Rus) Katusha Team | |
| DNF Petr Ignatenko (Rus) Katusha Team | |
| DNF Nikolay Trusov (Rus) Katusha Team | |
| DNF Allan Davis (Aus) Pro Team Astana | |
| DNF Dimitry Fofonov (Kaz)) Pro Team Astana | |
| DNF Maxim IGourov (Kaz) Pro Team Astana | |
| DNF Serguey Renev (Kaz) Pro Team Astana | |
| DNF Yevgeniy Nepomnychsiy (Kaz) Pro Team Astana | |
| DNF David Arroyo Duran (Esp) Movistar Team | |
| DNF Addy Engels (Ned) Quick Step Cycling Team | |
| DNF Jérôme Pineau (Fra) Quick Step Cycling Team | |
| DNF Martin Elmiger (Sui) AG2R La Mondiale | |
| DNF Sébastien Hinault (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale | |
| DNF Blel Kadri (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale | |
| DNF Woutter Mol (Ned) Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team | |
| DNF Frederik Veuchelen (Bel) Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team | |
| DNF Pierre Rolland (Fra) Team Europcar | |
| DNF Jérôme Cousin (Fra) Team Europcar | |
| DNF Tony Hurel (Fra) Team Europcar | |
| DNF Said Haddou(Fra) Team Europcar | |
| DNF Cédric Pineau (Fra) FDJ | |
| DNF Dominique Rollin (Can) FDJ | |
| DNF Mickaël Buffaz (Fra) Cofidis, le crédit en Ligne | |
| DNF Rémi Cusin (Fra) Cofidis, le crédit en Ligne | |
| DNF Jean-Eudes Demaret (Fra) Cofidis, le crédit en Ligne | |
| DNF Romain Zingle (Bel) Cofidis, le crédit en Ligne | |
| DNF Patrick Jonathan McCarty (USA) Team Spidertech powered by C10 | |
| DNF Ryan Anderson (Can) Team Spidertech powered by C10 | |
| DNF Bruno Langlois (Can) Team Spidertech powered by C10 | |
| DNF Lucas Euser (Can) Team Spidertech powered by C10 | |
| DNF Will Routley (Can) Team Spidertech powered by C10 |
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