Gesink battles all the way to the line, Uran nets third
Seizing first place in the UCI WorldTour classification in style, Philippe Gilbert (Omega Pharma Lotto) shrugged off his own pre-race sentiments of tiredness to battle to a strong victory in the GP Cycliste de Québec. The Belgian attacked out of a ten man breakaway group with 2.8 kilometres remaining and fended off a determined chase by the Dutchman Robert Gesink (Rabobank), hitting the line one second ahead.
Gesink finished a disappointed second but the 2010 GP Cycliste de Montréal winner showed that he is superb form, covering the final 200 metres faster than Gilbert and almost clawing his way back up to him by the line. He improved last year’s finishing position by one place and will be highly motivated for Sunday’s defence of his title.
Sky Procycling rider Rigoberto Uran soloed in for third, nine seconds back, while Fabian Wegmann (Leopard Trek) and Levi Leipheimer (RadioShack) took fourth and fifth, a handful of seconds further behind.
“It was very difficult race as Sky went very, very fast from the start,” a tired but happy-looking Gilbert said afterwards. “In the last third, everybody was tired. Nobody was able to attack because there was a strong headwind. It was hard to control because I had no team-mate. I panicked a bit, I was on my own and I was not sure how to get out of it.”
“Then Rabobank opened up the race and it went clearly better. It’s always easier between strong men. I tried to go at the start of the last lap but the group behind kept organised. I relaxed and tried to recuperate. In the last climb, I put the high gear and made the difference.”
He admitted to feeling a lot of nerves beforehand and in the race itself. That related to his goal to become world number one, having started the day just six points behind Tour de France champion Cadel Evans.
“For the first time this season I was a little stressed,” he admitted. “I had only six points to take for the World Tour Ranking but they were six hard points. Finally it turns out for the best.”
It was also a good day for Gesink, even if he was disappointed to miss out. He’s looking good for Sunday’s race and is likely to go up again against Gilbert once again there. This time, he hopes, things will be different.
Tough racing on world championship-like circuit:
The early attackers were Will Routely (SpiderTech p/b C10) and Michael Morkov (Saxo Bank SunGard), yesterday’s winner of the Challenge Sprint Pro race. They kicked clear right after the start of the first of sixteen laps of the 12.6 kilometre circuit, were joined soon afterwards by Martin Elmiger (Ag2r La Mondiale), but were then hauled back.
Alfredo Balloni (Lampre-ISD) then clipped clear seven kilometres into that opening lap, but was caught and passed on the Cote de la Potasse by Pierrick Quemeneuer (Europecar) and Ben King (RadioShack). These were in turn reeled in before the end of that lap by Cristiano Salerno (Liquigas-Cannondale) and Jesus Herrada (Movistar), who held an eleven second lead crossing the line.
Seventeen kilometres into the race, Tony Hurel (Europcar) bridged across and helped the other two to build what was a three minutes four second lead as they crossed the finish line for the end of lap two. One circuit later, they were a full six minutes 21 seconds clear, but over the next few laps it was clear that the gap was falling.
With five laps remaining, the speed was very much on behind and the peloton was a mere one minute 18 seconds back. Hurel got into difficultly and went south, leaving two out front and doing their utmost to remain clear. Herrada was feeling stronger and would drop his breakaway companion 147 kilometres after the start; the solo effort was too late, though, with the peloton moving along at a fair place. He was finally reeled in 49 kilometres from the line.
Garmin-Cervélo’s Pro Cycling Challenge runner-up Christian Vande Velde then seized the moment and surged ahead, his effort sparking off a nine-man move. The Chicago rider was joined by Irishman Philip Deignan (RadioShack), Jan Ghyselinck (HTC-Highroad), Lars Petter Nordhaug (Sky Pro Cycling), Matteo Trentin (Quick Step), Tom Stamsnijder (Leopard Trek), Maciej Paterski (Liquigas-Cannondale) plus the Movistar pairing of Alberto Faria and Luis Pasamontes. Jurgen Roelandts (Omega Pharma Lotto) and Leonardo Bertagnolli (Lampre) then also joined up.
The timing and composition wasn’t quite right, though, and they were recaptured 32 kilometres from the line. Trentin, Pasamontes and Faria were in a stubborn mood, and got into another break with Svein Tuft (Spidertech p/b C10).
Ferocious finale:
Things eventually came back together and then Gilbert decided to throw down the gauntlet. He accelerated hard on the Cote de la Montagne, and was followed by Gesink, Levi Leipheimer (RadioShack), Uran Rigoberto (Sky Pro Cycling), Fabian Wegmann (Leopard Trek), Simone Ponzi (Liquigas-Cannondale), Simon Clarke (Astana), Gerald Ciolek (Quick Step) and Vacansoleil DCM duo Bjorn Leukemnas and Marco Marcato.
The Belgian champion held a slight lead going over the start/finish line with one lap left, then was reeled in by the others. They rode together towards the finish. With 4.5 kilometres to go Gesink attacked hard on an uphill section, being joined initially by Ciolek and Gilbert, then by the others who profited from the slight stall.
The Dutchman remained in front until 2.8 kilometres from the line. There Gilbert kicked again, opening an immediate advantage and resisting an attempt by Leukemans to come across.
Gesink put in a much better chase and was almost up to Gilbert’s back wheel with two kilometres to go. However the Belgian champion put it up a gear and surged again, distancing the Dutchman and pulling further and further ahead.
That seemed like game over but Gesink was utterly determined to try to win. He fought all the way, inching closer and closer once again, slipped back to ten lengths behind when Gilbert surged inside the final uphill 500 metres, then battled back. He sprinted flat out all the way and managed to reduce the deficit to four or five lengths by the line.
He came up short, though, having to be satisfied with second place on the day. The tall climber crossed one second back, with Sky’s Rigoberto Uran a further eight seconds back in third.
The victory was an important win for Gilbert, moving him into the ProTeam lead and making it increasingly likely he can win the competition overall. “In Montreal, I’ll be under far less pressure,” he said. “It’s already mission accomplished for me.”