July 24/05 10:27 am - Tour de l'Abitibi: Stage 8 and Final GC

Posted by Editoress on 07/24/05
 

Tour de l’Abitibi Val-d’Or, QC
Courtesy Organizers

David Veilleux, champion of the 37th Tour de l’Abitibi

David Veilleux, main rival of teammate Eric Boily won the championship of the junior international classic race.

Stepping on the brown jersey for the last time at the end of the 70.4 km criterium, Veilleux succeeds last year’s winner Chris Stockburger.

However, the American national team did not leave empty handed. Daniel Holloway won the orange jersey (points champion). He had such a lead on the next rider, team France’s Kevin Reza that only a fall could take away his title. Team Canada’s Mark Hinnen won the blue jersey (best first year junior rider).

After a four year absence at the Tour de l’Abitibi, Team Canada made a remarkable comeback. Veilleux, who was 16th last year was ¨crowned¨ champion with only one stage win, that of team time trial.

Champion Veilleux wore the brown jersey for the first time after the 3rd stage and never let it go. He was never really challenged during the last stage, his team Canada teammates controlled the race for nearly all of the 32 laps.

Eric Boily, Individual Time Trial leader for the second year finished 2nd in the total time.

¨O Canada¨was heard at the conclusion of the 37th edition of the Tour de l’Abitibi will be back for the 38th time next year. The Tour nearly died last winter but with 27 teams and seven national teams in this year’s edition things look very promising for 2006

Stage 8: Criterium

1. Kirk Calsen (America's Cycling), 1:52:48
2. Harrison Tripp (Major Motion), at s.t.
3. Daniel Holloway (USA), 1:52:52
4. Sean Walsh (Alberta)
5. Kevin Reza (France Pole/Espoirs)
6. William Parra Rodriguez (Colombia)
7. David Nadeau (Québec)
8. Ulric De Young (USA)
9. Derek Laan (Minnesota), s.t
10. Chris Carlson (Arizona), all s.t

Final GC

1. David Veilleux (Canada), 13:26:29
2. Éric Boily (Canada), at 0:36
3. Jonas Bjelkmark (Sweden), 1:06
4. Mark Hinnen (Canada), 2:26
5. Kevin Reza (France), 2:41
6. Alex Boyd (Hot Tubes), 2:42
7. Neal Kindree (British Columbia), 2:44
8. Ryan Keels (Hot Tubes), 2:49
9. Filip Rudenstam (Sweden), 2:51
10. Cody O'Rielly (USA), 3:02