THIS WEEK IN PRO CYCLING »

Get the VeloNews Email Newsletter FREE

  Learn More | Archive
Home » Top Stories » Road »

Dominguez takes GP Beauce opener

By Rob Jones, Special to VeloNews.com
Published: Jun. 15, 2004
Dominguez takes GP Beauce opener
Dominguez takes GP Beauce opener

Ivan Dominguez (Colavita-Bolla Wines) outsprinted Canadian Olympic hopefuls Charles Dionne (Canadian National) and Mark Walters (Navigators) to take the first stage and the leader's jersey at the Grand Prix Cycliste de Beauce Tuesday in Quebec City.

Dominguez also donned the Points jersey, while Adam Wadecki (Action ATI) took the Climber's jersey after a race-long breakaway that was only caught in the final lap.

Stage 1 threw riders into hard terrain right away, with 10 laps of a 12-kilometer circuit that featured a sharp kilometer-long 11-percent climb and an upward sloping finish into the wind. The third, sixth and ninth laps offered Climber's points for the ascent.

Wadecki broke away early in the second lap, taking Team Ontario rider Buck Miller with him. Miller managed to hang on until the sixth time up the climb before dropping off the pace.

Wadecki took his lead as high as 4:20 by lap seven, but he was visibly tiring, and Colavita-Bolla and Health Net were increasing the tempo behind. On lap eight he started to come back quickly, especially when struggling along solo into the headwind along the top section of the course, however, he did manage to stay away for one more lap, taking maximum points in all three KoMs.

Once he was back in the fold, the attacks began, but Navigators, Colavita and Health Net kept on top of everything. Walters went with a break in the final kilometer, only to have Dominguez and Dionne come by in the final 150 meters.

"I like a course like this one", said Dominguez afterwards. "The hills are not too long, so I can stay with the leaders. At the end I could see the three riders in front, and as soon as I came around the last corner (at 300 meters) I jumped. Dionne was behind me, I could see when I looked down (under my arm), but he was two or three bike lengths behind so I knew it was okay."

Dionne was philosophical about losing out to Dominguez. "I'm pretty pleased. There were some strong attacks up the climb on the last lap, but I was able to stay in good position. I waited a little bit after the last corner, because I didn't want to make a mistake and go too early in the strong headwind, and then when Ivan (Dominguez) went I followed him, but he was too strong at the line."

On Wednesday, the racing gets harder, with a 180km stage marked by the long rolling climbs, for which Beauce is notorious.