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Stockburger wins Tour de l'Abitibi
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Chris Stockburger (U.S. National Team) rode to victory in the 36th edition of Le Tour de l’Abitibi after seizing the lead on the fifth of nine stages in the weeklong race.
The race, run July 19-25 in Québec, Canada, is the only UCI Junior World Cup Race in North America.
Stockburger, of Fort Collins, Colorado, took an eight-second lead on Zach Taylor (Hot Tubes) after the 83.5km road race from Senneterre to Val-d’Or, Québec. As part of a 14-rider breakaway, Stockburger picked up 1:31 on the rider from Marietta, Georgia, who had held the brown leader’s jersey since the first-stage team time trial.
The break was the first in recent memory that was able to stay clear until the finish. In most cases, promising-looking breaks are either brought back on the relatively flat roads or on the criterium circuits that conclude all the road races.
Barney King, who coached the U.S. team at l’Abitibi, said Stockburger’s victory was a tribute to all of the riders on the team.
“What impressed me more than anything was the way the team rose to the occasion. They did a fine job of supporting Chris,” King said. “The guys rode selflessly and did whatever was asked of them.”
Their hard work also brought the U.S. National Team victory in the team competition in 39:21:10, with Hot Tubes second at 2:56 and South Africa third at 4:19.
Other notable performances at l’Abitibi by U.S. riders included the two stage wins turned in by James Driscoll (NECSA-ACT), of Jericho, Vermont. Driscoll won back-to-back stages, the 83.5km Val-d’Or Criterium and the 102.7km Preissac-Val;d’Or road race. Driscoll finished third, and was the top American, in the points competition.
