Michael Foley (Hustle Pro Cycling) won stage 2 of the Tour de Beauce on Thursday, claiming the uphill bunch sprint as Tyler Stites (Project Echelon Racing) finished safely within the peloton to retain the race lead.
Foley, who will be representing Canada on the track at the Paris Olympic Games, took the uphill sprint ahead of 22-year-old American Sean Christian (Aevolo) and in third it was Dutchman Stefan Verhoeff (Universe Cycling).
The peloton kept the break well under control on the 164km stage from Saint-Odilon-de-Cranbourne that took riders through the lumpy terrain of Saint-Camille-de-Lellis, Saint-Magloire and Frampton. Three riders had stretched the gap to around two-and-a-half minutes half way through the stage but at under 25km to go the final survivor out front, Alexis Cartier (360 Cycle Regis), was swept up.
The bunch finish meant the overall gaps are still relatively small. Stites is 19 seconds ahead of his nearest rival Kent Ross, while ten riders are within 30 seconds and right up to 60th place overall is within a minute.
There is, however, plenty of opportunity to reshuffle the GC deck on stage 3 as Friday will deliver the Queen stage of the UCI 2.2 ranked five-day race in Canada. After departing from Lac-Mégantic the peloton will take on a 169-kilometer course that finishes at the Mont-Mégantic observatory at the top of the highest paved road in Quebec.
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