Tonight the 2011 Tour de Delta started in Vancouver, BC. Team Exergy has seven riders and we were looking to starting this three day omnium competition off on the right foot.
The four corner course included a long uphill section, offset with a fast downhill corner 1. After many attacks in the first twenty minutes, Andres Diaz pounced away from the field with Marsh Cooper (KBS), Ryan Anderson (Spidertech) and Sebastian Selas (HR Block). The acheived a maximum advantage of 32 seconds.
Although the officials tried to motivate a chase from the peloton with many peloton-only cash primes, the gap stayed strong until the end.
In the final ten laps though Team Exergy became lodged between a rock and a hard place. With the break only 10 seconds up the road, we couldn't set up our leadout train for Carlos and I without compensating Diaz's chance at the win.
In the finale Ryan Anderson pipped Andres into the final corner and secured the stage win. Just behind, Connor, Quinn and I took the front of the peloton with 1 lap remaining. With Carlos just behind we made the race as fast as possible and Carlos took the bunch kick for 4th on the stage. He closed the gap so fast that there wasn't even a time gap between the front break and the peloton. If the finish had only been a little farther out of the final corner!
There were a lot more spectators out on the North Delta course this year as race officials switched out the traditional 3km prologue for the difficult and hopefully more exciting criterium course. Thanks again to everyone who came out to share tonight's race with Team Exergy. One day down, one podium picked up!
Labels: Road Report
