Steffi Häberlin (Switzerland) took the Tour de Gatineau victory on Thursday from a breakaway sprint. The Swiss Champion outsmarted and outsprinted Liv AlUla Jayco, who had three riders in the breakaway, beating Georgia Baker at the line while Ava Holmgren (Canada U23) took third on the day.
“[It means] a lot. It was the first international race I have ever won. I said to the girls that I won nationals, so far, and I’m really grateful they gave me this opportunity to race here with the federation and to have such a nice race with these girls,” Häberlin said.
“I said in the pre-race meeting that I would like to try to sprint if I got the opportunity. I tried sometimes in training and with teammates, and it was nice to try it in a race. [The uphill sprint] was better for me than if it was purely flat.”
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Häberlin now heads to the World Championships in Montreal and said this race was part of the preparation. “We made a really good plan to be ready at Worlds, so with Marlen [Reusser], who couldn’t race today, and we did a camp to get to know each other, we learned a lot today as a team, and we can use that next week.”
After competing in the previous day’s Chrono de Gatineau, which Reusser won, many of the same riders lined up for the Tour de Gatineau, an 11-lap race in and around Gatineau Park totalling 121.3km.
The field included a mix of national and trade teams, and many riders were using the event to prepare for the upcoming UCI Road World Championships, which start this weekend in Montreal.
After 40km of racing, a breakaway cleared the field with Nadia Gontova (Liv AlUla Jayco), Olivia Barril (Canada), Ava Holmgren (Canada U23), Jasmin Liechti (Swiss Cycling), Megan Guarnier (CCB p/b Levine Law Group), and Tabea Huys (Tirol Women Cycling).
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The five riders quickly built a 20-second lead with 85km remaining. But the peloton quickened the pace behind, and the gap never got more than 30 seconds.
As the gap lessened, the front group reshuffled to include Gontova and Ruby Roseman-Gannon (Liv AlUla Jayco), Isabella Holmgren (Canada U23), Ginia Caluori (NEXETIS), Liv Wenzel (Tirol Women Cycling), Magdeleine Vallieres (Canada) and Katherine Sarkisov (CCB p/b Levine Law Group).
Meanwhile, a group of four were distanced from the front and left to chase: Ava Holmgren, Elisa Luo (Canada), Steffi Häberlin (Switzerland), and Georgia Baker (Liv AlUla Jayco).
The two groups eventually reconnected with a healthy 2:18 lead on the chasing peloton with 24km remaining, and in the closing 10km still held nearly 1:30 as they exited the park and raced back toward the Gatineau finish.
The eleven riders carried speed into the finish and, with 3.7km to go, stayed together, as if accepting the race would come down to a sprint between them or wondering which one of them would take a chance with a late-race flier.
Gantova led the group for almost the entire last lap and then into the final stretch while her teammates Baker and Roseman-Gannon planned their finish. Häberlin took the lead through the final left-hand corner and started her sprint first over the small hill with several hundred metres to go, holding off Baker at the line.
Results
|
Position |
Rider |
Time |
|---|---|---|
|
1 |
Steffi Häberlin (Sui) Swiss Cycling |
2:53:26 |
|
2 |
Georgia Baker (Aus) Liv AlUla Jayco |
0:00:00 |
|
3 |
Ava Holmgren (Can) Canada U23 |
0:00:00 |
|
4 |
Ruby Roseman-Gannon (Aus) Liv AlUla Jayco |
0:00:00 |
|
5 |
Liv Wenzel (Lux) Tirol Women Cycling |
0:00:00 |
|
6 |
Katherine Sarkisov (Can) Canada |
0:00:00 |
|
7 |
Magdeleine Vallieres (Can) CCB p/b Levine Law Group |
0:00:00 |
|
8 |
Isabella Holmgren (Can) Canada U23 |
0:00:00 |
|
9 |
Ginia Caluori (Sui) Swiss Cycling |
0:00:00 |
|
10 |
Elisa Luo (Can) Canada |
0:00:06 |
|
11 |
Nadia Gontova (Can) Liv AlUla Jayco |
0:00:15 |
|
12 |
Alexandra Volstad (Can) Canada U23 |
0:01:33 |
|
13 |
Noä Jansen (Ned) Liv AlUla Jayco |
Row 12 – Cell 2 |
|
14 |
Alison Jackson (Can) Canada |
+0:01:33 |
|
15 |
Abigael Fortier (Can) Liv AlUla Jayco |
+0:01:33 |
|
16 |
Josie Talbot (Aus) Les Régis p/b GROUPE AUTOMAX |
+0:01:33 |
|
17 |
Noemi Rüegg (Sui) Swiss Cycling |
+0:01:33 |
|
18 |
Megan Guarnier (USA) CCB p/b Levine Law Group |
+0:01:33 |
|
19 |
Mara Winter (Sui) Swiss Cycling |
+0:01:33 |
|
20 |
Katelyn Walcroft (Can) Milton Revolution Racing |
+0:01:33 |
|
21 |
Linda Sanarini (Ita) Tirol Women Cycling |
+0:01:33 |
|
22 |
Alyssa Sarkisov (USA) CCB p/b Levine Law Group |
+0:01:33 |
|
23 |
Amaia Ervin-Arambarri (Can) Milton Revolution Racing |
+0:01:33 |
|
24 |
Addison Frank (USA) Passion Project |
+0:01:33 |
|
25 |
Gabrielle Fox (Can) Dynamiks |
+0:01:33 |
|
26 |
Clemence Cousineau (Can) Canada U23 |
+0:01:33 |
|
27 |
Éloïse Camiré (Can) Canada U23 |
+0:01:33 |
|
28 |
Coralie Houde (Can) Les Régis p/b GROUPE AUTOMAX |
+0:01:33 |
|
29 |
Amalie Cooper (GBR) Tirol Women Cycling |
+0:01:33 |
|
30 |
Belinda Holzer (Aut) Tirol Women Cycling |
+0:01:33 |
|
31 |
Laury Milette (Can) Team Abadie Magnan |
+0:01:33 |
|
32 |
Diane Snobelen (Can) Ride with Rendall p/b Biemme |
+0:01:33 |
|
33 |
Dylan Baker (Can) The Cyclery Racing |
+0:01:33 |
|
34 |
Kylee Hanel (USA) Aegis x Leaders of Enchantment |
+0:01:33 |
|
35 |
Mathilde Huot (Can) Team Abadie Magnan |
+0:01:33 |
|
36 |
Grace Arlandson (USA) Aegis x Leaders of Enchantment |
+0:01:33 |
|
37 |
Laetitia Bilodeau (Can) Passion Project |
+0:01:33 |
|
38 |
Minori Minagawa (Jpn) Analog Racing |
+0:01:33 |
|
39 |
Andrea Buttine (USA) Ride with Rendall p/b Biemme |
+0:01:33 |
|
40 |
Caroline Kay Haag (USA) Analog Racing |
+0:01:33 |
|
41 |
Raphaelle Houde (Can) Les Régis p/b GROUPE AUTOMAX |
+0:01:33 |
|
42 |
Sarina Daigle (Can) Passion Project |
+0:01:33 |
|
43 |
Aislin Hallahan (Can) Milton Revolution Racing |
+0:01:33 |
|
44 |
Eva Gabelier (Can) Dynamiks |
+0:01:33 |
|
45 |
Jazmine Lavergne (Can) Team Abadie Magnan |
+0:01:33 |
|
46 |
Margaux Martinez (Fra) Team Abadie Magnan |
+0:01:33 |
|
47 |
Jamie Chapman (USA) Aegis x Leaders of Enchantment |
+0:01:33 |
|
48 |
Nadiya Linde-Elmhirst (Can) Team Abadie Magnan |
+0:01:33 |
|
49 |
Elizabeth Dixon (Can) Ride with Rendall p/b Biemme |
+0:01:33 |
|
50 |
Naomie Julien (Can) Les Régis p/b GROUPE AUTOMAX |
+0:01:33 |
|
51 |
Alaini Ritsch (USA) Aegis x Leaders of Enchantment |
+0:01:33 |
|
52 |
Julie Gagnon (Can) Passion Project |
+0:01:45 |
|
53 |
Emily Driedger (Can) The Cyclery Racing |
+0:01:46 |
|
54 |
Mackenzie Coupland (Aus) Liv AlUla Jayco |
+0:01:46 |
|
55 |
Tabea Huys (Aut) Tirol Women Cycling |
+0:01:46 |
|
56 |
Olivia Baril (Can) Canada |
+0:01:46 |
|
57 |
Sabrina Hayes (USA) CCB p/b Levine Law Group |
+0:01:46 |
|
58 |
Julie Lacourciere (Can) Canada |
+0:01:46 |
|
59 |
Jasmin Liechti (Sui) Swiss Cycling |
+0:02:00 |
|
60 |
Lauren Smith (USA) United Cycling |
+0:02:48 |
|
61 |
Taylor Tompkins (Can) Milton Revolution Racing |
+0:07:23 |
|
62 |
Anne-Sophie Hébert (Can) Analog Racing |
+0:09:01 |
|
63 |
Jennifer Malik (USA) Ride with Rendall p/b Biemme |
+0:06:18 |
|
DNF |
Emma Dressler (Can) Canada |
– |
|
DNF |
Olivia Rubens (Can) Ride with Rendall p/b Biemme |
– |
|
DNF |
Sierra Sims (USA) Ride with Rendall p/b Biemme |
– |
|
DNF |
Franziska Ehrenreich (Aut) Tirol Women Cycling |
– |
|
DNF |
Aderyn Fraser (USA) Orion Racing |
– |
|
DNF |
Sara Youmans (USA) Orion Racing |
– |
|
DNF |
Marlaina Zubchevich (USA) Orion Racing |
– |
|
DNF |
Grace Nottingham (USA) Orion Racing |
– |
|
DNF |
Kara Lilly (USA) Orion Racing |
– |
|
DNF |
Léane Tabu (Fra) Team Abadie Magnan |
– |
|
DNF |
Leslie Timm (USA) United Cycling |
– |
|
DNF |
Jules Spector (USA) United Cycling |
– |
|
DNF |
Melinda Barnes (USA) United Cycling |
– |
|
DNF |
Jorja Bond (USA) CCB p/b Levine Law Group |
– |
|
DNF |
Ella Brenneman (USA) CCB p/b Levine Law Group |
– |
|
DNF |
Raylan Stroud (Can) The Cyclery Racing |
– |
|
DNF |
Cadie Geertsema (Can) The Cyclery Racing |
– |
|
DNF |
Sara Everson (USA) The Cyclery Racing |
– |
|
DNF |
Ashton Thomson (Can) Milton Revolution Racing |
– |
|
DNF |
Evelyne Gagnon (Can) Dynamiks |
– |
|
DNF |
Justine Rouleau (Can) Dynamiks |
– |
|
DNF |
Ella Koszegi (Can) Dynamiks |
– |
|
DNF |
Elizabeth Smith (Can) Dynamiks |
– |
|
DNF |
Ashley Maginot (USA) Analog Racing |
– |
|
DNF |
Katelyn Krisky (USA) Aegis x Leaders of Enchantment |
– |
|
DNF |
Mairen Lawson (USA) Aegis x Leaders of Enchantment |
– |
|
DNF |
Esthefania Hurtado (Can) Les Régis p/b GROUPE AUTOMAX |
– |
|
DNF |
Dorothee Perron (Can) Passion Project |
– |
|
DNF |
Alizee Demers (Can) Passion Project |
– |
|
DNF |
Julianne Richard (Can) Canada U23 |
– |