Two podiums in Canada for Team BH-SR SUNTOUR-KMC

Every year, the famous Québec World Cup is tasting something special...

Every year, the famous Québec World Cup is tasting something special, as the classic that it is, with its technical and demanding course, and thanks to the atmosphere brought by the Canadian spectators. This was confirmed this season again, for the 25th anniversary of the race.

The XC course of 2015 was practically the same than the previous year, which means: technically and physically heavy. Yet, like a gift to the riders, the track designers swapped a section of fast downhill for a new one, much more tricky! Its rock slabs caused fears and falls during trainings and races, but our riders have been spared by these accidents.

On the contrary, our first rider competing this Sunday, Victor Koretzky, took advantage of the challenging downhills. After a good start, he led the race during 4 of the 6 laps, in order to have clear track in front of him. At the end, Titouan Carod and Howard Grotts were physically stronger, enough to finish ahead of him, but Victor signed his best result of the year with this 3rd place on a World Cup round.

Adelheid Morath and Hanna Klein also showed good skills on this track, during the trainings and the Women Elite's race. But on Sunday, due to a difficult start, Hanna was stucked in the peloton, and then had to deal with a painfull knee, after a fall induced by a competitor. She's 31th at finish.

Adelheid also started from the middle of the peloton, just a bit ahead, but she quickly moved up to the top 20, and then rode wisely to win rank by rank, and finish 13th. For her birthday, she offered herself a nice present, with this best personal result of season!

In the afternoon, our three Elite men were at the start.

Stéphane Tempier missed Lenzerheide (previous World Cup round, in July), due to illness, but since he returned to race at the National Championships, he showed that he's healthy again, and improved regularly (4th at Nationals, 8th at European Championships). In Canada, he found back the way of the World Cup podium, by finishing 5th! After an impressive come-back from the rear, he struggled for the 3rd rank against Naef and Vogel in the second half of the race, but finally lacked of energy to win this last battle. Maybe his start from the 4th line costed him some extra watts at the end.

Maxime Marotte did a good start from the first line, and spent the major part of the race by chasing for the 4th position, only 30 seconds ahead. Though he rode pretty steadily, the return of some riders made him lost some ranks in the last two laps. He's finally 11th. Yet, it is his best result ever in Mont Sainte Anne.

Jordan Sarrou spent a fantastic month of July, signing his first top ten in Elite World Cup in Lenzerheide, then finishing 3rd of the Nationals, and 5th of the European Championships. So the omens were good before this 4th World Cup round. But finally the day has been bad for him: he missed his pedal at start, then rushed to move up in the ranks, and paid it with a puncture, and a fall. He's recovering well now, and is really hot for Windham NY, the next round, at the end of the week.

The team is already in place, and now prepares this next target.

 

Photos by Sebastian Schieck