France made a powerful statement on the opening stage of the 55th Tour de l’Abitibi Glencore on Monday, as Alexis Bouteloup claimed victory on the 121-kilometre route from Rouyn-Noranda to Val-d’Or.
Bouteloup’s teammate Simon Defrance rounded out the podium in third, while Quebec’s Gabriel Tilli impressed with a strong sprint to take second.
“I felt really good,” Bouteloup said after the win. “We have a really close-knit team. And that made a big difference. We were strong as a unit.
The race opened with aggressive tactics from the start. Riders attacked early and often, leading to a flurry of breakaways. It was also a very quick stage–the average speed was 47 km/h.
Tilli, speaking ahead of Stage 2, said Team Quebec is well-positioned to contend for the overall.
“We’re in a good spot with the points and jerseys,” he said. “We’ve got a few cards to play to try and win this race.”
Home crowd favourite Justin Delisle, of Val-d’Or, delivered a solid ride to finish sixth overall, earning local cheers and attention.
Alongside the stage win, Bouteloup took control of both the leader’s jersey and the points classification.
His teammates also earned top honours: Paul Hawrylak claimed the King of the Mountains jersey, while Defrance pulled on the best young rider jersey. (Side note, how great is it to be from France, and have that last name?)
Racing continues Tuesday with Stage 2, as the peloton tackles another demanding day in Abitibi’s rolling terrain.
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