Bush wins from break in Quebec City

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Rob Bush (Chipotle Development) won a drag-race sprint to the finish line at the fifth stage of the Tour de Beauce held on circuits in Quebec City. The youngster out-paced David Boily (SpiderTech p/b C10) in second and Bernard Sulzberger (V Australia) who placed third.

"I felt good before the start and I knew that I wanted to make the breakaway," Bush said. "Once I did that I thought - if I keep feeling good toward the end then I am going for the win. It worked out. I knew it was the good breakaway, it was hard on the first few laps, but I knew I could win once I made it over the steep hill on the last lap."

Francisco Mancebo (RealCyclist.com) benefited from his hard working teammates, who set a quick tempo at the front of the field for nearly the full nine laps of the race to protect his lead in the overall classification. The Spaniard will wear the yellow jersey heading into the sixth and final stage held in Saint-Georges on Sunday.

Bernardo Colex (Amore & Vita) is currently sitting in second place 25 seconds behind Mancebo. Alex Howes (Chipotle Development) moved into third place, 1:11 minutes down in the overall, and is leading the event’s Best Young Rider competition. Ben King (Team Type 1) is currently sitting in fourth place 1:13 back.

"I think Mancebo was trying to keep control of the race at the end," Howes said. "I’m still one minute down in the overall. Step one was to get on the podium here and now that we are there, we want to move up."

Large breakaway succeeds on Quebec City circuits

The some 100-rider peloton lined up along the Rue Saint Louis to start the fifth stage of the Tour de Beauce, a slightly varied and less technical course compared to the previous year. The Pro men completed nine laps for a total of 125 kms.

The field stayed together on the first lap and made a sharp left hand turn onto the Cote de la Montagne, a steep ascent that winds its way inside the walls of old Quebec City. The King of the Mountain (KOM) was located at the top of the ascent on the Rue du Fort.

On the second lap, the field arrived to the top of the ascent and veered back onto the start-finishing straightaway along Rue Saint Louis, passed the historic Chateau Frontenac and slightly uphill to the finish line.

Alex Howes (Chiptole Development) picked up three seconds in time bonuses, and move from fourth place into third in the overall classification. Mancebo placed second and earned two seconds and Colex got one second.

"I wanted the time bonus to both move further ahead in the overall GC and to move ahead of Ben King in the best young rider jersey," Howes said. "There was no reason not to go for the time bonuses today.”

Scott Lyttle (PureBlack Racing) also accumulated more points toward the KOM competition, winning the race to the top of the Cote de Montagne and Rue du Fort on lap three. He moved back into the lead of the KOM competition.

A 17 rider split in the field occurred on lap four. Riders in the move included David Boily and Bruno Langlois (SpiderTech p/b C10), Will Dugan (Team Type 1), Christian Meier (UnitedHealthcare), Johnnie Walker, Bernard Sulzberger and Taylor Sheldon (V Australia), Glen Chadwick, Mike Northey and James Williamson (PureBlack Racing), Kin San Wu (Champion System), Richard Handley (Raleigh), Arnaud Papillon and Antoin Duchesn (Garneau Club Chaussures) and Rob Bush (Chipotle Development).

"After the first KOM, PureBlack Racing was setting a really hard tempo then everyone slowed down a bit and a few guys went away," Boily said. "A bigger group formed and we were working very well. There were a lot of teams in the breakaway so everyone was cooperating."

They gained nearly four minutes ahead of the field at the start of the seventh lap. Back in the field, RealCyclist.com set the pace at the front with its riders rotating to keep the breakaway at a manageable margin. The highest placed rider in the breakaway was Sulzberger who sat nearly 10 minutes behind Mancebo in the overall classification.

The breakaway riders attacked on another on the last lap and Boily and Langlois were among the most aggressive. Williamson and Papillon gained a small margin on their break companions heading into the final climb; however, they were reabsorbed following a tactical battle over the climb.

Boily, Sulzberger and Walker moved into the lead on the final straightaway and Bush came around them in the final sprint for the stage win.

"Everyone started attacking with two laps to go," Boily said. "Everyone wanted to win the race and there were a couple of teams that were well represented in the break and they were able to counter attack. It was hard. V Australia went to the front to do a lead-out and I got squeezed in a bit. I didn’t have enough legs to come around Rob Bush."