Svein Tuft wins GP Stad Zottegem

Tuft becomes first Canadian to win a Professional cycling road race in Europe while wearing National Champion jersey

(Belgium – August 23, 2011) Svein Tuft of Langley, BC delivered another great cycling performance on the European cycling tour, winning the 2011 GP Stad Zottegem in Belgium, a one-day professional cycling race in its 76th year of existence.

In doing so, Tuft writes a new chapter in Canadian cycling history, becoming the first Canadian to win a professional cycling road race in Europe while wearing the National Champion jersey. Tuft won twice last year in time trials races.

Riders from Team SpiderTech strategically took part in every break of the race, and allowed Tuft to join a breakaway with approximately 33 kilometres left in this 181.7-kilometre race.

The break was eventually brought back with nine other riders for about nine kilometres. With 18 kilometres to go, Tuft launched a powerful attack and rode solo for the remainder of the race to take the win, showing a 36-second gap over the second place of Willem Vauteurs of World Tour team Vacansoleil-DCM.

“The boys rode a perfect race today. Everybody is starting to feel the form of those hard climbing French stage races. Early on we had Will [Routley], Zach [Bell] and myself in the break — and I knew it was going to be a good day. The pressure was on right from the gun and I knew we had all our bases covered with strong guys in the break and with Martin and Guillaume sitting in the group behind,” said Tuft, winner of both the road race and time trials at the 2011 Road Canadian Championships.

“As the day wore on, I could see the riders starting to feel the fatigue and I knew it was time to go in the headwind section about 12k out. I knew once I had 30 seconds, I would be able to break the chase group. There were some technical sections that really suited me late in the race. I knew if I could get to the technical section, I could get out of sight and gain time,” continued Tuft. “It was a very satisfying win and I’m really proud of the guys. We will be looking for another one tomorrow at Overjise.”

Directeur sportif Kevin Field had great things to say about the teamwork from the riders on Team SpiderTech: “The boys rode amazing today. Gripped it and ripped it. We had numbers in every move today. What an historic performance for Canadian cycling today.”

A second contingent of SpiderTech riders is starting the 2011 USA Pro Cycling Challenge in Colorado, which runs through Sunday. In Europe, racing resumes tomorrow with UCI 1.1 Overijse in Belgium, the second to last race of the 2011 season on European soil for Team SpiderTech.

2011 GP STAD ZOTTEGEM (August 23, 2011)
Class: UCI 1.1
Location: Belgium
Stage: 1-day race
Distance: 181.7 Km
Official website: http://www.gpzottegem.be

RESULTS

1. TUFT Svein (Team SpiderTech powered by C10) [CAN] 4:06:13
2. WAUTERS Willem (Vacansoleil-DCM) [BEL] +0:36
3. BLYTHE Adam (Omega-Pharma Lotto) [GBR] +0:41
4. VINTHER Troels Ronning (Glud & Marstrand) [DEN] +0:41
5. EICHLER Markus (Team NSP) [GER] +0:41
=====
16. BOIVIN Guillaume (Team SpiderTech powered by C10) [CAN] 2:32
34. LAMBERT-LEMAY Simon (Team SpiderTech powered by C10) [CAN] +5:01
35. GILBERT Martin (Team SpiderTech powered by C10) [CAN] +5:01

THE TEAMS

Omega Pharma-Lotto (BEL); Vacansoleil – DCM (NED); SpiderTech powered by C10 (CAN); An Post Sean Kelly (BEL); Landbouwkrediet (BEL); Team NetApp (GER); Topsport Vlaanderen – Mercator (BEL); Veranda’s Willems & Vlaanderen (BEL); Christina Watches – Onfone (DEN); Colba-Mercury (BEL); Donkers Coffee-Jelly Belly (BEL); Endura Racing (GBR); Glud & Marstrand (DEN); Loto-Bodysol (BEL); Team Concordia Forsikring-Himmerland (DEN); Team Differdange/Magic-sportfood (LUX); Team Eddy Merckx – Indeland (GER); Team NSP (GER); Team Joker – Merida (NOR); Cycling Team De Rijke (NED); Team Worlofbike.gr (GRE); Sparebanken Vest – Ridley (NOR); Nutrixxion – Sparkasse (GER); Marco Polo Cycling Team (CHN).

TEAM SPIDERTECH RIDERS:

Ryan Anderson – Vancouver, BC [13th, 2011 Trofeo Laigueglia]
Mark Batty – Brooklin, ON [2007 Canadian Champion, U23, Cyclo-cross]
Zach Bell – North Vancouver, BC [2011 Omnium World Cup Champion, Track]
Guillaume Boivin Longueuil, QC [Bronze, U23, Championnats du monde Route UCI 2010, Route]
Martin Gilbert – Chateauguay, QC [Stage Winner, 2009 Tour of Missouri]
Simon Lambert-Lemay [6th, 2010 Univest Grand Prix]
Will Routley – Whistler, BC [2nd, UCI 1.1. Tro Bron Léon]
Svein Tuft – Langley, BC [Silver Medallist, 2008 UCI Road World Championships, Time Trial; 2011 Canadian Champion, Road race and Time Trials]

NEXT RACE: August 24 – UCI 1.1 Druivenkoers – Overijse, BELGIUM

ABOUT Team SpiderTech powered by C10

Team SpiderTech powered by C10 is Canada’s first Continental Professional Cycling Team. Founded by Steve Bauer and Josée Larocque in 2007, the team has earned a Professional Continental license from the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI). The 19 rider team of 16 Canadians and 3 other North American riders is sponsored by SpiderTech Inc. and a consortium of Canadian corporations known as C10 including BlackBerry, NRS Brakes, Pinetree Capital, Planet Energy and Saputo.

ABOUT SpiderTech

SpiderTech is the Canadian developer and world leader of pre-cut and ready to apply kinesiology taping solutions. SpiderTech is committed to excellence and innovation in the management of pain and myofascial dysfunction through the use of specialized elastic tape applications. SpiderTech’s focus is on the development and manufacturing of products and therapy protocols that meet the demands of today’s health care clinician and therapist.

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For more information:
Guy Napert-Frenette
Communications specialist
+1-403-614-4275
[email protected]