Philadelphia, PA – Canada’s Team SpiderTech powered Planet Energy came to Philadelphia to be a factor in today’s TD Bank International Cycling Championship and they were, placing two riders in the top 10 while being protagonists in key moves throughout the 250-kilometer/156-mile race.  After more than six-and-a-quarter hours on the bike riding through oppressive humidity, heat and windy conditions, the team’s Guillaume Boivin and Martin Gilbert sprinted home in sixth and seventh places in the twenty-sixth edition of America’s biggest and longest-running one-day professional road race that was won by Australian Matthew Goss (HTC-Columbia) ahead of Peter Sagan (Liquigas-Doimo) and Alexander Kristoff (BMC Racing).

An international field of nearly two hundred riders from invited pro teams, including three ProTour squads (HTC-Columbia, Liquigas-Doimo and Footon-Servetto), took the start.  The team’s Bruno Langlois got into a large early race move that escaped on the first lap.  Langlois maintained his position when the break thinned the herd during the third of ten big laps that included ascents up the steep Manayunk Wall, a seventeen-percent grade grind of one-kilometer in length.  The big lead group rode together until the sixth lap when Canadian Will Routley (Jelly Belly presented by Kenda) attempted a long solo escape.  Tenaciously he held off the chase until the last trip up The Wall when he was nailed back by two four-man groups, one of which contained Team SpiderTech powered by Planet Energy’s Ryan Roth.  A reshuffling occurred and Roth soldiered on as part of a new four-man lead group that included Daniel Oss (Liquigas-Doimo), Ermanno Capelli (Footon-Servetto) and Serhy Grechyn (Amore & Vita – Conad).  For a time, it looked like the break might outfox the sprinters, but when HTC-Columbia, UnitedHealthCare, Jamis-Sutter Homes and Kelly Benefit Strategies combined forces, the catch was inevitable.  With approximately three kilometers remaining, they were gobbled up by what was left of the decimated peloton setting the stage for a mass gallop up the long Benjamin Franklin Parkway.  Goss came around the right side to score the coveted victory with Boivin and Gilbert close behind in the Australian’s shadow.

“Team SpiderTech was awesome today.  We had Bruno Langlois and Ryan Roth in the major breaks, which made things easier for Martin and me since other teams were forced to chase the breaks and we could focus on being there for the (finishing) sprint.  Martin did a perfect lead-out, but I got boxed in and couldn’t do the sprint I wanted.  But we were in a strong position to go for the win and with a complete team, which bodes well for upcoming races and the rest of the season,” said Boivin after the race.

“Team SpiderTech rode all the way to the line with the ambition of winning Philly,” said director Steve Bauer.  “Our guys covered breaks all day.  First it was Bruno Langlois, who kept the team relaxed in the peloton and then we put Ryan Roth into an important late race move that was caught with only three kilometers remaining.  Gilbert and Boivin went man against man with the best sprinters and came up a little short, but not by much.  Both sprinters looked disappointed after the long race, but the entire team finished strongly and contributed throughout, which is highly commendable under extreme humidity.”

In addition to close to 300,000 spectators in attendance, the race was televised live in high definition for the first time on Comcast SportsNet and Versus.

Canada’s only UCI (Union Cycliste Internationale) continental team, Team SpiderTech powered by Planet Energy is a talented young squad comprised of Canadian Olympians and national champions that have celebrated twelve UCI wins thus far this season.  The outfit will next focus on events held on Canadian soil: the UCI Individual Time Trial in Gatineau, Quebec (June 12) where Parisien and Roth will represent the team, the Tour de Beauce (June 15-20) at which a full squad will compete and the Canadian National Championships held in Gatineau (June 25 & 28).  Additional information is available at www.cyclesportmanagement.com.

Results of the TD Bank Philadelphia International Cycling Championship:

1. Matthew Goss (HTC-Columbia)
2. Peter Sagan (Liquigas-Doimo)
3. Alexander Kristoff (BMC Racing)

1. Guillaume Boivin (Team SpiderTech powered by Planet Energy)
2. Martin Gilbert (Team SpiderTech powered by Planet Energy)

For further information about the TD Bank Philadelphia International Cycling Championship, please visit www.procyclingtour.com.

Santa Rosa, CA: A rare cold rain shower in May made the roads glacial during today’s Stage 2 of the Amgen Tour of California, but the weather didn’t dampen the spirits of the frisky Canadians racing for Team SpiderTech powered by Planet Energy. After a long five-man break that included team captain Andrew Randell was caught in the closing kilometers of the 177.2-kilometer stage from Davis to Santa Rosa, Francois Parisien fought tenaciously to finish the stage in sixth place along side a select group of General Classification favorites. Brett Lancaster (Cervelo TestTeam) sprinted to the victory and also inherited the race leader’s golden fleece.

A dozen kilometers into the stage, Randell pedaled across to join the break that included Karl Menzies (UnitedHealthcare), Jay Robert Thomson (Fly V Australia), Michael Friedman (Jelly Belly) and Thomas Rabou (Team Type 1). The break worked well together as they built an advantage that peaked at over six-and-a-half minutes. Riders crashed in heaps throughout the long slog on technical descents that became even more treacherous due to the wet conditions. With the RadioShack team of three-time defending Amgen Tour of California champion Levi Leipheimer maintaining control of the field along with then race leader Mark Cavendish’s HTC-Columbia squad, an offensive was launched on the Trinity Grade climb by RadioShack and Garmin-Transitions, which decimated the field. Parisien held on and finished in an elite group that contained the overall race favorites, including Leipheimer, his teammate, seven-time Tour de France Champion Lance Armstrong, Michael Rogers (HTC-Columbia), David Zabriskie (Garmin-Transitions) and Andy Schleck (Saxo Bank).

“Today is further confirmation that we belong here (in the race). Andrew (Randell) did a great job in the break. I followed the RadioShack train and we caught Andrew’s group about five kilometers from the top of the final climb. There were only about fifteen riders left. The descent was quite dangerous. Andy Schleck missed a turn and went straight into a bush. As soon as we reached the bottom of the climb, our speed never went below fifty-five kilometers per hour. We took some risks. I analyzed who was there and prepared for the sprint. I’m happy about the result,” said the twenty-eight year-old Parisien.

Team SpiderTech director Steve Bauer was also pleased. “It was a good day for Team SpiderTech powered by Planet Energy with Francois contesting the stage victory in Santa Rosa with a select group of strongmen. Andrew rode strongly all day and I’m proud of Parisien’s sixth place amongst the elite GC contenders. It was a difficult finale under slippery conditions.”

Starting in the shadow of the iconic Golden Gate Bridge, Stage 3 (May 18) pedals 182.3 kilometers from San Francisco down Highway 1 along the picturesque coastline adjacent to the majestic Pacific Ocean before finishing at the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk. En route, the peloton will battle in two early sprints before conquering four King of the Mountains climbs, including the final ascent of Bonny Doon Road. The eight-day, 1280-kilometer Amgen Tour of California is regarded as one of the most important races on the international calendar comprised of sixteen professional teams from Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Italy, Netherlands, Switzerland, and the U.S. For further information, please visit. www.amgentourofcalifornia.com.

Stage 2 results:

1. Brett Lancaster (Cervelo TestTeam)
2. Peter Sagan (Liquigas-Doimo)
3. Lars Boom (Rabobank)
6. Francois Parisien (Team SpiderTech)

The plan was to get Ryan and Randell up the road in a mid-sized to small breakaway towards the middle of the race and let them take care of the rest. Batty, Hunt and I did all we had to do early, covering moves, throwing down odd attack and making sure all was in control.

With about 70k to go Roth jumped across to a lone Jetfuel Coffee rider and no one seemed to think this was too threatening. Ryan’s only with one guy right? We’ll catch him. Oh boy, they tried to catch him but to no avail. Randell threw down a hearty attack in the long crosswind section taking only a few guys with him, he quickly left them for dead on the climb and bridged up to Ryan and his breakaway companion. Behind Hunt continued to cover all the moves, and Batty managed to hop in the 3rd group on the road.

As the laps fell off Ryan and Andrew made their moves on the climb with one to go, dropping the Jetfuel rider that hung tough for a while, and came in for a recreation of the Good Friday RR earlier in the year, only this time Roth was 1st and Randell took 2nd over 7 minutes ahead of the field. Batty easily won his break sprint for 8th and Hunt rolled in with the field.
You may wonder, my dear reader, “where did you roll in Buck?” well folks I hate to report that I did not finish. I’ve been nursing a injury for the last few days, one that makes cycling pretty hard. I told the management of my issues before the race and I contributed what I had, and pulled out of the race with 3 laps to go once I knew the boys had the win, and Batty and Hunt were holding it down in the rear.

All in all it was a great day for the boys, followed up by a great spread of food back at the Team HQ. Thanks to Steve and Josée for that!  Thanks also to our top mechanic Rick Barrow for the TLC to our bicycles.  And hats off to Allan Nicholls who braved the cool windy day to help the team before, during and after the race. Al, you’re more than welcome within the team as long as you finally admit that Greg Keelor from Blue Rodeo is better than Jim Cuddy

That’s all folks, thanks for reading.

Bucker