On Sunday, junior men and women, along with under-23 men, raced at the In Flanders Fields – In Ieper/Kattekoers … formerly known as Gent-Wevelgem. (The new name really rolls off the tongue, huh.)
The pro men and women raced the mid-week classic a month ago, but this weekend it was time for the next gen to race.
Toronto’s Ashlin Barry (Visma-Lease a Bike) took fifth in the under-23 men’s race, and a full Canadian junior women’s team competed in the under-19 event. There were no Canadian junior men racing in Belgium. They were racing the Course de la Paix Juniors, with Amos Scott having a terrific race there. (Check back later for an interview with Scott.)
Under-23 men’s race
It was Australia’s Cameron Rogers who took victory with a perfectly timed late attack. The INEOS Grenadiers Racing Academy rider jumped clear inside the final kilometres and narrowly held off the charging sprinters on the line.
The 186-km race from Ypres featured repeated climbs of the Scherpenberg, Monteberg and Kemmelberg, with crosswinds helping split the peloton throughout the afternoon.
Seth Dunwoody finished second, while Eñaut Urcaregui Sanz rounded out the podium in third. It was another big result for Barry, who is racing in his first year at the elite level. He’s already taken his first win this year, and has been mixing up his season with racing with the Continental and WorldTour squads for Visma.
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Junior women
The junior women raced from Ypres to Ypres over a total of 71 km. The tough Belgian race featured a mix of club and national teams, with France’s Laly Pichon taking the win. The main bunch came sprinting in for 18th, some 1:48 behind.
Top Canuck was Elly Moore in 38th, with Elodie Malois in 43rd and Julia Lehmann in 46th. Emilie Tessier was 67th, and Eve Buczkowski 80th. Lea De Broeck was 96th.
All of the Canadian women finished, which is saying something, as the race definitely took its toll, with a whopping 46 DNFs.
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Earlier this month, the Canadian women raced at a pair of provincial championships in Belgium. Malois took a second and a third, with Lehmann just missing the podium in fourth.