06.29.08 - Hugo Houle and Denise Ramsden win junior races at Tim Hortons Road Nationals

ST-GEORGES-DE-BEAUCE, Que.- Hugo Houle of St-Augustin-de-Desmaur, Que., and Denise Ramsden of Kingston, Ont., won the men’s and women’s junior road races respectively on Sunday at the Tim Hortons Road Nationals cycling competition.

In the 114 kilometre men’s junior race, Houle was the victor with Simon Lambert-Lemay of Longueuil, Que., second and David Boily of Quebec City third. Houle was second in Friday’s time trial.

‘’My main focus was the time trial but I’m very pleased to win the road race,’’ said Houle, eighth in the same event last year. ‘’I wanted to be well positioned for the sprint and I gave everything I had. The three of us on the podium are all very good sprinters.’’

In the women’s 85.5 kilometre junior road race, Ramsden successfully defended her title after being the runner-up in Friday’s time trial.

‘’My goal was to win,’’ said Ramsden. ‘’That wasn’t a sure thing because the competition was very strong. I gave everything I had in the latter part of the race after breaking away from the pack.’’

The championships will finalize the Canadian team for the world junior cycling championships July 12-22 in South Africa.

In the Para-cycling road races for athletes with a disability, the winners were Daniel Chalifour of Mont-Laurier, Que., and his pilot Alexandre Cloutier of Quebec City in the 77 kilometre tandem race, Eric Bourgault of St-Jean-Port-Joli, Que., in the 59.5 kilometre LC1-2 race, Sebastien Bouchard of Quebec in the combined LC3 and cerebral palsy classes 38.5 kilometre race, Robert Labbé of Quebec in the 21 kilometre hand cycle race and Rico Morneau of Ste-Martine, Que., in another hand cycle category that went 38.5 kilometres.

‘’I came here to win and I did it twice,’’ said Morneau, who also took the time trial race on Friday and is tuning up for his first Paralympic Games. ‘’I’ve been training for four years for these Games. I’m in great shape and the times I’ve posted show that I can get on the podium at the Games.’’

In the 38.5 kilometer women’s tandem road race, Geneviève Ouellet of Amos, Que., and her guide Mathilde Hupin-Debeurne of Bromont, Que., were the winners.

Canada earned eight men’s spots and two for the women for the Paralympic Games in Para-cycling. These championships will help decide the three spots that remain to be determined on the men’s side.

Results: http://www.tourdebeauce.com/site.asp?page=element&nIDElement=1091