Megias Takes 5th at GP Saguenay Criterium

11 June 2017

Race: Grand Prix Cycliste de Saguenay, Stage 3

Start/Finish: Kénogami/Kénogami, Canada

Distance: 75 kilometers

Kénogami, CANADA —Spanish rider Javier Megias earned his best result of the 2017 season when he finished fifth on stage 3 of the Grand Prix Cycliste de Saguenay.

Saturday’s penultimate stage featured a North American-style criterium, comprised of 35 laps through Kénogami on a fast 2-km course with steady corners and no major surprises.

The race kicked off with an easy start, but soon the attacks began and things became more risky. Megias and teammate Corentin Cherhal were active on the front, and when a group of 10 riders eventually managed to pull away, Megias was among them.

At first, the peloton kept the group in its sites, only affording a small gap of of 10-15 seconds, and for the first several laps it seemed like the leaders would be reeled in. But with each lap the break gained more time on the bunch, and by the final two laps it was clear that the break would stay away to the finish.

Megias maintained good position on the last corner, sprinting to fifth behind stage winner Chad Beyer (Canyon Bicycles).

Javier Megias

“I’m not a specialist when it comes to criteriums, but I was active from the start and managed to make the break, which stayed away. I did my best in the sprint, but unfortunately I lost to the stronger sprinters. Tomorrow is another day, and I’m ready to finish strong on the last and hardest stage.”

Team Novo Nordisk, the world’s first all-diabetes pro cycling team, concludes the 2017 Grand Prix Cycliste de Saguenay on Sunday with the race’s fourth and final stage in Chicoutimi.