June 15, 2007 – Mont-Mégantic, Quebec – Team Slipstream/Chipotle continued it’s strong run at the Tour de Beauce Thursday, in the toughest stage of the race – a rolling 153km stage that finishes with the steep 4 km ascent to the top of Mont-Mégantic.
Early in the stage, one breakaway escaped and was pulled back by the yellow-jersey team. At the crest of the second KOM hill, a dangerous group formed, including Slipstream’s Danny Pate who is in the top 10 on General Classification. This move lasted for 20km before getting caught, with one lone rider, Dirk Muller, staying out in front with a small lead.
As the peloton once again regrouped with just 25km to go in the stage, one more breakaway attempt went off the front, which included Slipstream’s Quebecor Francois Parisien (3rd in Stage 2). After this group caught the leader, Muller attacked again in an attempt to go solo again.
Parisien was the only rider of the breakaway able to bridge to Muller, and the two turned onto the mountain road with 5km left and started the ascent of Mont-Mégantic.
The two riders went back and forth on the first steep sections of the climb, but soon Muller’s efforts of the day took their toll and Parisien was able to drop him. As Parisien rode alone in the lead up the climb, only Glen Chadwick of Navigators was chasing from behind.
Chadwick caught Parisien and the two rode together to the finish, with Chadwick jumping away in the final 500 meters to take his second stage win in a row. Parisien grabbed his second podium finish in a row, and showed that nearing Canadian Nationals, he has recovered from months of knee trouble and time off from racing to regain the form he had as 2005 Canadian Champion.
