The final two stages of the Tour de Beauce are up next! Short circuit time.

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Sprints and KoM checkpoints all over the profile.
It's screaming for me to get into the breakaway.



But I resist and let Jonathan Patrick McCarty go for the team.
I have to try and protect my top 10 overall.

Nobody else joins McCarty and the peloton rides through the checkpoints,
so my KoM jersey goes uncontested for today.



Fast forward to the finish, a group of 13 riders (including Captain Vennell)
opens up a sizable gap as they sprint for the line.



So much for trying to get the youth jersey,
Carlos Barbero wins the stage and upgrades to yellow.

The gap holds up and I lose 39 seconds on some key rivals,
but continue to hold onto my 10th overall. Vennell moves to 5th overall.

Have to learn from yesterday, no stupid mental mistakes.



Greg Brandt is the morning breakaway. No threat to my KoM jersey so,
I can now say that I have won the King of the Mountains in my first 2 pro races!



Jump to the finish where I'm actually sprinting quite well.
I was just going to lead out Vennell but he couldn't follow my wheel.



11th in GC Alexandre Blain gets the victory, but I had a 22 second advantage on him entering the stage. So, I finish 10th overall by a mere two seconds!



I finish the stage in 16th, Canada sure has been fun.
10th overall and KoM winner. Also team leader Vennell takes 5th GC.

I racked up some nice prize money, perhaps I should buy Chloe something nice?

I'm getting better each day. +3 EXP for first pro top 10 overall.

No time to celebrate my achievements or fly back to Califonia however
as the team needs me in Wisconsin in two days time for another race.

The next race update will included Stage 1 & 2 of Tour of America's Dairyland:

EXP - TT, Sprint, Hill / Form - TT, Hill, Downhill

I was a late addition to the squad for this race but it shouldn't be that hard.
4 short circuits (2 hilly, 2 flat). Plus I'm in my natural habitat; the country.



Bissell brings the same squad from the Tour de Beauce.
Nankervis is the leader and again I get lucky by getting a free role.



HUGE Start list, almost 200 riders. Not going to be fun on short circuits.

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I'm thinking a late attack on the second to last climb might work.



Nope the pace was to high. But here is Nankervis on the final climb going for it!



Behind a second group of 10 riders form, Vennell and I are in it.



Nankervis has something here...



Under the banner!



He has it! Great day for Bissell Cycling.



Vennell gets 6th and I get 9th. But the rest of the peloton catches up so,
the E2 group doesn't get a gap. Nankervis however got a 30 second gap.

Looks like a fairly harmless stage.



No breakaway. The speed is just incredible. Almost to fast...



Massive pile up. I'm down! I had no where to go but down.
Spectators are all over the road trying to get riders back on their bikes.

It takes me a while but eventually I do get off the pavement.
I come away with a few cuts and bruises, nothing major but I'm still hurting.



But the team has no time to worry about me, Nankervis avoided the crash
and is in a perfect position for back-to-back stage wins.



It's Nankervis Vs. Sam Bennett for the victory in a hectic stage.



Bennett it is. Diego Milán goes around Nankervis to take 2nd as well.



I limp home 5 minutes later. I'm going to be so sore tomorrow.

+1 EXP for my first pro crash.

The next race update will included the last 2 Stages of Dairyland:

EXP - Mountain / Form - Acceleration

I could barely get out of bed this morning, my back is in incredible pain.

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Keep Nankervis in yellow, some how some way.



Big split on the second time up the climb,
Nankervis is the only Bissell not caught out.

So instead of waiting for the race to attack him, he attacks the rivals.



Not the best decision. After a lengthy chase he is brought back.
Eventually these five riders get away and fight it out for the stage and GC.



Patrik Sinkewitz beats out Tomasz Nose. Huge gaps.



Nankervis finishes in 10th, but that's almost 4 minutes behind the leaders.
I licked my wounds today in hopes of feeling better tomorrow.

The last stage. I'm not going to bore you so, just one picture.



It's me in the breakaway. I still feel pretty bad and you can see the cuts on
my elbow and back of my leg but I need to keep pushing myself to get better.

We are eventually caught and a guy named Graham Briggs wins the stage.
Nankervis finishes 8th overall and wins the points competition.
I'm just glad to be out of Wisconsin.