BEN PERRY WINS KOM TITLE AT GPC MONTREAL | Cycling Canada Cyclisme

BEN PERRY WINS KOM TITLE AT GPC MONTREAL

(Ottawa, September 11, 2016)– Team Canada’s Ben Perry of St Catharines, Ontario, won the King of Mountain competition at Sunday’s WorldTour race in Montreal.  Perry and Matteo Dal-Cin of Ottawa were in a breakaway that spent nearly 200 kilometres at the front of the race.  Ryder Hesjedal (Trek Segafredo) was the top Canadian finisher, in 19th place.  Olympic champion Greg van Avermaet (BMC) of Belgium won the 205.7 kilometre race by outsprinting world champion Peter Sagan (Tinkoff) of Slovakia.
Perry and Dal-Cin were members of a six rider breakaway that formed in the first few kilometres of the Grand Prix Cycliste de Montreal.  Perry went for KoM points over the top of the course climb on each designated lap to lock up the title.  The break was finally caught with two laps remaining in the 17 lap event.
“It was a really long time off the front,” agreed Perry.  “A guy from Bora-Argon 18 went and I followed him, and then Matteo caught us and eventually there were six of us.  Kevin [Field] our director thought it was more realistic for us to play our cards in the long shot odds of a breakaway, and also go for the KoM.  I was the first one to get a [KoM] point, after that Matteo rode like an absolute tank the whole day, keeping me safe, and he’s the reason we probably stayed away a lap longer than we would have otherwise, so it’s due to him that I made it. I haven’t done many races over 200K in my life and we were away for all but about 20 kilometres of the race.  I’m happy that I proved I could do it and stay out so long on such a hilly race, for me that means a lot.”