05.07.11 - CLARA HUGHES FIGHTS CRAMPS AND PAIN TO TRIUMPH IN THE ROAD RACE AT THE 2011 UCI PAN-AMERICAN CHAMPIONSHIPS

Stellar day for Canada with five women in Top 10 in Medellin, Colombia

(Medellin, COL – May 8, 2011) Canadian cyclist Clara Hughes of Glen Sutton, QC is having a brilliant start on the bike as she continues her return to cycling, winning her second gold medal, on Sunday, at the 2011 UCI Pan-American Championships in Medellin, Colombia, a prestigious annual event for the nations of the Americas.

In the mass-start road race, Hughes completed the 96-km course in 2:23:52, with an impressive 1:18 lead over silver medallist Evelyn Garcia Marroquín of El Savador and 6:53 over the chase group ending in a sprint, won by American Theresa Cliff-Ryan.

Canada’s Joëlle Numainville of Montréal, QC took the fourth place, trailing 6:53 behind Hughes winning time. Denise Ramsden of Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, placed sixth followed by Heather Logan-Sprenger of Madoc, ON in eighth and Leah Kirchmann of Winnipeg, MB in tenth position, all with the same time deficit.

Hughes gold medal performances in the road race and the time trials will guarantee her participation as the Continental Champion in both events at the 2011 UCI Road World Championships in Copenhagen, Denmark, this upcoming September.

“It was an epic day... We had a plan as a team to win the road race today and I am so proud of this victory for Canada,” said Clara Hughes, who won her third straight race since returning to road racing.

“It was hot, hilly and gruelling, and I was cramping up really badly halfway through the race. I ate and drank as much as I could to make the cramps go away and kept thinking 'you can't lose this race for the team!'. It gave me a lot of strength and motivation knowing my teammates were working hard behind. It was a team victory and I'm satisfied but exhausted. I've never cramped up in a race and had to go through that kind of pain,” added Hughes.

Vincent Jourdain, Head coach of the Canadian Road Cycling Team, is elated by the team’s performance. “The girls followed the game plan to the perfection today. The strategy was to put pressure immediately and isolate the Americans. Clara quickly broke away from the peloton with a girl from El Savador, and gave an incredible effort throughout the race in front,” said Jourdain from Colombia. “We reached our objective here, securing two additional spot for the World Championships.

OFFICIAL RESULTS – ROAD RACE – WOMEN – 96 KM

1. HUGHES, Clara (CAN) 2:23:52

2. GARCIA MARROQUÍN, Evelyn (ESA) +1:18

3. CLIFF-RYAN, Theresa (USA) +6:53

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4. NUMAINVILLE, Joelle (CAN) +6:53

6. RAMSDEN, Denise (CAN) +6:53

8. LOGAN-SPRENGER, Heather (CAN) +6:53

10. KIRCHMANN, Leah (CAN) +6:53

25. CANUEL, Karol-Ann (CAN) + 7:03

Official Results: http://www.ciclismodecolombia.com/