Tour de l'Abitibi

The Tour de l'Abitibi is a junior bicycle stage race taking place in the Abitibi-Témiscamingue region of Quebec, Canada. The race was first held in 1969 and had only Canadian teams. It has since become an international competition part of the Junior Nation's Cup (Coupe des Nations Junior) and is currently the only junior-level race in North America sponsored by the Union Cycliste Internationale. A number of renowned cyclists, such as Steve Bauer, Laurent Jalabert, Bobby Julich and Andrew Hampsten, have participated in the Tour before they launched their professional careers.[1][2]

Tour de l'Abitibi
Race details
RegionAbitibi-Témiscamingue, Quebec, Canada
Local name(s)Tour de l'Abitibi (in French)
DisciplineRoad
CompetitionUCI Junior Nations' Cup
TypeStage race
Web sitetourabitibi.com
History
First edition1969 (1969)
Editions51 (as of 2019)
First winner Gérard Rocheleau (CAN)
Most recent Michael Garrison (USA)
Underground stage of the Tour de l'Abitibi

Since 2000, one stage of the Tour de l'Abitibi takes place in an underground mine of Cité de l'Or, some 300 feet (91 m) below ground. Cyclists must ride through the tunnels and up the access ramp (a 17% slope) before they race through the streets of Val-d'Or.[1]

References
  1. Tour de l'Abitibi - A Prestigious International Event Archived 2011-07-06 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2011-01-20
  2. Festivals et Événements Québec - Abitibi-Témiscamingue. Retrieved 2011-01-20


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