A stage win Friday at the Tour de Beauce made the week for Durango’s Griffin Easter, a former national champion road cyclist for Fort Lewis College.
Easter, who now rides for the 303 Project team, won the Stage 3B of the Canadian event. He conquered a climbing stage of 48½ miles in 1 hour, 33 minutes, 15 seconds, as he won a sprint to the line against Jonathan Brown of the Hagens Berman Axeon team.
“From the minute the neutral flag dropped, the pace was on,” Easter said. “Strung out, cross winds, single file. I was rolling into a number of moves, but with the sprint time bonuses it was getting welded back together.
“Eventually, after the last intermediate sprint point, I was able to get off the front with (Brown). I looked back and saw the field across the road, and from then on we started rolling. It was a complete collaboration between both of us; had to be in order to stay away.”
The pair gained a gap of two minutes with 12 miles to go, but that shrunk to 10 seconds with a less than one mile remaining. Still, they stayed six seconds ahead of a large chase group, with Brown’s teammate Rui Olivera rolling in third.
“The last kilometer was a wall,” Easter said. “Maximum grades of 15 percent. We were maybe halfway up when I looked back and the peloton was making the turn onto the finish. At that point, I kicked up the pace and Brown got onto my wheel. After a bit, he kicked again and I jumped onto his wheel.”
Easter took the front with 300 yards to go, but Brown once again jumped in front of him and got a small gap.
“With 50 meters to go, I thought I was done,” Easter said, “but a tiny voice whispered ‘keep going.’ I kicked one last time and took it by maybe half a bike length. Unbelievably hard but totally rewarding.”
The stage win moved Easter up to 12th in the general classification going into the weekend. He faded a bit to 28th when the race was over after the fifth stage Sunday, as he finished 13:10 back of Canada’s James Piccoli, who won 11 seconds ahead of Daniel Whitehouse of Interpro-Stradalli Cycling. Serghei Tvetcov of UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling was third, 27 seconds back.
Jelly Belly Cycling’s Keegan Swirbul, the 2015 Iron Horse Bicycle Classic champ and 2018 runner-up, finished eighth in the GC, 2:17 back.
The upstart 303 Project team is making itself known on the continental tour. Easter’s older brother, Cullen, rode strong this year at the Tour of the Gila, and the team has consistently had riders show elite form. Durango’s Rolando Gonzalez also rides for the team. Cullen was 48th in the GC at Tour de Beauce. Bernat Font Mas of Spain was the team’s top rider in the GC, as he finished 18th, 6:27 back of Piccoli.
“The opportunities I have had with the 303 Project this year, I am hugely grateful for,” Easter said. “The staff works so hard to keep us ready and relaxed, and all the guys on the team are incredible teammates. So happy to be a part of this squad.”
USA Cycling Professional Road National Championships will begin Friday in Knoxville, Tennessee.
jlivingston@durangoherald.com
