Tour of Alberta (2015) Photos September 2 - 7

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Rain forced teams to warm up on trainers; Giant - Alpecin getting ready to finish 5th + 25	Ryder Hesjedal	The leader jerseys for this race
1st Trek Factory won the 19.6 km in 22:57	Trek Factory factory on their way to victory	3rd Team Katusha + 8s
The final 5 riders for TREK Racing with 1k to go led be Matthew Busche	5th Giant - Alpecin + 25s	10th Optum p/b Kelly Benefit Strategies + 44s with Canadian RR Champion Guillaume Boivin at the front
Katusha again, with Sergei Chernetski leading their final 5 riders to 3rd + 8s	7th Cannondale - Garmin + 30s	4th Bora Argon 18 + 23s
2nd Orica GreenEdge lost by a split second	Good practice for the upcoming World Championships for Hincapie Racing	Bora Argon 18 again with Jan Barta at the front
Michael Matthews at the front the front for Orica GreenEdge	Your first race leader, Bauke MOLLEMA (Trek)	Stage 1 TTT winners, Trek Factory Racing

Stage 2:  County of Grande Prairie, 172 km  Full Results and Report

Pensive before a cold, wet day of racing around Grande Prairie	Getting out the foul-weather gear	RCMP (Royal Canadian Mounted Police) during the Stage 2 start ceremony in Grande Prairie before the first road stage
Stage 2 rollout	Early break of four riders consisting of Cesare Benedetti (Bora-Argon 18), Phil O’Donnell (Axeon Pro Cycling), Benjamin Perry (Silber Pro Cycling) and Thomas Vaubourzeix (Lupus Racing)	The first Canadian style pave' the riders will see this week
The break early on	These sunflowers didn't like today's cold temperatures either	Trek Factory at the front of the chase all day
	International feed zone at Beaver Lodge
Cesare Bendetti (BORA Argon 18) leading the break	Bundled and bumpy for the break	Chase
	Almost caught	One last gasp
Sprint finish in full flight back in Grande Prairie	After a great Orica GreenEDGE lead out, Michael MATTHEWS holds off Nikias ARNDT (GIANT - ALPECIN) and Aleksei TCATEVICH (KATUSHA) to win Stage 2	Too close for a victory salute
The photo finish	Denied on Stage 1 by a split second, Orica GreenEdge finally gets to celebrate as a team	Aussie and race leader, Michael MATTHEWS is a long way from home
Michael MATTHEWS looks good in his new stetson	Your Stage 2 podium: 2nd Nikias ARNDT (GIANT - ALPECIN), 1st Michael MATTHEWS and 3rd Aleksei TCATEVICH (KATUSHA)

Stage 3:  Grande Cache → Jasper National Park, 182 km  Full Results and Report

The chilly Stage 3 start from Grande Cache
	Jasper National Park uphill finish
Tom Jelte SLAGTER (TEAM CANNONDALE - GARMIN) wins the Stage 3 uphill finish in Jasper National Park ahead of 2nd Bauke MOLLEMA (TREK FACTORY RACING) s.t. and 3rd Adma YATES (ORICA GreenEDGE) + 4s	Cannondale-Garmin celebrate a beautiful win in difficult conditions	Back in the race lead, Bauke MOLLEMA (TREK FACTORY RACING) now leading by 6s
Stage 3 podium: 2nd Bauke MOLLEMA (TREK FACTORY RACING) s.t., 1st Tom Jelte SLAGTER (TEAM CANNONDALE - GARMIN) and 3rd Adma YATES (ORICA GreenEDGE) + 4s

Stage 4:  Jasper → Marmot Basin Ski Area, 162 km  Full Results and Report

Stage 4 start scene in Jasper
	Trek Factory leading the chase	Scott Thwaites (Bora-Argon 18) leading the early breakaway of three riders which also included Logan Owen (Axeon) and Thomas Vaubourzeix (Lupus Racing)
The break viewed from the woods
	Spectacular National Park scenery from Northern Alberta
	Logan Owen (Axeon) was the last break survivor
US National Champ, Matthew BUSCHE leading the chase for Trek Factory	Tom Jelte SLAGTER (TEAM CANNONDALE - GARMIN) wins an uphill finish at Tour of Alberta for the second day in a row and moves up to 3rd overall	In fact, same top 3 as yesterday too. Tom Jelte SLAGTER (TEAM CANNONDALE - GARMIN) 4:09:26, 2nd Bauke MOLLEMA (TREK FACTORY RACING) + 4s and 3rd Adam YATES (ORICA GreenEDGE) + 4s. Bauke MOLLEMA retains the race lead.
	SLAGTER checks his margin of victory over...	Race leader, Bauke MOLLEMA (TREK FACTORY RACING) leads Yates by 6s and Slagter by 22s
19th Nathan BROWN (TEAM CANNONDALE - GARMIN) + 1:09	24th Ryder HESJEDAL (TEAM CANNONDALE - GARMIN) + 1:28	Grupetto
Déjà vu. Your stage 4 podium is the same as stage 3: 2nd Bauke MOLLEMA (TREK FACTORY RACING) , 1st Tom Jelte SLAGTER (TEAM CANNONDALE - GARMIN) and 3rd Adma YATES (ORICA GreenEDGE)

Stage 5:  Edson → Spruce Grove, 206 km  Full Results and Report

		Michael Matthews and Ryder Hesjedal at the Stage 4 start in Edson
Lots of dirt sections along the Stage 5 route something between Paris-Roubaix and Strade Bianche
	Hincapie Racing's Toms SKUJINS expression tells you what he thinks of the cold, wet conditions
		A moto slipped and slide before crashing on the wet, dirt road
		The break at the front of Alberta's version of Strade Bianche
Katusha	Solo attack by Lasse Norman HANSEN (CANNONDALE - GARMIN) from 20 km out
Epic conditions but Alberta's version of Strade Bianche was led astray.
	Lasse Norman HANSEN (CANNONDALE - GARMIN)
Lasse Norman HANSEN (CANNONDALE - GARMIN) still at the front and one of only several riders not to be taken off course during the run into Spruce Grove	Laurent Didier (Trek Factory Racing) thinks he may have won when the extra circuit was cancelled in Spruce Grove	After being told the GC was neutralized due to the course confusion, the peloton slowly rolls across the line after a long, tough day
Lasse Norman HANSEN (CANNONDALE - GARMIN) wins Stage 5	Your Stage 5 podium

Stage 6:  Edmonton, 124 km  Full Results and Report

		Final day relaxed emotions
It was announced by their team director that today was the last race for Team SmartStop		Swan song duet: It was the final day of racing for Ted King and Fast Freddie
	Stage 6 rollout for circuits around Edmonton
Starting the final lap with Orica GreenEdge's hard man Svein Tuft at the front	Sprint finish in full flight	Nikias Arndt (Ger/Team Giant-Alpecin) wins ahead of 2nd Michael Matthews (Aus/Orica GreenEdge) and 3rd Dion Smith (NZl/Hincapie)
After missing out on a close finish to Matthews earlier in the week, Arndt strikes back on the final day		Another tough of racing at Tour of Alberta
Your 2015 overall winner, Bauke Mollema (Ned/Trek Factory Racing)	Your Stage 6 podium: 2nd Michael Matthews (Aus/Orica GreenEdge), 1st Nikias Arndt (Ger/Team Giant-Alpecin) and 3rd Dion Smith (NZl/Hincapie)	The jersey winners