Colin Joyce (Axeon Hagens Berman) won a tense sprint finish ahead of Cannondale-Drapac's Alex Howes in Lethbridge to claim the first Tour of Alberta leader's jersey of 2016 as the peloton split on the city circuit. Defending champion Bauke Mollema (Trek-Segafredo) was alert and made the front group, ensuring he is well positioned to claim back-to-back victories.
The city of Lethbridge seems to have a soft spot in its heart for adopted Canadian Axel Merckx, whose development team took the stage win here the last time a stage finished in Lethbridge in 2014. Joyce was a late-comer to the day's winning breakaway, bridging to a large group about halfway though the race with two other riders and then making the split when that group broke up on the penultimate lap of the 12km circuit.
In the finale, Joyce came through the last corner second wheel but then surged to the front just ahead of Howes at the line. he said an earlier bonus sprint at the start/finish provided a good bit of practice.
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"A few laps before I decided to go for the sprint bonus points, and it was pretty similar," Joyce said. "I came through second wheel and was able to take that bonus sprint. Granted, on that bonus sprint the guy in front of me sat up, but it still felt like if you came through that second wheel you had a good shot to stick it to the line. It was good practice I guess for the finish."
Joyce not only earned the yellow jersey for his day's effort, he also won the points jersey and jersey of the best young rider.
"At Tour of Utah I did alright and was able to get into a jersey, s that felt pretty cool," he said. "Now I get three today, so I feel little greedy, but at the same time it's kind of nice."
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