Slovenian Tadej Pogačar was crowned the overall winner of the Montreal Cycling Grand Prix on Sunday after 5 hours, 28 minutes and 15 seconds of racing in which his team, UAE Team Emirates, led the entire way. In front of a crowd on Mount Royal, Pogačar crossed the finish line with a smile on his face, sunglasses firmly in place on his face and arms in the air.
“There were people all over the circuit, especially on the climbs, it was crazy,” said the winner after the race. “Montrealers are warm and welcoming, everyone asks me for pictures,” he added. He finished the last two loops of the circuit alone in front of the peloton, and unsurprisingly crossed the finish line first.
Asked about his chances of winning the World Championships in two weeks, the athlete was confident. “There’s always a chance I’ll win. But it’s still the World Championships, you never know.”
Spaniard Pello Bilbao followed him and finished second in the competition. Frenchman Julian Alaphilippe narrowly made it to the third step of the podium. “I couldn’t have done better than third today, I’m satisfied,” he admitted after the race.
The metropolis of cycling
“Montreal is a cycling city!” exclaimed Mayor Valérie Plante at the start of the day . For one day, Parc Avenue and Mount Royal were transformed into a race track for the 168 riders registered for the event. Under a cloudless blue sky, the 24 teams went up and down the mountain 17 times in front of the astonished gaze of Montrealers from all four corners of the city.
With creative signs, bells and whistles, spectators lined the course to cheer on the athletes. The energy on this sunny and warm day was palpable from the opening of the fan village until the end of the day.
“It’s essential to the nature of the event that it remains free for those who want to come and cheer. It’s like the Tour de France, we couldn’t do that in an empty stadium,” says Sébastien Arsenault, the event’s director. “We paid special attention to the course this year, to make it as accessible as possible for as many people as possible,” he reports.
Although the sports fanatics would have turned out rain or shine, according to the organizers, Sunday’s sunshine allowed many novice spectators to attend the race, which has been held since 2010, for the first time. In record numbers, according to volunteers on site, the spectators cheered on the fastest and slowest cyclists.
Sitting on a large blanket with a few sandwiches, Justine Beland, accompanied by her family, did not know the terms of the Montreal competition before attending it for the first time on Sunday. “We decided to come because the weather was nice, we found a nice spot to learn more about the sport,” she said, while her 4-year-old daughter rode nearby on her balance bike.
Yves Durand came by Bixi to see the festivities linked to the competition with his girlfriend. “It’s not very far from my house, especially when you take the bike paths.” He wasn’t the only one who thought of borrowing a Bixi to come and cheer on the athletes, because the terminals near the event were packed.
50 years of cycling history
This year also marks the 50th anniversary of the World Cycling Championships held in Montreal, an event that will be held again in the city in 2026. The event will require a mobilization of resources like no other, according to Antoine Duchesne, organizer and former professional cyclist. In all, more than 1,000 athletes are expected between September 20 and 27, 2026. “We have a lot on our plate,” said Mr. Duchesne.
To mark the 50th anniversary, the winner of the 1974 event, Geneviève Gambillon, spoke to the crowd. “I am honoured to be back in Montreal for this occasion, and to be able to truly enjoy Mount Royal.”
The Grand Prix Cycliste de Montréal is historically held a few days before the Grand Prix Cycliste de Québec. Even though the 4,800-meter elevation gain makes it a very different race from the one in the capital, many athletes decide to participate in both competitions. These are part of the UCI World Tour as the only two events taking place in America.
Former cyclist Antoine Duchesne is already looking forward to 2026. “It’s a special atmosphere, Montreal and Quebec, we’re very lucky. The World Championships are going to be great!”
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