Quentin Cowan (Team Vittel N’side) took victory at the 96th Grand Prix de Vougy on Sunday, becoming the first Canadian to win the race.
Originally from Calgary before moving to Quebec, Cowan has spent the past several years racing in France across club and Continental teams. Now with Team Vittel N’side in 2026, that experience showed in a patient, calculated ride. The national team rider was pleased with the dub, and how he waited for the right moment.
Patience was key
“It was a very offensive race but I played it very patiently,” Cowan said.
Raced over 12 laps of a 12.7 km circuit in warm, sunny conditions, the finale came down to a late selection. Cowan bridged across to the break with three laps to go, where a teammate was already up the road.
“With three laps to go I made my move to bridge across to the breakaway,” he said.
On the final lap, he went again. This time it was on the 500-m climb pitched at 9 per cent—going clear with one other rider. But the move didn’t stick.
“Within the last kilometre we were caught by the chase group behind, but I had enough left in the legs to win the sprint.”
That regrouping brought five riders to the line, where Cowan proved fastest ahead of Seff Van Kerckhove, with Montreal’s Joël Plamondon (Charvieu Chavagneux Isère Cyclisme) rounding out the podium. French Alex Job, after a strong chase, finished fourth. Plamondon, who raced for Toronto Hustle in 2023, has also spent the past few years racing in France.
The result continues a strong run of form. In 2025, Cowan was fifth in the under-23 national TT championships, and rode for the national team at the Grand Prix Cyclistes de Montréal et de Québec. He was also fourth overall at the 2024 road race champs, won by former pro Mike Woods.
“I’ve been feeling great recently, also after finishing eighth at Boucle de l’Artois two days before on a course that didn’t suit me well,” Cowan said. “It was nice to pull off the win.”
Next up for Cowan: the Tour du Charollais, another French Elite National event.
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