Cycling News

All the Canadians at the GP Cyclistes de Québec et de Montréal

2023 Grand Prix Cycliste de Québec

Lots of big names are coming to the Grands Prix Cyclistes de Québec et de Montréal–including a whole slew of Canadians.

On Sept. 13 and 15, the Grands Prix Cyclistes de Québec et de Montréal will feature an exceptional lineup of riders, including Tour de France stars such as Tadej Pogačar, Biniam Girmay, and Romain Bardet.

Strong field for 2024

This year’s events are set to have their strongest field ever, with 24 teams and 168 riders from around the world, including all 18 UCI WorldTeams and 5 invited ProTeams: Israel – Premier Tech, Lotto Dstny, Uno-X Mobility, Tudor Pro Cycling Team, Team Novo Nordisk, as well as the Canadian national team.

Tadej Pogacar: ‘Can’t wait for Canadian races!’

In terms of Canadians, we will get to see several pros racing at home. The Tour de l’Avenir prologue winner Michael Leonard, who rides for Ineos – Grenadiers, will be there. From Israel – Premier Tech, Tour de France hero Derek Gee will be racing, as well as national champion Michael Woods, Hugo Houle, and Guillaume Boivin.

National champ excited to race

Woods was a last-minute addition to the events. He abandoned the Vuelta a España, citing fatigue and that he wanted to rest up for the rest of the season. Many hoped that he was referring in part to the Grands Prix–and that was confirmed Tuesday when the national champion announced his participation.

“I’m really excited to be racing in Montréal, particularly in the Canadian jersey. It’s a dream to race Montréal with the national champ’s jersey,” he said. “It’s a race I first became aware of when I got into cycling and it’s almost a home race for me because Ottawa is so close. I have friends who ride to the race from Ottawa every year so it’s such a special race for me. To have that jersey in that race is going to be super cool.”

The Canadian national team is also fielding a squad. The Canucks riding for the national team are James Piccoli, Quentin Cowan, Jérôme Gauthier, Jonas Walton, Léonard Peloquin, Félix Bouchard, and Félix Hamel.

The Grand Prix Cycliste de Québec takes place on Friday, and the Grand Prix Cycliste de Montréal on Sunday.

You can follow the races on Canadian Cycling Magazine’s Instagram and X and check our site for a full report after both races.

Click Here to Read the Full Original Article at Canadian Cycling Magazine…