The Grand Prix Cyclistes de Montréal et Québec have been positioned as World Championships preparation races ever since they were added to the calendar in 2010, but this year’s expedition to Canada marks a break with that modern tradition.
The Worlds have already been and gone and so, for one year only, the Canadian races stand alone rather than doubling as a dress rehearsal for rainbow jersey contenders. That quirk of the calendar means that the stardust on the start list is sprinkled a little lighter than in years past, but the field remains a deep one.
“Some people are saying the biggest stars haven’t come this year, but the big riders always come here,” organiser Sebastien Arsenault insisted in Québec on Wednesday. “It’s a who’s who of cycling, and there are important WorldTour points on offer too.”
Indeed, now in their twelfth editions, the Quebecois races have long since earned the right to be considered lofty prizes in their own right. The faces in the queue for the charter flight from Charles De Gaulle airport on Tuesday morning confirmed as much, with Julian Alaphilippe (Soudal-QuickStep), Jai Hindley (Bora-Hansgrohe), Biniam Girmay (Intermarché-Circus-Wanty) and Michael Matthews (Jayco-AlUla) among those making the trek across the Atlantic.
Ahead of Friday and Saturday’s races, Cyclingnews looks at some of the key trends to follow in Canada.
Arnaud De Lie seeks first WorldTour win
Even before the recent ructions over Caleb Ewan’s status, it was already apparent that the future of Lotto-Dstny would be built around Arnaud De Lie, and the Belgian’s recent, lengthy contract extension only underlined the point.
The 21-year-old has impressed early and often over his two years as a professional to date. He hit the ground running with victory at the Trofeo Playa de Palma at the start of last season and he has barely let up since. His rapid finish has carried him to sixteen professional wins, and counting, while he has highlighted his potential on the cobbles with second place on his Omloop Het Nieuwsblad debut in February.
It seems clear that the farmer’s son from Libramont is destined for bigger and better things in the years ahead, and so it feels almost an aberration that he has yet to pick up a victory at WorldTour level. He has had some near misses, including at the Renewi Tour last month, and it is surely only a matter of time before he rectifies…
Click Here to Read the Full Original Article at CyclingNews RSS Feed…