It’s been three years since Greg Van Avermaet won the Grand Prix Cycliste de Montreal and placed third at the Grand Prix Cycliste de Québec, but he’s counting the days down before he can be back in la belle province.
After two years of cancellations due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the only UCI WorldTour races in North America are back. The action gets underway on September 9 with the Grand Prix Cycliste de Québec and its undulating course around downtown Québec city. Two days later, the same pros will battle the legendary climb of Mont Royal. On Wednesday, Canadian Cycling Magazine spoke to the 2016 Olympic Champion.
Win a VIP prize package at the Grands Prix Cyclistes de Québec et de Montréal
In the past three years, a new wave of younger riders has emerged as top contenders in pro cycling. Riders like Mathieu van der Poel, Wout van Aert and Tadej Pogačar have become household names. That means for Van Avermaet, there are new rivals and competitors to look out for in the Canadian races.
“I would say I think the course really fits Wout van Aert. I think it’s the perfect course for him. And it’s the first time he will come to the Canadian races,” the Belgian said. “I think he’s kind of the same rider as me, with a good punch in the end and I think those kinds of finishes that we have there will still do even more. So I think he’s one of the top favorites.”
With riders having just finished the Tour only a month and a half ago, Van Avermaet knows it will be a competitive field. “I think the pack will be really strong and I think a lot of guys do the Tour de France and then they prepare to go to Canada and then to go to the worlds. I think the field will be great. I think it will be a great, great race to watch and of course. I also think guys like Michael Matthews will have a chance to win.”
Although Van Avermaet took the Montreal race, he was surprised. He always figured the punchy climbs of Québec city suited him more. In 2019, he still took third, so when asked which of the two was his favourite courses, he laughed.
“I always thought that I would win easier in Quebec as the parcours suits me more. But I have now won twice in Montreal so it’s always strange for me that I’ve done well there,” he explains. “I thought Montreal was maybe a bit too hard for me but if it comes back as a small group, well it’s a really hard sprint in the end. So we will see how it goes this…
Click Here to Read the Full Original Article at Canadian Cycling Magazine…