Grands Prix Cyclistes de Québec et de Montréal - Pogacar, Van Aert, Sagan, Matthews, Thomas, Van Avermaet, Bardet and Gaudu to join local hero Hugo Houle

MONTRÉAL, Aug. 25, 2022 /CNW Telbec/ - After a two-year pause because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Grands Prix Cyclistes de Québec et de Montréal (GPCQM), the first and still the only races in the Americas on the UCI WorldTour circuit, the élite tier of international professional cycling, are back for the latest chapter in a story that began in 2010.

For their long-awaited return, the Grand Prix Cycliste de Québec (September 9) and Grand Prix Cycliste de Montréal (September 11) will feature one of the most exciting pelotons ever to compete in Québec with, among others, four of the top six General Classification finishers from this year's Tour de France. The 18 UCI WorldTeams, plus two wild-card ProTeams (Team Arkéa-Samsic and TotalEnergies) along with Team Canada, have selected first-rate squads, all well suited to tackle the 201.6 km (16 laps of 12.6 km) Québec City course, with its famous Côte de La Montagne climb, and the 221.4 km (18 laps of 12.3 km) Montréal route, which includes the demanding stretch up Voie Camilien-Houde.

 The 147 riders lining up for the start will include the following big names:

• Tadej Pogacar (Slovenia) (UAE Team Emirates), winner of the Tour de France in both 2020 and 2021 and runner-up in 2022, and winner of Liège-Bastogne-Liège and Tour of Lombardy in 2021 as well as the Strade Bianche and Tirreno-Adriatico in 2022.
  
  
• Wout Van Aert (Belgium) (Jumbo–Visma), the Green Jersey winner (points classification) at the 2022 Tour de France, winner of 9 Tour de France stages, and winner of Milan-San Remo in 2020, the Amstel Gold Race in 2021 and Het Nieuwsblad in 2022.
  
  
• Peter Sagan (Slovakia) (TotalEnergies), three-time UCI Road World Champion and winner of the Grand Prix Cycliste de Montréal in 2013 and the Grand Prix Cycliste de Québec in both 2016 and 2017, as well as the 2018 Paris-Roubaix and 2016 Tour of Flanders.
  
  
• Greg Van Avermaet (Belgium) (AG2R Citroën Team), Gold Medalist in the men's individual road race at the 2016 Summer Olympics, winner of the 2019 Grand Prix Cycliste de Montréal and twice a podium finisher, who has also reached the podium in Québec City 6 times in 8 attempts.
  
  
• Michael Matthews (Australia) (Team BikeExchange–Jayco), winner of the Grand Prix Cycliste de Québec in 2018 and 2019, the Grand Prix Cycliste de Montréal in 2019, and a stage winner at the 2022 Tour de France.
  
  
• Geraint Thomas (Great Britain) (Ineos Grenadiers), third in the 2022 Tour de France, runner-up in 2019, and the winner in 2018, and a member of Great Britain's Gold Medal–winning team pursuit squad at both the 2008 and 2012 Olympics.
  
  
• Romain Bardet (France) (Team DSM), 6th in the 2022 Tour de France, runner-up in 2016, and 3rd in 2017.
  
  
• David Gaudu (France) (Groupama–FDJ), 4th in the 2022 Tour de France.

Riders of the calibre of Alberto Rui Costa (UAE Team Emirates), the 2013 World Champion and winner of the 2011 Grand Prix Cycliste de Montréal, Diego Ulissi (UAE Team Emirates), who won in Montréal in 2017, Tim Wellens (Lotto Soudal), winner of the 2015 Grand Prix Cycliste de Montréal, Binyam Girmay (Intermarché–Wanty–Gobert Matériaux), the first African to win a UCI WorldTour Classic race (Gent–Wevelgem 2022), Guillaume Martin (Cofidis), Magnus Cort Nielsen (EF Education–EasyPost), who featured prominently in this year's Tour de France, Christophe Laporte (Jumbo–Visma), a 2022 Tour de France stage winner, Warren Barguil (Team Arkéa–Samsic) and many others will round out the peloton, who'll be eagerly awaited on home turf by Hugo Houle (Israel–Premier Tech), the first Quebecer to win a stage at the Tour de France, Guillaume Boivin (Israel–Premier Tech) and Antoine Duchesne (Groupama–FDJ), along with an entire contingent of Canadian riders competing.

"We are especially pleased and proud to see the world's élite riders return to Québec City and Montréal," said Sébastien Arsenault, President and CEO, GPCQM. "We've worked hard over the past two years, which have been particularly challenging, to make sure that the story would continue. Thanks to our teams and the confidence of our public- and private-sector partners, we've ensured that our races will go on. We are deeply touched by the WorldTeams' enthusiasm to return to our shores, the quality of the riders who'll be crossing the Atlantic to compete in the only races in the Americas on the UCI WorldTour calendar, and the show of support from the global cycling community as well as the fans during these two years. I'm convinced that the 2022 races will be remembered for a long time to come."

ABOUT THE GPCQM

The Grands Prix Cyclistes de Québec et de Montréal (GPCQM), the only UCI WorldTour events held in the Americas, contribute significantly to the achievement of one of the International Cycling Union's (UCI) priority objectives: the globalization of the WorldTour circuit. These events join those already certified in Europe, Asia and Oceania. Since 2010, the organizers have been responsible for the planning and staging of the GPCQM and rely on the indispensable support of public and private partners: the Government of Canada, the Government of Québec, the City of Québec, the City of Montréal, the National Battlefields Commission, the Québec City Tourism Office, Tourisme Montréal, Québecor and TVA Sports as the official broadcaster of the races.

SOURCE Événements GPCQM

Véronique Lavoie, Head, Press Relations, 514 554-2161, [email protected]