Despite the capricious weather, 159 runners from 23 teams were on the starting line on Sunday morning on the 12e Montreal Cycling Grand Prix, won this year by Briton Adam Yates in 5 h 54 min. Canadian Michael Woods finished 15e, while the crowd’s favorite, Quebecer Hugo Houle, was forced to retire. But beyond the competitive aspect, the event reflects the vitality of sport and aims to promote healthy lifestyle habits.
The races in Quebec and Montreal are the only events in America on the World Tour of the International Cycling Union (UCI), the same circuit which notably presents the Tour de France and the Giro d’Italia. The course, which surrounds Mount Royal over 12.3 km, is completed 18 times by the athletes for a total distance of 221.4 km and nearly 5,000 meters of elevation.
Several spectators along the route are themselves cyclists and enjoy seeing professionals on their training track. This is the case of Quentin Gluzman, who trains regularly on the mountain: “I’m used to doing the circuit, but not 18 times, on the other hand”, he jokes.
Another amateur, Raphaël Limbourg, has been attending the race for several years. “It’s a great event,” he says, but he believes that Montrealers do not realize its importance. “My colleagues, I don’t think they know it exists and that it’s this weekend. »
In this regard, Sébastien Arsenault, CEO of the Grands Prix Cyclistes de Québec and Montréal, points out that the event is of “the highest level, the equivalent of the NHL or the NFL”. The Montreal event also enjoys an enviable reputation on the international scene, according to Mr. Arsenault. By its distance and its elevation, “it makes it the most difficult one-day race on the World Tour. The runners said it again this week during interviews.”
Increased difficulty in the rain, like today, but nothing to scare the cyclists. “Yes, it’s more slippery,” admits the CEO, “but they are professionals. I am often more worried about the rest of the vehicle fleet that follows.” It is quite impressive, in fact, to see the service cars driving without difficulty at a hundred kilometers per hour on Boulevard Édouard-Montpetit.
For more than victory
The event also aims to promote the sport among beginners. “The symbol of the bicycle represents physical activity, healthy lifestyle habits [et] sustainable mobility,” says Sébastien Arsenault.
The promotion of physical exercise was designated by many as the objective of a competition of this kind. A goal that takes on special meaning for some, including Quentin Valognes, a former runner for the Novo Nordisk team, made up only of diabetic runners.
“Instead of fighting my diabetes, I learned to fight with it,” says the former athlete. When you start a race, of course the objective is to achieve the best possible result. But besides that, we also have a mission, which is to inspire people on the side of the road. »
Building the “cycling culture”
Met near the route, Jean-François Rheault, CEO of Vélo Québec, explains that “sports competitions in general are a component of building a culture of cycling” and stand out for their accessibility and free access.
“What we see are professional athletes who […] can inspire people to cycle, he adds. The Mount Royal course, I am not a professional, but tomorrow morning, I can go and walk it. When we think for example of ice hockey, we cannot go and play hockey [au] Bell Center. »
Mr. Rheault is delighted with the popularity of the bicycle for the sporting aspect, but also for transport, leisure and tourism. However, he cannot help but criticize safety on the Camillien-Houde route. “It’s really time to do something, the status quo is untenable,” he said. […] We hope that the City will announce its intentions as soon as possible. »