(Montreal) Despite the hasty retirement of local hero Hugo Houle, the Grand Prix Cycliste de Montréal ended in apotheosis with the spectacular victory of Tadej Pogačar, who sprinted ahead of his runner-up and the big favorite Wout van Aert , Sunday afternoon.
Posted at 4:26 p.m.
Updated at 9:22 p.m.
Escaped for a good part of the day, Antoine Duchesne took over from his friend Houle in his very last race, which he finished several minutes late, but with his arms in the air in front of a packed audience. at the foot of an overheated Mount Royal.
Discreet in Quebec two days earlier, Pogačar lived up to his status as the world’s first on his first try on the legendary 1974 Worlds course.
To get there, the two-time Tour de France champion received a valuable helping hand from his UAE teammates – thanks to Davide Formolo – who worked van Aert to the body from mid-race.
The Emirati operation helped isolate the Belgian Jumbo-Visma finisher, who exposed a first crack in his armor on the last of 18 climbs of the Camillien-Houde route.
Perhaps inspired by his new king Charles III, the Briton Adam Yates (Ineos) provoked the final selection by counter-attacking following his teammate Dani Martinez a few hundred meters from the summit.
Pogačar, van Aert, the French David Gaudu (Groupama) and the young Italian Andrea Baggioli (Quick-Step), surprise guest of the quintet, were the only ones able to cling to Yates’ wheel. The unfortunate Romain Bardet (DSM) just missed the shot.
Quickly, it became clear that the victory would be decided between these five runners, in spite of an attempt by Gaudu in the last embankment before turning on the avenue du Mont-Royal.
Leading the way in the final kilometer on Avenue du Parc, van Aert shrewdly veered out into the bowl at the final hairpin, leaving Gaudu to take the initiative. The climber zigzagged as he could, but he was forced to start the 300m sprint.
Pogačar reacted to regain the two or three lengths of the bike conceded, before adding another layer a hundred meters from the line. The 23-year-old Slovenian reminded everyone how great a puncher he is (also), leaving van Aert in the lurch to race to his 14e bouquet of the season. Baggioli, Yates and Gaudu, heads down, followed in order.
“There were only the best runners in the world in this group,” said Pogačar at a press conference in the basement of the Portuguese church Santa Cruz, in the heart of the Plateau.
“There was in particular the green jersey of the Tour [van Aert] who has won practically all his sprints this season. To be able to beat him, and all the runners that were ahead… Yeah, when I crossed the line, I was in disbelief and so happy. It was amazing. »
PHOTO DOMINICK GRAVEL, THE PRESS
Tadej Pogacar
Highlighting the excellent work of his teammates, particularly that of the Norwegian Tobias Foss who again rode in front to control the breakaway, van Aert took his hat off to Pogačar.
“I really had to survive the longest climb. I barely managed to hang on, but it also killed me. In the sprint, Tadej was stronger. […] I was in his wheel, which was my goal, but when I had to pass him, I had nothing left in my legs. I even had to throw the bike to beat Baggioli for second place. »
Duchesne, for the last time
Twelve minutes after this fight at the top, Duchesne completed the last kilometer to the cheers of the crowd and his family who came to encourage him for his swan song. His last five road mates obviously let him ride in front until the end.
Duchesne fell into the arms of his teammate Anthony Roux who, decked out in a kitsch “Quebec” cap, was also bowing out of professional cycling.
The journalists left a big minute for the Quebecer, who was able to absorb the last cheers of the spectators.
“Fortunately there was that crowd because I really didn’t have a great day on the bike,” said Duchesne.
After a flying start, the native Saguenean quickly felt that his legs would not allow him to offer much to Gaudu or Michael Storer towards the end of the 221.4 km event, completed at the average of 36.94 km/h. “Might as well have a little fun” and go ahead…
Accompanied by Leknessund, Nibali, Vermeersch, Delacroix and poor Eddy Finé, victim of a puncture and ejected after a fall, Duchesne held off the peloton mainly led by Jumbo-Visma for some 150 km.
Taken up in the ascent of Polytechnique, the new dad hardly had to pedal, benefiting from the pushes of his colleagues.
“I had big chills all day, told the one who will celebrate his 31e birthday monday. Lots of friends were there. It was heart warming to have everyone near me. Couldn’t be a better ending. Choosing your end and ending up at home like that is great. »
Drained, the jersey smeared with salt, Duchesne even refused the cold beer offered by a friend. However, he could not say no to the invitation of his friend Guillaume Boivin, who brought this “pillar of Canadian cycling” to the podium during the award ceremony to present him with his trophy for best Canadian in the event.
“Me, I think he’s the best Canadian,” Boivin said, taking the microphone.
Frustrated by a mechanical problem in Quebec, Boivin was able to make amends on the Montreal roads, hanging on until the last climb of Camillien-Houde to contribute to the placement of Sep Vanmarcke (15e) and Jakob Fuglsang (28e), whose meager collection of points did not really redeem the disappointment of Israel-Premier Tech on the Canadian classics.
“It was really a difficult race,” commented Boivin a few minutes after the finish, his face still smeared with bitumen residue. “UAE started to put the pressure on with seven, eight laps to go, which is really very early. Already we had done the first two laps super strong before the breakaway left. With the heat, in my opinion, it was the toughest Montreal Grand Prix we have ever had. »
PHOTO JACQUES BOISSINOT, THE CANADIAN PRESS
Guillaume Boivin at the Quebec Cycling Grand Prix, Friday
In his ninth start in the metropolis since the inaugural edition of 2010, Boivin reached the finish at 37e row, two minutes behind the winner.
“It’s not my favorite temperature, but I think everyone suffered all day. There is nothing else to say: I gave everything I could with the legs I had. In races like this, we can only bow to stronger than us. »
He was not surprised to learn that the winner was called Tadej Pogačar. Houle either, he who had made it his favorite with Gaudu to win after his withdrawal at the end of the first round.
Physically strained and mentally drained, he simply had nothing left for the Montreal Grand Prix. He was the first of 69 starters to drop out.
The representative of Israel-Premier Tech explained that he had his neck stuck while waking up during the night from Friday to Saturday, a condition that had worsened on Sunday morning. Massage therapy and osteopathy treatments provided only partial relief.
“I just have no feeling, no energy, he said sorry. Over the next few days, I will do various tests to try to understand why I feel so bad on the bike. I wanted to try, but I quickly realized that there was nothing to do. I just felt weird. Even if I had wanted to push, what would that have given me? One lap, two more laps? I didn’t want to put myself through this pain. »
The stage winner at the Tour de France has promised to recover. “I’m sorry for everyone who moved on, but you can be sure that I will come back stronger next year. I already have it in mind. »