Montreal cyclists will hit the road this Sunday for the first Tour de l’Île at maximum capacity since the start of the pandemic.
The annual event will be held from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., while streets in Plateau-Mont-Royal, Rosemont–La-Petite-Patrie, Outremont, Côte-des-Neiges–Notre-Dame- de-Grâce, Sud-Ouest, Verdun, Ville-Marie and Westmount will be freed up to form a 36-kilometre circuit reserved for bicycles.
The president and CEO of Vélo Québec, Jean-François Rheault, already feels “a great enthusiasm” from the population, he confided in a telephone interview.
The great cycling mass did not take place in 2020 and had to limit the number of participants to 9,000 in 2021. But this year, “we expect more than 15,000 participants” and registrations are still open.
The Tour la Nuit, which took place on Friday evening, attracted “more than 18,000 people”, he rejoiced. “People were really happy to be able to do it as a family, grandparents with grandchildren […] for many people it is a tradition. »
People who want to travel in Montreal between 8:45 a.m. and 4 p.m. Sunday will have every interest in preparing their itinerary accordingly, warned Mr. Rheault. To do this, a map and a list of closed streets are available on the Vélo Québec website. The organization has also partnered with the Waze application to provide real-time information on traffic conditions.
A ticket costs $50 for an adult and $10 for a youth aged 13 to 17. Children 12 and under can participate for free.
Celebrate the bike
“What is really the most interesting for us with the Tour de l’Île is really the families and the children, the smiles, the people who are happy, who are there to celebrate and it’s really a party, it’s It’s really festive, accessible to everyone,” explained Mr. Rheault.
According to him, the Tour de l’Île makes it possible to “experience the city on a human scale in a festive atmosphere to reclaim public space”. Right in the middle of the street and away from the noise of the cars, you can “see the city differently” and appreciate the architecture of the buildings from a whole new point of view.
“All these people in the streets to celebrate cycling, it’s really a unique moment,” he said.
Also, riding a bicycle in the city can be intimidating for many, when “there are always people who don’t feel safe”. So experimenting in a safe course can help build confidence, he said, arguing that “what participants are saying is that after the Around the Island they do more bike “.