On Saturday, the day before the elite riders were to roll out for the time trial world championship, they got to ride the twisty course in Montreal.
“It’s very Montreal, you know?” said Olivia Baril well after the route reconnaissance. While she’s from Rouyn-Noranda, Que., she knows Montreal well, having studied in that city for four years. (She used to have the KOM on Camillien-Houle and might try to regain it after worlds.) “The first 6 km are a bit bumpy, super technical. Then we have some really long straights, where the power can really be put down and where the differences are going to be made.” Baril particularly like the section on the multi-use bridge along the Champlain Bridge and on to the Gilles Villeneuve F1 circuit.
“I think it’s pretty crazy of a time trial to me,” said Nadia Gontova from Richmond, B.C. “It’s quite technical and bumpy. There’s really quite a lot happening—so many turns to remember.” Gontova also noted that the race, at 39.2 km, is one of the longer TTs that the elite women will face. As for keeping track of all the turns, the riders will have radios for the TTs, so their sport directors can prompt them for upcoming turns.
On Wednesday, Gontova was fifth at the Chrono Féminin de Gatineau. Marlen Reusser, the defending TT world champion, was first. Gontava admits the Reusser does seem to be on another level. Still, Canadian knows she can make some improvements for tomorrow’s race.
Reusser will be the final elite woman to roll out of the start gate. Demi Vollering and Zoe Backstedt will precede her. Baril will be the 19th rider to start, while Gontova will be 36th.
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Oakville, Ont.’s Michael Leonard compared Montreal’s course with that of last year’s world championship TT route in Kigali, Rwanda. “Last year, there was 700 or 800 m of climbing. So there was a broad type of rider who could have a good result. This year, it’s flatter. You have a lot of corners, but you also have more power sections on the flat. It’s for a time trial specialist.”
“The fact that there’s a lot of twists and turns could change who is going to excel,” Nickolas Zukowsky said. Until recently, he wasn’t slated to race in the TT. But, during the Grand Prix Cycliste de Montréal this past Sunday, Derek Gee-West was caught up in a crash and hurt his ribs, forcing him to skip the TT and mixed relay event that he had been scheduled to compete in.
“The course could benefit some riders for sure,” Zukowsky, who was born in Montreal, said. “I think the top two and three riders are, you know, they’re the best in the world. They’ve been on the podium nearly every year: Remco [Evenepoel and Filippo] Ganna. I think these guys will be up there, there’s no doubt. But I’m thinking maybe from position five to 10 or 14, some guys who might take a bit more risks could have a good day.”
Zukowsky went on to mention that while TT bikes are often harder to pilot than standard road bikes, the TT specialists will be ready for the twists and turns of Montreal.
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