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The Grand Prix Cycliste de Montr\u00e9al arrives with an extra layer of intrigue this year. The world Championships are just around the corner, so Sunday\u2019s race will give several of the favourites a chance to test themselves on roads that will feature prominently in the Worlds.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s a brutal way to spend a Sunday, however. Unless you\u2019re watching, which btw, Canadian Cycling Magazine<\/em> is. We are on the scene, say hi!<\/p>\n The 215.3-km race is built around repeated laps of Montreal. And, as always, the C\u00f4te Camillien-Houde is the main event. The 1.8-km ascent averages eight per cent and has been a favourite launching pad in recent editions. The C\u00f4te de Polytechnique and Pagnuelo can create some launching pads, but it\u2019s Camillien-Houde that will tenderize the gams as the race goes on. Although there was definitely an attrition factor at the Grand Prix Cycliste de Qu\u00e9bec, it\u2019s even more so in Montreal.<\/p>\n The final 600 m rise at roughly four per cent, meaning the winner will either come from a small select group, or solo. Last year, it was the UAE duo of Tadej Poga\u010dar and Brandon McNulty that came to the line, with Pogi gifting it to the American. Since the current (but not for much longer!) world champion isn\u2019t racing in Montreal (although he will be coming to the worlds to support his pals<\/a>), it\u2019s wide open.<\/p>\n But it\u2019s double Olympic champ Remco Evenepoel who heads into the race as an obvious favourite. He took a fine win at the Grand Prix Cycliste de Qu\u00e9bec on Friday. But there are others like Isaac Del Toro, Paul Seixas, and Tom Pidcock to factor in. And, of course, Osgoode, Ont.\u2019s Derek Gee-West. He seemed to be working for his Lidl-Trek teammate Quinn Simmons in Quebec, but given the Canuck\u2019s climbing prowess, it might be reversed. Former Tour de France stage winner Michael Woods will be leading the national team, and you can expect he will want to test his legs up the climb. Even though he\u2019s been sort of retired, he still has some proper fitness, even if he hasn\u2019t raced on the road much. It will be interesting to see how he fares ahead of the road worlds.<\/p>\nThe 2026 Grand Prix Cycliste de Montr\u00e9al route<\/h2>\n
The finale<\/h2>\n
The favourites<\/h2>\n