Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates), Tom Pidcock (Ineos Grenadiers) and Biniam Girmay (Intermarché-Wanty) are among the headline riders targeting victory at the Grands Prix Cyclistes de Québec and Montréal on September 13 and 15.
Alongside the Slovenian, other former winners at the WorldTour one-day Canadian races Arnaud De Lie (Lotto Dstny), Benoît Cosnefroy (Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale) and Michael Matthews (Jayco AlUla) were also announced as starters.
With the Road World Championships back in its usual late September slot on the calendar, the races in Québec City and Montréal will serve as the perfect final tune-up race and one of the last chances for riders to test themselves against elite competition before heading to Zürich.
Top North American talent will also be on show through the USA’s Matteo Jorgenson (Visma-Lease a Bike), and many of Canada’s best riders: Derek Gee, Hugo Houle, Guillaume Boivin (Israel-Premier Tech) and 20-year-old Michael Leonard (Ineos Grenadiers).
“Since the creation of the Grands Prix Cyclistes de Québec et de Montréal, we have worked tirelessly to establish races that stand out on the world stage for their high standards, professionalism, and the warm welcome from the Québec public,” said Joseph Limare, GPCQM General Manager.
“Every year, we have the privilege of welcoming the biggest names in cycling. This year, the presence of riders like Tadej Pogačar and Biniam Girmay is clear proof of that. The quality of this year’s field is a recognition of our constant commitment to offer exceptional events, with a large enthusiastic audience.”
Pogačar took victory in Montréal in 2022 and racing in Québec on September 13 will be his first appearance since dominating the Tour de France to complete an historic Giro-Tour double, the first since 1998. It will only be his fourth one-day race of the season but he’s podiumed all three so far, including two stunning solo wins at Strade Bianche and Liège-Bastogne-Liège.
If he leaves Canada in top shape, Pogačar will have his eyes on cycling’s elusive Triple Crown, consisting of wins at the Tour, Giro and World Championships, a feat only achieved twice in men’s racing by Stephen Roche in 1987, and Eddy Merckx, who coincidentally completed it with victory at worlds in Canada in 1974.
2024 marks the 50th anniversary of the 1974 Cycling World Championships in Montréal, where Merckx took victory ahead of Raymond Poulidor, the first to be held outside Europe, with the battle for the rainbow bands set to return to Canada’s second-biggest city in 2026.
“As we move towards the 2026 UCI Road World Championships, in Montréal, our ambition is to continue to elevate these races to new heights, to the delight of cycling fans around the world,” concluded Limare.
Other big names confirmed by the organisers included Simon Yates (Jayco AlUla), Alberto Bettiol (Astana Qazaqstan) and a whole host of French stars, Julian Alaphilippe (Soudal-QuickStep), Valentin Madouas (Groupama-FDJ), Kévin Vauquelin (Arkéa-B&B Hotels) and Romain Bardet (DSM-Firmenich PostNL).
It will be the 13th edition of both races since they were brought to the WorldTour calendar in 2010.
