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Adam Yates wins wet Grand Prix Cycliste de Montréal

Victory caps off Brit's fine first season for UAE-Emirates

Photo by: Nick Iwanyshyn
September 10, 2023
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Adam Yates’ excellent 2023 was capped off with Grand Prix Cycliste de Montréal title on Sunday. Following a strong show from his UAE-Emirates team, Yates beat Pavel Sivakov in a two-up sprint at the climax of a wet day in which a single rider led the race for 170 km. After claiming April’s Tour de Romandie trophy, Yates wore the yellow jersey for four days upon winning the opening stage of the Tour de France and finished on his first Grand Tour podium. Michael Woods was the top Canadian in 15th.

Introduction

The Montréal race is a little longer and more climby than the Québec one. The riders had 18 laps of 12.5 km for a total of 221.4 km. Each lap contained the Côte Camilien-Houde climb up Mont Royal, 2.3 km of 6.8 percent. Rain dogged the peloton.

Although none of last season’s top 3 were in Montreal on Sunday, four members of the top 10 were, including Adam Yates.

The Canadian contingent that Israel-Premier Tech sent was Michael Woods, Derek Gee, Hugo Houle and Guillaume Boivin, the hometown boy who was top Canadian last year. Their teammate Daryl Impey was riding the last race of his professional career. Pier-André Coté, the 2022 national road champion, headed up the Canadian national team.

Over the first few laps, Florian Vermeersch was the lone fugitive, taking KOM points along the 170 km he was out in front. Team Canada’s Matisse Julien was between the Belgian and the pack starting on Lap 3.

By the midpoint of the race, Vermeersch was 4:30 ahead of the pack, several bridging moves having sputtered out. There were around 20 sodden DNF’s by this point.

The rain left puddles on the parcours. Image: Nick Iwanyshyn

The Lotto-Dstny optimist retained his advantage with 6 laps remaining. Israel-Premier Tech, Groupama-FDJ and Lidl-Trek were all prominent at the front of field when the rain started again.

Boivin, Coté and Julien were among the 56 who had climb off their machines by Lap 15 when Vermeesch returned to the bunch. Groupama-FDJ pulled up Côte Camilien-Houde, uncoupling Hugo Houle and putting Julian Alaphilippe into difficulty. Friday’s winner Arnaud De Lie attacked on a rise.

The winner in Quebec attacks in Montreal.

Going into Lap 16, De Lie’s lead was 12 seconds. Rafal Majka caught him on Côte Camilien-Houde, fragmenting the peloton in the process. Gee, Alaphilippe and 2018 winner Michael Matthews were momentarily tailed off.

UAE-Emirates kept up the work at the business end of the group going into the penultimate lap. Again the big climb whittled down the group. Brandon McNulty collected the maximum KOM points on top and suddenly he was tied in points with the intrepid Vermeersch. Matthews had obviously recovered well, because he bolted going into the last lap.

The Aussie heard the bell just ahead of the pack. In 500 metres he was dropped out the back as UAE-Emirates went to work again. Adam Yates attacked and Pavel Sivakov came along. The Brit dropped the Ineos man, who’ll be Yates’ UAE-Emirates teammate next season once more. French champion Valentin Madouas chased both.

Sivakov returned with 8 km to go.

Next season’s teammates Yates and Sivakov in the final 7 km.

Sivakov was on the front for the sprint. Yates swung out to the right and hit the gas. His competition had no response. Alex Aranburu, fourth in Québec, rounded out the podium.

12th Grand Prix Cycliste de Montréal
1) Adam Yates (Great Britain/UAE-Emirates) 5:54:02
2) Pavel Sivakov (France/Ineos) +0:02
3) Alex Aranburu (Spain/Movistar) +0:12
15) Michael Woods (Canada/Israel-Premier Tech) +0:55
47) Derek Gee (Canada/Israel-Premier Tech) +9:55