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Benoît Cosnefroy shocks the favourites as Grand Prix de Québec returns

Double winner Matthews and Girmay round out the podium

September 9, 2022
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After a two-year absence due to COVID-19 travel restrictions, the Grand Prix Cycliste de Québec, the first of two Canadian one-day WorldTour races in three days, ran its 11th edition on Friday, with Benoît Cosnefroy (France/AG2R-Citroën) the surprise solo winner after a perfect move inside the final 2 km. It was his second one-day WorldTour victory. He is the second Frenchman to win the race after the inaugural champion Thomas Voeckler in 2010. Guillaume Boivin was top Canadian.

The Course

Riders faced 16 laps of a 12.6-km route, each containing Côte des Glacis, where the KOM sprint point sat; the steep, 300-metre Côte de la Montagne; and the slightly longer, but milder Côte de la Potasse in the latter half before a kilmometre of 4 percent ascent to the line.

Two previous winners were in Québec: Michael Matthews (2018, 2019) and Peter Sagan (2016, 2017).

Hugo Houle, Guillaume Boivin and Antoine Duchesne were the Canadian WorldTour riders, and national champion Pier-André Coté, Nicolas Coté, Thomas Schellenberg, Matteo Dal-Cin, Carson Miles, Quentin Cowan and Nicolas Rivard made up Team Canada.

Houle, Boivin and Israel-Premier Tech ready to roll.

Schellenberg and Rivard were the first Canadians in an attack, but it was Carson Miles who chose the right move to join. Miles bolted with 2021 Giro d’Italia runner-up Damiano Caruso and three others. Miles started to vacuum up the KOM points atop Côte des Glacis, but he kept in mind that there were much more points offered at the crests in the final four laps. The Miles-Caruso Quintet had a 4:00 gap with six laps to go.

Carson Miles was intent on grabbing the KOM points.

Van Aert’s Jumbo-Visma, Matthews’ BikeExchange-Jayco and Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert controlled the business end of the peloton. Miles fell off the pace with 67 km to race and Caruso was left with Lotto-Soudal, Quick Step and Cofidis companions.

Movistar and Jumbo-Visma’s pursuit pace ejected Geraint Thomas, Miles and Hugo Houle. With 52 km remaining the Caruso foursome held 2:00.

When the gap hit the minute mark, Quinn Simmons attacked from the peloton, drawing four others. This news seemed to spur on the front quartet.

Riders started to climb off their machines.

The chase reached the breakaway with 29 km to race but it was all back together on the penultimate circuit. David Gaudu started the next round of attacks, and soon a group had spun away.

At the bell a gang of 17 containing Van Aert and Tadej Pogačar attacked the last 12 km. After it was caught a foursome a tried its luck, and Australian Michael Storer soloed clear for Groupama-FDJ.

It was altogther along the St. Lawrence before the final climbs. Jumbo-Visma yanked the string into the final 2.4 km. Benoît Cosnefroy (Franc/AG2R-Citroën) attacked and Jumbo’s Christophe Laporte pursued.

The winning move.

Cosnefroy stayed clear to take the famous victory. Matthews was runner up and Gent-Wevelgem champion Biniam Girmay rounded out the podium.

The Grand Prix Cycliste de Montréal is on Sunday.

11th Grand Prix Cycliste de Québec
1) Benoît Cosnefroy (Franc/AG2R-Citroën) 4:46:56
2) Michael Matthews (Australia/BikeExchange-Jayco) +0:04
3) Biniam Girmay (Eritrea/Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert) s.t.
45) Guillaume Boivin (Canada/Israel-Premier Tech) +1:16
66) Antoine Duchesne (Canada/Groupama-FDJ) +3:12
111) Pier-André Coté (Canada) +10:20