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Canadian juggernauts lead the Maple Leaf’s ambitions this weekend in Quebec and Montreal

As Team Canada rolls out this weekend at the Quebec and Montreal Grand Prix cyclistes, with competition happening now and Sunday, the heavyweight squad has a clear objective: to get Canada into the top 10.

Michael Woods
September 11, 2015
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Michael Woods
Mike Woods, seen here crossing the finish at the 2015 edition of Clássica Internacional Loulé Capital Europeia do Desporto, has had a dominating season. Photo credit: João Fonseca

As Team Canada rolls out this weekend at the Quebec and Montreal Grand Prix cyclistes, with competition happening now and Sunday, the squad has a clear objective: to leverage the skills and experience of heavyweight Optum riders like Guillaume Boivin, Ryan Anderson and Mike Woods, as well as Smartstop’s Rob Britton, and get Canada into the top 10.

With a roster like that representing the Maple Leaf at both events — particularly considering Britton’s first place general classification finish at the Gila — the chances, even if only in light of the squad’s performances on home soil, are pretty good.

Anderson’s season, of course, has been alight with accomplishments since 2015’s first ride. Notably, performances at the road race segment of the national championships earned him a second place finish, just behind teammate Guillaume Boivin, with the same results a couple of weeks later at July’s White Spot/Delta road race. At the Tour of Alberta, Anderson also pulled off an eleventh place finish after stage 6, just barely shy of the top 10 at one of the year’s hardest events.

Last year, Anderson was also named the best-placed Canadian of the Quebec Grand Prix, finishing in 27th place. A season replete with World Tour competitions and having been a repeat competitor at previous Quebec and Montreal Grand Prix cyclistes — not to mention his silver finish at the nationals in June — will likely prove dual assets for the 27-year-old Vancouver cyclist, something Anderson himself believes.

“I feel that this experience is definitely going to help,” he said. “I feel good so I hope it’s going to be a special year.”

Boivin, who won the road race at the national championships, has defined the 2015 season with one powerful performance after another — and in the most successful instances, usually on Canadian soil. In addition to that championship race in Quebec, Boivin claimed first in points classification and third in general classification in Saguenay, a first place finish after Stage 3b of the Tour de Beauce, 8th in the Individual Time Trial at the national championships, and at the Pan Am Games in Toronto, third in the road race .

With that kind of season behind him, the Canadian champion’s ambitions are stratospheric, by all indications, as this weekend’s competition looms.

“We have a good team this year,” Boivin said, “and these are races I have had in mind since the start of the season. To ride races of that level in front of our public is a true honour. Quebec suits me a little better than Montreal; I hope to be there still under the red flame and then I might hope for a good result.”

Woods, too, has had a season worthy of confidence in anticipation of Montreal and Quebec, earning the 28-year-old Canadian cyclist a placement on Cannondale-Garmin starting next season. For Woods, the Tour of Alberta was also a tour de force, when he took fifth place after the high-climbing competition’s stage 3 route from Grande Cache to Miette Hotsprings. Overall, Woods also took tenth in general classification and fifteenth in points. “Riding these races,” Woods said, “gave me a lot of confidence by showing me that I could ride in front with World Tour riders.”

“My season was very good so far and I hope for a special week here,” the Ottawa-based athlete added.

Other finishes, like first place after stage 5 of the Tour of the Gila, second overall at Philly, and second in GC at the Tour of Utah have also established Woods as one of Canada’s riders to beat — something that will serve as an asset to the team, of course, but no doubt paints a big target on his back as one of the competition’s giants, among Canada’s other top-tier riders.

Racing at the Grand Prix Quebec starts today, September 11th, with the Grand Prix Montreal following on Sunday, September 13.