Diego Ulissi earns huge victory at GP Cycliste de Montreal

UAE-Emirates’ Italian Diego Ulissi may have six stages of the Giro d’Italia on his palmares, but until Sunday, the Milano-Torino was the biggest one-day race he could claim. Ulissi won the WorldTour GP Cycliste de Montreal from a late breakaway that held off chasing favourites like Peter Sagan, Greg Van Avermaet and Michael Matthews. Ulissi joins Rui Costa with UAE-Emirates’ 2017 WorldTour victories.

@DiegoUlissi remporte le 8e Grand Prix Cycliste de #Montreal. Diego Ulissi wins the 8th edition of the GP de Montréal! #GPCQM pic.twitter.com/dBseL4wyJh

— GPCQM (@GPCQM) September 10, 2017

Past Winners
2016 Greg Van Avermaet
2015 Tim Wellens
2014 Simon Gerrans
2013 Peter Sagan
2012 Lars Petter Nordhaug
2011 Rui Costa
2010 Robert Gesink

We are about to get underway at the GP Montreal #GPCQM2017 pic.twitter.com/HFViAXcMuZ

— Canadian Cycling Mag (@CanadianCycling) September 10, 2017

The Course
Montreal’s route consisted of 17 laps, one more lap than Québec, on a slightly shorter circuit of 12.1-km. Instead of the climbing coming at the end of the lap, the first ascent of 1.8-km Cote de Camillien-Houde, the longest of three climbs, appeared after the start. The Cote de Polytechnique was mid-course and the short rise to Avenue du Parc marked the finish.

#GPCQM GP Montréal starts in a few minutes. The riders need to cover 17 laps of 12.1 km (= 205.7 km) in the city. pic.twitter.com/i2rxDd5IJa

— Lotto Soudal (@Lotto_Soudal) September 10, 2017

The Breakaway
Canadians Ben Perry (Israel Cycling Academy) and Matteo Dal-Cin (Team Canada) comprised the all-Canuck breakaway that took off on Lap 1. After two laps the gap to the Cannondale-Drapac-led peloton was 5:30.

Various attacks flared off in the first half of the course. Bahrain-Merida’s pressure on Lap 4 split the peloton, with van Avermaet in the first group and Peter Sagan in the second.

By the end of the 9th lap the intrepid duo had been reeled in and the 10th circuit saw them Perry and Dal-Cin were left behind. On that lap a few more riders tried their luck. But it was Lotto-Soudal and Sunweb once more splitting the field. On Lap 11 Ian Boswell (Great Britain/Sky) and Dimension Data’s Natnael Berhane dashed away from the bunch. They received two reinforcements but could only stay away until Lap 13.

Juste avant que le peloton ne les rattrape. ?? @benjefperry @matteoadalcin ?? @CyclingCanada @yallaACADEMY #GPCQM #sportsmenship pic.twitter.com/xE6YSo5PMT

— GPCQM (@GPCQM) September 10, 2017

Perry’s teammate and compatriot Guillaume Boivin was the next to attack. He created the nucleus of a ten-man group that just made it into Lap 16 before it were reabsorbed.

A high-powered move eased on down the road on the penultimate lap, but only six of the escapees including Ulissi made it into the last lap intact. Sagan, Van Avermaet and 2015 winner Tim Wellens attempted to bridge. This elite chase group became stronger with Tom Dumoulin’s inclusion.

But the six formed the winning move. Tony Gallopin attacked his breakmates but the other five lassoed him and fought it out in the final kilometre. Gallopin and Bauke Mollema faded while Ulissi stayed ahead of Movistar’s Jesús Herrada for the triumph. Dutchman Tom-Jelte Slagter of Cannondale was third.

The top Canadian was Antoine Duchesne of Team Canada/Direct Energie in 42nd place.

There is only one one-day WorldTour race left on the calendar, Il Lombardia on October 7.

2017 Grand Prix Cycliste de Montreal
1) Diego Ulissi (Italy/UAE-Emirates) 5:22:29
2) Jesús Herrada (Spain/Movistar) s.t.
3) Tom-Jelte Slagter (The Netherlands/Cannondale) s.t.
42) Antoine Duchesne (Canada/Team Canada) +1:40