Gallery: Classic show down in the 10th edition of the Grand Prix Cycliste de Québec
Canadians fly the flag high on a beautiful day in Old Quebec City for the one-day Laurentian Classic
The 2019 Grand Prix Cycliste de Québec celebrated its 10th edition with a repeat winner as Michael Matthews imposed himself on the beautiful course in Quebec City. The Australian won last year’s event in a similar fashion though late attackers made this year’s race even more exciting.
Team Canada for the GP Quebec.
Guillaume Boivin would unfortunately crash out after being top-Canadian last year.
Rally UHC was all Canadians except for one American, Gavin Mannion who would ride in the breakaway.
Svein Tuft had his young son Gunnar on stage at the GP Quebec.
Hugo Houle has had a fantastic 2019.
Michael Woods was all smiles.
Antoine Duchesne was returning from iliac artery surgery.
Duchesne and Boivin chat with Peter Sagan at the startline.
A total of 18 Canadians started the race with WorldTour, Pro Continental and national team riders present. As is annually the tradition, national team members Adam Roberge and Evan Burtnik rode in the breakaway. They were joined by Israeli champion Guy Sagiv, Julien Bernard (Trek-Segrafedo), Gavin Mannion (Rally UHC) and Luis Mas (Movistar).
The breakaway enjoyed an advantage of about 8 minutes before the peloton lead by Team Sunweb, Bora-Hansgrohe and CCC began to bring things together for the finale. In the final laps, there were lots of attacks as the pace ramped up. Nicholas Zukowsky (Canada) tried his luck as did Vincenzo Nibali (Bahrain-Merida).
The breakaway established on the first lap.
Julian Alaphilippe with Charles-Étienne Chrétien and Nick Zukowsky.
The Chateau Frontenac.
Svein Tuft was dropped and did not finish his second to last race as a pro.
Cheyne fights to hold the wheels.
Zukowsky on the attack on the penultimate lap.
Michael Matthews sprints to the win like he did last year.
He'll be looking to repeat in Montreal on Sunday.
Julian Alaphilippe was the KOM winner attacking on the final ascent of the climb.
The 2019 podium.
It's only Matthews third win of 2019.
Hugo Houle was the top Canadian.
In the finale, Deceuninck-Quickstep unleashed Julian Alaphilippe who brought Peter Sagan and Greg Van Avermaet for company along with two others. That attack lasted until the final meters of the race when Michael Matthews, last year’s winner of both GPCQM events, unleashed a ferocious sprint with 300 m to go. The Australian caught and passed all the riders in the attack though Sagan held on for second and Van Avermaet managed to hold on to third place.
Hugo Houle (Astana) was the top Canadian in 15th followed by Michael Woods (EF Education First) in 17th and James Piccoli (Canada) in 22nd.
