Gatineau to Host Women’s UCI 1.1 Race

After much planning, meetings, and telephone calls, organizers of La Grande Visite in Gatineau, Quebec have managed to organize a women’s UCI sanctioned 1.1 race on June 13. This 99.2 kilometer race is part of a weekend festival of bike racing that includes the elite men’s and women’s time trials on June 12 and a number of races and events for younger cyclists.

Remi Berube is on the organizing committee for the race weekend and has this to say about the weekend of racing:
Where did the idea of holding a women’s UCI race come from?
Since January 2009, the organizing committee has worked on an expansion of “La Grande visite”, a community/family bike ride, now in its 7th year. At about the same time as the organization had elected Frédérique Moulin as the new president, I starting to work for the City of Gatineau, having left the Canadian Cycling Association. The new president, Ms. Moulin, wanted to add a competitive aspect to “La Grande Visite” and proposed the creation of an event similar to “La Virée du Maire de Trois-Rivières”, where she is originally from.
At first the organization was thinking about adding solely criterium races like in Trois-Rivières, but with my background in managing international cycling events, I suggest to tackle the project of having a UCI level event instead, as public funds are available to support that level of event.
After a quick look at the calendar, the organization decided to submit an application to host a UCI ITT event for men and women on June 12, 2010. At that time, the women ITT was three days after the end of the Tour de PEI and the men’s ITT was three days before the start of Tour de Beauce. A very good slot for that type of event, especially looking toward National Championship preparation and the fact that there is no such thing as a UCI ITT event anywhere in the Americas. Furthermore, the propose location of the course was a perfect fit as well, since it is quite flat and not technical at all. That was the plan up to January 12, 2010…
Coincidentally, Mr. Manibal, a man that I respect a lot for his support of women’s cycling over the years, decided to retired from the promoting women’s cycling event. Three major women’s events were canceled. Suddenly, the women’s calendar went from three great events to none at all.
Sensing an opportunity, the “La Grande Visite” began discussions with local authorities to bring the World Cup in Gatineau and save the event that has been in Canada for the last 12 years.
In the end, the organization, with the collaboration of all 3 federations (FQSC, CCA and UCI), submitted an application to add a UCI 1.1 road race in 2010. The short term goal for “La Grande Visite” is to host a World Cup, as soon as 2011, if things are going according to plan.
What teams have confirmed their attendance for this event?
So far, TIBCO, Team Australia, Team Canada, Webcor, Colavita, NEBC have verbally confirmed their participation. We aim at getting 16 to 18 teams at the line on June 13, 8 to 10 of them coming form outside Canada.
What kind of support do you have from the City of Gatineau?
The City of Gatineau contributed a lot in the making, insuring that all road closure and traffic control are taking care of. Furthermore, the City also invested $20 000 in the organization of the 2-day event.
Do you plan on making this an annual race?
It is the wish of the organization to build a solid annual event that will use the elite profile to spread the word that Gatineau is a great place to ride and live. This event is not just about pro cycling. It is about promoting healthy life style and excellence.
What has the response been from the cycling community like for this weekend of racing?
I know my teammate John Large is working very hard to spread the word out there. Many teams we approached were delighted to hear that another organization was stepping to the plate to maintain part of the legacy left by Mr. Manibal, but the travel plan was well underway for most of them at the time the event was officially put on the calendar, especially for the European teams, and we do face a challenge to bring them here due to the late call. But the response is getting better and better every day. We want the riders to have a great first impression coming into Gatineau. We have great accommodation facilities that are virtually next to the start line for a full three days on offer. We have two great courses and a local team of volunteers that are thrilled to welcome the athletes.
Any plans to add a men’s UCI race?
We already have a UCI ITT for the men on Saturday, June 12, but at this point and time, the organization wants to focus on getting the women to the highest level. The highest level for the men is covered now with the visit of the Pro Tour in September. Ultimately, we want to build an equivalent media window for the ladies. A long term plan could be to have a schedule similar to the GP Plouay one day (a women’s World Cup with a Pro Tour race). We can all dream

John Large is one of the chief organizers of this race weekend and has been instrumental in getting commitment from women’s teams for the race weekend. Large has long been involved in racing and now has shifted focus to rider development, he says “I think it is important to have a strong local scene. Great spring training events like Ride With Rendal Road Race, Paris Roubaix, time trials and mid-week criteriums and a highlight hometown race (Preston). The local focus needs to be on recruiting new young riders to the sport and using the local events get them started. Then the racers need to get out of town and find the best competition possible. European experience is the ideal. The local scene should not be taken too seriously and it should build a strong support foundation for the younger riders we help develop by sending them away. That is the rationale about providing International experience for the young riders at the Tour of Martinique. We can afford to offer that experience.”