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Michael Matthews claims hat trick of Grand Prix Cycliste de Québec wins

Guillaume Boivin the top Canadian for third consecutive year

Photo by: Nick Iwanyshyn
September 13, 2024
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Canada’s big La Belle Province UCI WorldTour weekend began on Friday with Grand Prix Cycliste de Québec, where Michael “Bling” Matthews earned a hat trick of wins. The action was hot in the final couple of kilometres of the race, but the 33-year-old Australian outsprinted Biniam Girmay and Rudy Molard for the victory. Guillaume Boivin was top Canadian for the third year in a row at 31st.

The Course

The route consisted of sixteen 12.6-km city laps each containing the 400-metre, 6.3 percent climb up Côte des Glacis, where the finish line would come after 201.6 km. Previous editions usually took 4:45.

The Canadian contingent was James Piccoli, Quentin Cowan, Jérôme Gauthier, Jonas Walton, Léonard Peloquin, Félix Bouchard, and Félix Hamel on the national team; Derek Gee, national champion Michael Woods, Hugo Houle and Guillaume Boivin on Israel-Premier Tech and Michael Leonard on Ineos.

Off they go on the first of 16 circuits. Photo: Nick Iwanyshyn

A breakaway slipped the surly bonds of the peloton early. Walton and Hamel made the cut, Walton winning the first KOM point on Glacis. After six laps Walton, Hamel and Frank van den Broek were tied with two KOM points a piece and the peloton was +5:25.

If you look closely, you can see both Canadian escapees Jonas Walton and Félix Hamel. Photo: Nick Iwanyshyn

Walton couldn’t hang on into Lap 7 and would climb off the bike 40 km later. The remaining trio hit the midway point of the race 4:50 ahead of the field. Hamel didn’t make it into Lap 10. Frank van den Broek carried on with Artem Shmidt.

With five laps to go and the peloton stretched out, riders began to try moves off the front. Ben Healy, Anders Halland Johannessen and Fredrik Dversnes all made surges, but work from teams like Bahrain-Victorious brought them back. UAE-Emirates riders put their backs into it, streamlining the pack. Soudal-QuickStep raced with intent too. Still the gap was 3:55 with 40 km remaining.

Belgian Gil Gilders and Frenchman Alex Baudin lit out after the intrepid duo still leading the race. The chasers were yanked back and the break was lassoed before the penultimate trip up Côte des Glacis.

The peloton was intact when Antoine “Tony the Tiger” Duchesne rang the bell, UAE-Emirates still on point. Matteo Jorgenson flew the nest and prised open a nice gap. Lidl-Trek and Ineos helped to close him down on the Côte de la Montagne.

A sextet formed before the last climb. Last year’s champion Arnaud De Lie, Pogačar and Julian Alaphilippe were there. De Lie and Pogačar took their leave on the slopes. Two riders on De Lie’s team made it over. Uh oh! But this group was brought back with 400 metres to go.

Thirty five riders sprinted it out. Matthews, who shared the GPCQ record of to wins with Peter Sagan and Simon Gerrans, is the outright boss with his triumph.

Boivin revealed after the finish that teammates Corbin Strong had to quit after a suffering a stomach bug and Stevie Williams didn’t have the legs, so it was up to Boivin, Jakob Fuglsang and Krists Neilands to represent IPT at the finish.

The Grand Prix Cycliste de Montréal is on Sunday.

2024 Grand Prix Cycliste de Québec
1) Michael Matthews (Australia/Jayco-AlUla) 4:45:36
2) Biniam Girmay (Eritrea/Intermarché-Wanty) s.t.
3) Rudy Molard (France/Groupama-FDJ) s.t.
31) Guillaume Boivin (Canada/Israel-Premier Tech) s.t.
67) Hugo Houle (Canada/Israel-Premier Tech) +0:49
76) Quentin Cowan (Canada/Team Canada) +1:43
110) Derek Gee (Canada/Israel-Premier Tech) +4:49
117) Michael Leonard (Canada/Ineos) +8:00