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Record number of North Americans to challenge for 10th anniversary of GPCQM

19 Canadians to line-up for Laurentian Classics with Montreal race upping the ante to celebrate a decade of WorldTour racing

The 2019 editions of the Grands Prix Cyclistes de Québec et de Montréal will have the most North American riders on the startline ever. Rally-UHC is bringing a roster composed entirely of Canadians, Cycling Canada announced a young roster for the one-day WorldTour races, Canadians from the UCI Pro Continental ranks will be lining up as will all three Canadian riders who race on WorldTour teams. Four riders from the U.S. will also start making the peloton composed 16 per cent of riders from North America. To celebrate the 10th anniversary, the course in Montreal has been extended by two laps to bring the total distance of the race up to nearly 220 km.

Team Canada for the 2018 GP Quebec

Team Canada for the GPCQM

The Grand Prix Cycliste de Québec takes place on Sept. 13 with the Grand Prix Cycliste de Montréal on Sept. 15.  The Canadian one-day races celebrate their 10th anniversary this year. Canada will once again have a national team on the startline.

The team will be lead by James Piccoli who is fresh off second at the Tour of Utah following up on second places at the Tour de Beauce, Joe Martin Stage Race and Tour of Taiwan. In May, Piccoli also won the Tour of the Gila.

James Piccoli
James Piccoli wins Stage 4 of the 2018 Tour de Beauce in Quebec City. Photo: Brian Hodes

Alongside Piccoli will be Elevate KHS teammates Jordan Cheyne and under-23 Canadian time trial champion Adam Roberge. The team is rounded out by Grand Prix Cycliste de Saguenay winner and current U23 road champion Nickolas Zukowsky. Evan Burtnik, Charles-Etienne Chrétien and Laurent Gervais.

“Our objective this year is to keep an emphasis on U23 development,” said team manager Kevin Field. “This race will be the final testing ground for our athletes prior to the World Championships and will provide them with valuable exposure to the WorldTour level. The changes we’re making in our road programs, including how we select athletes for these races and how we work with the trade teams has been working, and we have seen eleven athletes graduate to Pro Continental or WorldTour teams in the last four years.”

Rally Cycling’s Rob Britton leads the break at the GP Quebec which also contained Canadians Alex Cataford and Bruno Langlois.

Rally-UHC with an all Canadian team for the GPCQM

The American UCI Pro Continental team Rally-UHC brings its entire contingent of Canadians to the Laurentian Classics. The team is anchored by 42-year-old Svein Tuft racing in his final events of his illustrious pro cycling career. Also on the team will be Ryan Anderson, Canadian ITT Robert Britton, Pier-André Cote, Matteo Dal-Cin, Canadian road champion Adam de Vos and Nigel Ellsay. While Rally-UHC lacks a star one-day rider, expect to see them active in the breakaway.

WorldTour and Pro Conti Canadians

All three Canadians who race at the WorldTour level will start the two one-day races. Michael Woods will be looking to put in a good performance after a bumpy debut at the Tour de France. Hugo Houle has been flying after his Tour debut with a fifth-place finish at the Arctic Race of Norway en route to helping his teammate Alexey Lutsenko take the win. Antoine Duchesne has been out of action for most of the season after requiring surgery for endofibrosis 0f his left leg’s iliac artery. Israel Cycling Academy teammates Guillaume Boivin and Alex Cataford also start in Quebec City and Montreal.

Nicolas Zukowsky leads the break at the 2018 GP Montreal with Adam Roberge and Nigel Ellsay close behind.

Team Canada

Evan Burtnik – Edmonton (X-Speed United)
Jordan Cheyne – Big White, B.C. (Elevate KHS)
Charles-Etienne Chrétien – Amos, Que. (Interpro Cycling Academy)
Laurent Gervais – Montreal (Aevolo)
James Piccoli – Montreal (Elevate KHS)
Adam Roberge – Montreal (Elevate KHS)
Nickolas Zukowsky – Ste-Lucie-des-Laurentides, Que. (Floyd’s Pro Cycling)

Rally-UHC

Ryan Anderson – Edmonton
Robert Britton – Regina
Pier-Andr̩ Cote РGasp̩, Que.
Matteo Dal-Cin – Ottawa
Adam de Vos – Victoria
Nigel Ellsay – Courtney, B.C.
Svein Tuft – Langley, B.C.

WorldTour and UCI Pro Continental

Michael Woods -Ottawa (EF Education First)
Hugo Houle – Sainte-Perpétue, Que. (Astana)
Antoine Duchesne – Saguenay, Que. (Groupama-FDJ)
Guillaume Boivin – Montreal (Israel Cycling Academy)
Alexander Cataford – Ottawa (Israel Cycling Academy)