The 13th of September will see a long-awaited return of the World Tour peloton and racing to Canada, for what is the first of the two Canadian hilly classics: GP de Québec. This one being more sprinter friendly, it should see more tactical racing in the streets of Québec, with several riders within a shot of taking a big win. We preview the race.
The route will feature a total of 204 kilometers, which are divided by 16 laps, each with just under 13 kilometers in distance. There are 2400 meters of climbing in what is an all-day rolling road race, as each lap contains three small hilltops to face. The first half of the circuit sees the riders descend from the center of Québec down into the river for the first five kilometers, and then throughout the next four there will be a pan-flat section where the teams will, in each lap, reorganize and look to position their leaders into the difficult part of the race.
The first little ascent features 300 meters at 8.3% – the Côte de la Montagne – and finished with 3.5 kilometers to go, on the final lap of course. A very short but fast downhill section follows before the second kick up which will be the Côte de la Potasse which is 400 meters long at 6% and finished with just 2 kilometers to go.
The road briefly flattens before the final grind into the line, which will feature 1.1 kilometers at 4%. Not deadly gradients, but some that can see late attacks succeed, can suffocate some sprinters, and will also make a big difference when it comes to the energy the riders will have into a final sprint.
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