/R E P E A T -- A national criterium brings international women's racing to Montréal - 6th Edition of the Québec City and Montréal Grands Prix Cyclistes/

USA - English

• USA - English

SAINT-LAMBERT, QC, June 9, 2015 /CNW Telbec/ - The Québec City and Montréal Grands Prix Cyclistes (GPCQM) – the only two competitions on the UCI WorldTour held in America – announce the addition of a national criterium to the program. This is a development competition for riders with a UCI (Union Cycliste Internationale) license in the Juniors, Espoirs and Élites (17 to 29 years old) categories. This September 12, Montréal and its Avenue du Parc (between Mont-Royal and Duluth) are the stage for a spectacular race welcoming more than 200 male and female riders. This news also heralds the return of women's cycling to international competition in Montréal – a first since the last World Cup in 2009.

For this 6^th edition, the GPCQM continues the North American road cycling tradition by hosting the world's elite on the challenging Québec and Montréal courses, on September 11 and 13. The events will not only be watched live by hundreds of thousands of spectators, but will also be seen in possibly a billion homes in 130 countries. The GPCQM are also the last races before the 2015 UCI Road World Championships in Richmond, Virginia, in the United States (September 19 to 27, 2015). Two meetings of elite calibre cyclists on the same continent, only a week apart, suggests that the GPCQM is, once again, welcoming the absolute top riders.

2015 NEWS

CRITÉRIUM NATIONAL DE MONTRÉAL
"The addition of the Critérium National de Montréal is one of the initiatives launched by GPCQM in order to support the development of road cycling in this country and to encourage local cyclists and cycling in general. Riders can then enjoy the development of world-class road cycling, performing under the auspices of WorldTeams and ultimately having their expertise recognized worldwide, says Marcel Leblanc, GPCQM's Executive Vice-President. This is also a great source of pride for our organization to welcome women riders. Our new circuit is an additional opportunity for these athletes to maximize their appearances on Canadian soil, which evolve at a national level and on professional teams."

"Women's cycling is enjoying wonderful visibility, and that awareness is allowing its popularity to grow. Women's races being held alongside competitions for men, impressive media coverage, and increasingly exciting primes all point to a real evolution in this arena, underscores Lex Albrecht, professional cyclist, member of the Canadian national team as well as the professional team Optum Pro Cycling p/b Kelly Benefit Strategies. So GPCQM's announcement of a national criterium in Montréal is great news! It's an important opportunity for North American riders to compete in a race organized by a UCI WorldTour event promoter. Some riders will even have the pleasure of riding in their home town."

The GPCQM Critérium National de Montréal takes place on two, 60-minute courses, with intensity, re-entries and sprints to finally crown the men's and women's champions at the foot of Mont-Royal, Saturday, September 12. The course is a 1.1 km loop, ridden at breathtaking speeds, with men covering 40 laps (44 km) and women covering 30 (33 km).

GPCQM'S COMMITMENT TO UP AND COMERS
Whether it's creating the Critérium National de Montréal, or inviting the national Canadian team and Steve Bauer's Continental Pro team (Spidertech 2011-2012) to the Québec City Grand Prix ans Montréal Grand Prix and to the Challenge Sprint Pro, GPCQM provides local riders with world class experiences. In this spirit of promoting the sport to up and coming riders, GPCQM recently announced its association with the Fédération Québécoise des Sports Cyclistes (FQSC) in order to financially support the Coupe du Québec Espoirs de cyclisme sur route (9-16 years old) and a preparation phase for the Junior and Espoir categories in order to get ready for the Canada Games (July 11 and 13). GPCQM has also developed a training program to offer young riders the chance at the incredible opportunity to be part of these major events.

2015 PROGRAM

TEAMS
The GPCQM bring together 17 teams from the WorldTour, the national Canadian Cycling Team and the Professional Continental Teams:  Team Europcar (France), Drapac Professional Cycling (Australia), and Bora-Argon 18 (Germany).

In both Québec City and Montréal, spectators are invited to come watch for free, and get the opportunity and privilege to really see the event properly, thanks to stands set up at the start/finish line. They will also be able to watch a live feed at the events. "Riders love coming to Québec for the high-level quality of the courses, the professionalism of the organization, the scenery, and the warmth of the Québecois people, adds Mr. Leblanc. Therefore, we invite everyone to come share this contagious energy. In return, the best riders on the planet will give them their all, for an unprecedented and unequalled sports event."

The organization is proud to announce its support for the new Institute for Research in Immunology and Cancer at the Université de Montréal (IRIC), which will launch its second challenge, "Mount Royal Tour" on the Montréal Grand Prix Cycliste, the morning of the race.

ABOUT THE QUÉBEC CITY AND MONTRÉAL GRANDS PRIX CYCLISTES
The Québec City and Montréal Grands Prix Cyclistes, the only two spots on the UCI WorldTour in America, contribute to fulfilling one of the primary objectives of the UCI WorldTour:  the globalization of élite cycling. These tour stops join the list of existing, officially sanctioned events in Europe, Oceania and Asia. Since 2010, the organization has been responsible for the planning and the conduct of GPCQM and counts on the invaluable support of public and private partners to maintain its standards:  the government of Canada, the government of Québec, the city of Québec, the city of Montréal, the National Battlefields Commission, the Québec Tourism Bureau, Montréal Tourism, Québécor, Air Transat, and TVA Sports (official GPCQM broadcaster).

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SOURCE Événement GPCQM

Related Links

WWW.GPCQM.CA