Major riders competing in Canada
The first ProTour race to cross the Atlantic Ocean is the Grand Prix Cycliste de Quebec on September 10, shortly followed by the Grand Prix Cycliste de Montreal on September 12, in the French-Canadian province of Quebec.
The Union Cycliste International confirmed a five-year license for the pair of one-day races, with the possibility of an extension to 2018. The races have attracted the attendance of some of the world’s top cyclists, including two-time Grand Tour winner Ivan Basso, 2010 Tour de France fourth-place finisher Samuel Sanchez, and three-time Tour of California best young rider Robert Gesink, who also finished the 2010 Tour de France in sixth place overall, just ahead of Canadian Ryder Hesjedal, who will also be competing in his homeland ProTour events.
"When you talk about ProTour and the best teams of the world having to field a team you know that the quality of the competition is going to be [at] a premium level on those race courses," said Canadian team coach Steve Bauer.
It is the first time the ProTour has crossed the Atlantic Ocean, and though the events seem destined for success already, UCI president Pat McQuaid will be attending the events to consider whether or not Quebec is a good candidate to host the 2015 UCI Road World Championships, this year being held in Australia before returning to Europe for the next four.
“The interest is there in terms of globalizing cycling,” said McQuaid. “For candidature in 2015, the UCI would need to start working with potential candidates starting next year and onwards. But certainly we would welcome a candidature from an established cycling region which has support from the cycling region as well.”
With 22 teams competing, including all 18 ProTour teams, three Pro Continental teams and a Canadian National Team put together by Bauer specifically for this event, the starters are too many to list. Headliners include the French Nation Road Champion, Bbox’s Thomas Voeckler, Tour de France stage-winner Sylvain Chavanel, for Quick Step, and three-time Tour of California winner, Team Radioshack’s Levi Leipheimer, who will be supported by the Tour de France tenth-place finisher Chris Horner, making that a total of four top-10 Tour de France riders in the Canadian races.
“I think the circuits will be more difficult than a point-to-point race because you always come back to the climb and it isn’t easy to catch a break if it is a big one,” said Basso. “The strategy of the team; it will be important never to use the whole team to bring back one breakaway.”
After his win in the Giro and racing in the Tour, Basso is satisfied with his season and will be riding in support of his Liquigas team mates Peter Sagan and Daniel Oss at this weekend’s events, which are expected to be rained on. Oss is an all-rounder while Sagan has a real chance, with two stage wins at Paris-Nice and the Tour of California already this season, and one at the Tour of Romandie.
“We have to keep the morale high and not think about the weather,” said Basso. “I did 13 days under the rain at the Giro d’Italia this year so I have good training.”
The races will be the first in over a month for Robert Gesink, who has announced he will be sitting out of the World Championships this year and ending his season at the Giro di Lombardia in Italy. The 24-year-old Dutchman is taking a relatively easy Autumn, while he prepares to really make a leap ahead in 2011, when he will be riding in the Grand Tours as a solo team leader. His former co-leader Denis Menchov, third-place Tour finisher, will be riding for team Geox next year, leaving Gesink the opportunity to go for the win.
"Here in Canada I will show how good I am,” he said. “Hopefully I can have a great close to the season and good winter’s training."
Young Hesjedal was the highest placed Canadian Tour de France competitor since Steve Bauer finished fourth in 1988. The six-time national time-trial champion is leading Team Garmin at the Canadian races, fresh from a second-place in the Tour of Denmark.
"I'm happy with my season to date but that said, I also want to take the opportunity to perform well in Canada,” said Hesjedal. "I've been as focused as I could be on these events since the Tour and the last races that I did in Europe. I hope I can ride well this weekend."
Michael Barry is his closest Canadian competitor outside of the national team, coming to the event with British-based Team Sky. Despite his 13-year season, his record is not as impressive as that of the former mountain-biker, who was runner up at the Amstel Gold Race and top-five at the Tour of California before heading to France for a seventh-place finish in the biggest cycling event in the world.
"The history of cycling in eastern Canada in a big way with a course like Montreal that has hosted the World Championships and the Olympic Games," said Barry. "For me to be racing here is a great bonus. A couple of years ago I never would have thought I'd have a top 10 at the Tour de France and then come home to race ProTour races in the same season, I would not have thought that. It has really been a great year. I'm going to focus on having some great races here for my fans, friends, family and sponsors."
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