When Cycling Brings Us All Together

Hugo, Michael, Antoine, Guillaume, 

Thank you for everything you’ve just given us and, above all, congratulations from all of us for what you’ve accomplished these past three weeks at the Tour de France. 

You’ve ignited passions in Québec these last few days. With good reason.

Your exploits at this 109th Tour de France have proved to the entire world that cyclists from chez nous can make the grade. You’ve asserted yourselves as accomplished riders on the prestigious UCI WorldTour circuit. Thanks to you and your indomitable tenacity, this year’s edition of the world’s most famous cycling event has been historic for Canada and for Québec.

Hugo, what an amazing performance! You had us on the edge of our seats for the final kilometers of Stage 16, now forever embedded in our memories. A stage win changes everything: for you first of all, but also for the sport of cycling here at home. Merci and bravo!

The eyes of the sports world were on you all. You moved us, inspired us and fed our dreams. We were bursting with pride. With good reason.

Today, the Tour de France has come to an end. You will pursue your careers and dreams, shining in the light.

Today, tomorrow and the day after, as we have done for years now, our team will continue to help build the reputation of your sport, which drives us and is our passion. We will once again support you and emerging athletes as we continue to grow cycling at the local level. We’ve just seen the proof: anything is possible with hard work, willpower and discipline, but also the vital support, over decades, of committed, enthusiastic stakeholders.

The cycling community is ecstatic, excited and eager to welcome you this September, along with your teammates and the global cycling elite, to our races in Québec City and Montréal. We will have the privilege of experiencing the action, adrenaline and emotion of these past few weeks together, at home, on our streets, before our eyes. 

Team Canada, with whom you’ve all raced previously, will compete alongside you in the WorldTour peloton again this year, seizing the chance to enjoy a unique, privileged WorldTour experience, and to follow your lead and get a step closer to fulfilling their dreams of reaching the top tier. Our young Canadian Junior and Élite cyclists will also be eager to prove themselves to you and demonstrate all their talent at the Critérium National in Montréal. And the fans will turn out in droves to welcome and cheer you on as we celebrate cycling as never before.

Our local cycling ecosystem has reason to be proud. Together, by contributing in one way or another to the expansion of the sport, we are propelling new athletes, like you, with vision and drive.

Your Tour de France ends today. It’s now up to the women athletes to tackle it—and we hope that history will repeat itself. With good reason, so that cycling chez nous keeps on growing and inspiring us.

Magdeleine, Olivia and Simone, we’re right there with you. Simone, you’re off to a great start with an eighth-place finish in Paris. Chapeau!

Gentlemen, we’ll see you in September!

Sébastien Arsenault

President and CEO, and the entire Grands Prix Cyclistes de Québec et de Montréal team