2026 GP Quebec preview | First real test for Pidcock, Evenepoel and the rest ahead of the World Championships

The Vuelta a España is still in full swing, but in the meantime, WorldTour racing is back on Canadian soil. On Friday, we kick things off there with the GP Quebec, which, in addition to serving as a prelude to the GP Montréal, can also be considered an important preparatory race for the World Championships. IDL Pro Cycling breaks the race down for you.

The Quebec Grand Prix is known as the easier of the two races in Canada. This is also reflected in the winners over the past ten years, who have mainly been punchers. For example, Michael Matthews has won the race three times, and Peter Sagan has also crossed the finish line with his hands in the air on several occasions.

Last season, Julian Alaphilippe took the win —which turned out to be his last. In fact, the French rider from Tudor has already retired from cycling entirely after the Tour de France didn't turn out the way he had expected.

2025 Julian Alaphilippe
2024 Michael Matthews
2023 Arnaud De Lie
2022 Benoit Cosnefroy
2021 CANCELLED
2020 CANCELLED
2019 Michael Matthews
2018 Michael Matthews
2017 Peter Sagan
2016 Peter Sagan

The Canadian race is 206 kilometers long in total and consists of a single city circuit that must be completed 18 times. That lap is 12 kilometers long and features 145 meters of elevation gain, which means the quick calculators among us will arrive at a total elevation gain of 2,610 meters.

We always started and finished on the Grande Allée, but now the start and finish will be on the Montée Rue Saint-Louis (1 kilometer at a 3 percent grade). This climb immediately follows the Côte de la Montagne, which, at 600 meters at a 9 percent grade, is the toughest obstacle on the course.

The extra loop through the city’s old downtown is still part of the route, though it involved a few more twists and turns. Traditionally, there was always enough time afterward on Boulevard Champlain—which runs parallel to the St. Lawrence River—for the teams looking to take the lead to get back on track. That hasn’t changed either.

The weather in Canada is fairly good for racing. The riders will face temperatures of around 18 degrees Celsius, while the wind from the west could also pick up quite strongly.

The GP Quebec has always been a race for punchers, but with the World Championships in mind, the field of competitors may already be leaning a bit more toward the climbers.

Several top riders have taken time off after the Tour de France to prepare for the World Championships in Montreal, and that could very well have an impact in Quebec.

Remco Evenepoel ( Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe) doesn't mince words: he wants to go for the double. A victory in Quebec would certainly be a good first step, although his team also has the speedy Maxim Van Gils at its disposal.

At UAE Emirates-XRG, Isaac del Toro is the big name, although the team really consists entirely of big names. Del Toro has Felix Grossschartner, Tim Wellens, Florian Vermeersch, Brandon McNulty, Adam Yates, and the speedy Jhonatan Narvaez riding alongside him.

At Decathlon CMA CGM, they’re counting on two team leaders for this race: Paul Seixas and Paul Lapeira. Tiesj Benoot will support them. On paper, Lidl-Trek could also be a factor in the final, with riders including Juan Ayuso, Giulio Ciccone, Quinn Simmons, Derek Gee-West, and Toms Skujins in their ranks.

Dan Visma | Lease a Bike, which features Matteo Jorgenson, Louis Barré, Bart Lemmen, and Dutch champion Wilco Kelderman. Pinarello-Q36.5, meanwhile, is back in the spotlight with Tom Pidcock, who, following his victory at the Mountain Bike World Championships in Italy, has now won another road race.

Jayco AlUla is counting on multiple-time winner Michael Matthews and the strong Mauro Schmid, while XDS-Astana (Guillermo Thomas Silva), Lotto-Intermarché (Jenno Berckmoes and Lennert Van Eetvelt), Bahrain Victorious (Afonso Eulalio), Netcompany INEOS (AJ August), EF (Ben Healy), NSN (Corbin Strong and Riley Sheehan), and Tudor (Marc Hirschi) also have contenders.

Top Favorites: Remco Evenepoel (Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe) and Isaac del Toro (UAE Emirates-XRG)
Dark horses: Tom Pidcock (Pinarello-Q36.5), Jhonatan Narváez (UAE Emirates-XRG), Paul Seixas (Decathlon CMA CGM), and Michael Matthews (Jayco AlUla)
Long shots: Louis Barré (Visma | Lease a Bike), Mauro Schmid (Jayco AlUla), Guillermo Thomas Silva (XDS-Astana), Paul Lapeira (Decathlon CMA CGM), Jenno Berckmoes (Lotto-Intermarché), Juan Ayuso, Quinn Simmons (Lidl-Trek), and Maxim Van Gils (Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe)

If you want to enjoy watching the Quebec Grand Prix on TV on Friday evening, you’ll need to so so online, because of the Vuelta and the U.S. Open. They’ll be streaming the race online starting at 3:45 p.m UK time. The finish is around 9:00 p.m. UK time.

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