MONTRÉAL, Canada (September 2, 2025) – The Grands Prix Cyclistes de Québec et de Montréal (GPCQM) return on September 12 and 14 with a world-class lineup led by World Champion and four-time Tour de France winner Tadej Pogačar.
Already a two-time winner of the Grand Prix Cycliste de Montréal, the UAE Team Emirates XRG leader will face a formidable field that includes Florian Lipowitz, third overall at the 2025 Tour de France, along with four stage winners from the Grande Boucle: Wout Van Aert, Simon Yates, Tim Wellens, and Jonas Abrahamsen. Defending Grand Prix Cycliste de Québec champion Michael Matthews will be back to defend his title, while Michael Woods, the 2024 Canadian national champion, will race on home soil for the last time before retiring.
With just one year to go before the 2026 UCI Road World Championships in Montreal, the GPCQM serve as a true dress rehearsal. For the riders, it’s a chance to test themselves on demanding courses, particularly around Mount Royal. For fans, it’s an opportunity to experience the unique atmosphere of a world-class championship and enjoy cycling at the highest level.
This 14th edition reaffirms the GPCQM’s status as North America’s premier cycling event. A total of 23 teams will line up – including all 18 UCI WorldTeams, four ProTeams, and the Canadian National Team – for a peloton of 161 riders from more than 30 countries across five continents.
New for this year, the Grand Prix Cycliste de Québec will feature a slightly shorter loop (12 km), with two additional laps added for a total distance of 216 km. This refreshed route will showcase new aspects of the host city. The start and finish remain set against the iconic backdrop of the Plains of Abraham, a historic site at the heart of Québec’s heritage.
From a sporting perspective, the extended distance promises more dynamic race scenarios and opens the door for a wider range of riders to shine.
RIDERS CONFIRMED TO DATE:
- TADEJ POGAČAR (Slovenia, UAE Team Emirates XRG) – Winner of the Tour de France in 2020, 2021, 2024, and 2025, the Giro d’Italia 2024, and the Grand Prix de Montréal in 2022 and 2024
- WOUT VAN AERT (Belgium, Visma–Lease a Bike) – Winner of 14 Grand Tour stages, Milan–Sanremo 2020, and runner-up at the Grand Prix Cycliste de Montréal in 2022
- MICHAEL MATTHEWS (Australia, Team Jayco AlUla) – Defending Québec champion, record-holder for most wins at the Grand Prix Cycliste de Québec (2018, 2019, 2024), and winner of the Grand Prix Cycliste de Montréal 2018
- JULIAN ALAPHILIPPE (France, Tudor Pro Cycling Team) – UCI Road World Champion in 2020 and 2021
- FLORIAN LIPOWITZ (Germany, Red Bull–BORA–hansgrohe) – Third overall at the 2025 Tour de France
- OSCAR ONLEY (Great Britain, Team Picnic PostNL) – Fourth overall at the 2025 Tour de France
- BINIAM GIRMAY (Eritrea, Intermarché–Wanty) – Winner of the points classification and three stages at the 2024 Tour de France, second at the 2024 Grand Prix Cycliste de Québec
- TIM WELLENS (Belgium, UAE Team Emirates XRG) – Belgian national champion, stage winner in all three Grand Tours, winner of the Grand Prix Cycliste de Montréal 2015
- ARNAUD DE LIE (Belgium, Lotto), recent winner of the Bretagne Classic, the Renewi Tour, and the 2023 Grand Prix Cycliste de Québec
Also lining up are reigning U.S. national champion Quinn Simmons (Lidl–Trek), French champion Dorian Godon (Decathlon–AG2R La Mondiale Team), along with Pello Bilbao (Spain, Bahrain Victorious), Lenny Martinez (France, Bahrain Victorious), Matej Mohorič (Slovenia, Bahrain Victorious), Paul Lapeira (France, Decathlon–AG2R La Mondiale Team), and Warren Barguil (France, Team Picnic PostNL), all stage winners at the Grand Tours.
A LARGE CANADIAN DELEGATION will also be present including:
- MICHAEL WOODS (Israel–Premier Tech) – 2024 Canadian champion, six-time Grand Tour stage winner, bronze medallist at the 2018 World Championships, who will make the Grand Prix de Montréal his final race on Canadian soil before retiring
- HUGO HOULE (Israel–Premier Tech) – First Québécois rider to win a stage of the Tour de France (2023)
- GUILLAUME BOIVIN (Israel–Premier Tech) – Three-time Canadian national road champion (2009, 2015, 2021)
- MICHAEL LEONARD (INEOS Grenadiers) Canadian champion in the time trial and 3rd place in the elite road race;
- Canadian National Team: Philippe Jacob, Jérôme Gauthier, Carson Mattern, Samuel Couture, Quentin Cowan, Félix Bouchard and Félix Hamel.
“Since the creation of the Grands Prix Cyclistes de Québec et de Montréal, our ambition has been to deliver races of the highest sporting and organizational standards, in the unique setting of our host cities. With just 12 months to go before the 2026 UCI Road World Championships in Montreal, we want to offer both fans and riders a true step up in momentum. The strength of this year’s start list confirms the peloton’s confidence and the enduring appeal of our courses. It is a tremendous honour to once again welcome World Champion and defending Tour de France winner Tadej Pogačar. We look forward to writing the prologue to 2026 together in Québec and Montreal,” said Joseph Limare, General Director of the GPCQM.
For more information see: https://gpcqm.ca/
