French Flair on the Côte: Julian Alaphilippe Wins Grand Prix Cycliste de Québec

QUÉBEC CITY, Canada (September 12, 2025) — The cobblestones of Old Québec have witnessed centuries of history, but yesterday they bore witness to something rarer still: a master craftsman producing one last perfect stroke.

Julian Alaphilippe sits in the aftermath, still processing what has just transpired. At 33, the Frenchman has just delivered something altogether more elemental—a victory built on cunning, timing, and pure instinct. His first victory of the season, his first ever win on Canadian soil, and crucially, his first triumph in over a year since the 2024 Giro d’Italia.

“Honestly, it’s really a special victory for me,” he admits. “I’m closer to the end of my career, and this is a race I’ve always wanted to win.”

The Art of Patience

The Grand Prix Cycliste de Québec has always been a race that rewards patience over power. The Côte de la Montagne—375 meters of 10% gradient that the peloton faced 18 times over the 216.3-kilometer course—served as the race’s tactical fulcrum, a question asked again and again: how many times can you answer it?

All 18 UCI WorldTeams lined up alongside four ProTeams and the Canadian national squad before 200,000 spectators under clear skies. The favorites read like a who’s who of modern cycling: defending champion Michael Matthews, Canadian 2023 winner Arnaud De Lie, Tour de France champion Tadej Pogačar, classics specialists Wout van Aert and Biniam Girmay.

The early break formed immediately—Félix Bouchard and Philippe Jacob from Canada, Luca Vergallito from Alpecin–Deceuninck, and Filip Maciejuk from Red Bull–Bora–Hansgrohe pushing out more than six minutes. The peloton, controlled by Tudor and EF Education–EasyPost, kept them within range.

Philippe Jacob slipped away with 85 km remaining as the Côte de la Montagne began exacting its toll. Accelerations from Tim Wellens, Christophe Laporte, Quinn Simmons, and others sparked the sequence of moves that would define the race.

The Crucial Move

With just over 80 km remaining, Alaphilippe made his move. Sharp and attentive, he bridged across to a select group that included Wellens, Laporte, Simmons, Pavel Sivakov, Alberto Bettiol, and Quinten Hermans. It was a dangerous combination—strong enough to stay clear, but fragile in its cooperation.

Crucially, Alaphilippe refused to do significant turns at the front, conserving energy and frustrating his companions. It was a bold, unpopular tactic, but one that would prove decisive.

The Pogačar Factor

Behind them, Pogačar bided his time. In his first race back since midsummer, the Slovenian looked eager to test his form. With 13 km to go, he launched a sharp acceleration on the Côte de la Montagne, dragging Girmay, Paul Lapeira, and Jonas Abrahamsen with him.

For a moment it seemed the race would come back together, but the gap never fully closed. With Sivakov already up the road, UAE’s tactics became complicated, leaving Pogačar stranded while his teammate pressed on.

The Decisive Moment

As the leaders hit the final ascent of the Côte de la Montagne, Alaphilippe’s moment arrived. With 1.5 km remaining, he surged clear, his trademark punch leaving Sivakov and Bettiol unable to respond.

The Frenchman crested the climb alone and powered down Avenue George VI toward the finish, glancing back only once before lifting himself from the saddle for a victorious salute. Sivakov chased to finish two seconds behind, with Bettiol a further two seconds adrift.

Mattias Skjelmose and Matej Mohorič completed the top five, while De Lie won the peloton sprint for eighth, just ahead of Matthews.

The Meaning

For Alaphilippe, the victory carried deep significance. Questions about his longevity had grown louder since his last win at the 2024 Giro d’Italia. “I’m very proud of my team,” he said afterward. “We didn’t imagine this scenario.”

The win represented a milestone for Tudor Pro Cycling too—the Swiss outfit that had signed him to elevate its profile. Delivering a WorldTour victory against the sport’s biggest stars was proof of concept.

As the peloton heads to Montréal for Sunday’s sister race, attention shifts to the World Championships in Rwanda. Alaphilippe’s resurgence suddenly makes him a wildcard for the French team, while UAE will need to reconsider how to balance Pogačar and Sivakov.

For one day in Québec, however, the story was simple: Julian Alaphilippe, racing as cunningly as ever, had reminded the cycling world that he still possessed the legs—and the timing—to win big. The 45th victory of a glittering career, delivered when many thought his best days were behind him.

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