MONTREAL – Montreal’s Grand Prix Cycliste has gotten off to a soggy start.
The world’s best cyclists crossed the Atlantic earlier this week gearing up for the sixth edition of the race.
The Montreal Grand Prix is one of only two stops in North America on the International Cycling Union’s (UCI) road racing World Tour, adding to races in Europe and Asia.
Montreal Mayor Denis Coderre and five-time Tour de France champion, Bernard Hinault, saw the riders off at the starting line.
The race began on Parc Avenue, with riders lapping a 12.1 km circuit through city streets.
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And the course is far from easy. It features a 1.8 km lung-busting climb up Voie Camillien-Houde, with an average grade of eight per cent.
Cyclists repeat the circuit, 17 times for a total of 205.7 km, roughly five hours of intense cycling.
Rain-slicked roads threatened to make an already challenging course that much more treacherous.
In the end, Belgium’s Tim Wellens with team LOTTO SOUDAL, took home the title but it’s the city that comes out on top as the race injects millions into the local economy.
In April Montreal Mayor Denis Coderre announced that the Grand Prix Cycliste would receive an annual budget of $1.25 million from the city.
READ MORE: Grand Prix Cycliste to stay in Montreal for another 5 years
The event attracts thousands of tourists, and the city is warning motorists to plan ahead as many roads along the mountain will be closed to traffic. For more information on road closures commuters are being asked to consult the City of Montreal website.
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