Tadej Pogačar stormed to victory at the Grand Prix Cycliste de Montréal, taking a solo win after launching an attack on the penultimate lap. The Slovenian finished 24 seconds ahead of Pello Bilbao, with Julian Alaphilippe sprinting to third in the reduced bunch behind.
The 209.1km race around Montréal featured 17 laps of the hilly circuit, including repeated ascents of Côte Camilien-Houde. The race began with an aggressive pace under clear skies, and it wasn’t long before local rider James Piccoli made the first attack. Piccoli, competing in his final race, kicked off the action on the first climb of Côte Camilien-Houde but was soon reeled back in.
After several attempts from various teams, a three-man breakaway finally established itself. Michael Leonard, a 20-year-old Canadian rider, made the first move and was later joined by Gel Gelders and Dries De Bondt. The trio worked together, building up a lead that peaked at five minutes. Meanwhile, the peloton, led by Pogačar’s team, controlled the pace and steadily brought the break back. With 60 kilometres left to race, the gap was down to 40 seconds.
As the breakaway’s advantage dwindled, Matej Mohorič and Quinn Simmons launched counter-attacks, hoping to bridge across. Mohorič successfully reached the front, but Leonard dropped off the pace. With four laps to go, the peloton closed in, and the breakaway was caught just before the final ascent of Côte Camilien-Houde.
At this point, Pogačar’s team took control, setting up a blistering pace through Rafal Majka. On the penultimate lap, Pogačar launched his decisive attack halfway up the climb, quickly gaining a 10-second advantage over a chasing group that included Matteo Jorgenson and Julian Alaphilippe. Despite efforts from riders like Neilson Powless and Jorgenson to reel him in, Pogačar extended his lead to 25 seconds by the start of the final lap.
Behind him, Bilbao attacked from the chasing group, breaking free to secure second place. Alaphilippe held on for third in a sprint finish, 40 seconds behind the race winner.
Reflecting on his win, Pogačar said, “The team did a super job. We did it exactly how we wanted to. It was really great racing, and thank you to all my teammates because, without them, this plan would not go to perfection. Luckily, I also had good legs to pull it off at the end.”
The victory marked Pogačar’s 22nd of the season and further confirmed his status as the favourite for the upcoming UCI Road World Championships in Zurich, where he’ll be aiming for the world title.
2024 GP Montréal result
Results powered by FirstCycling.com
Main photo credit: Getty
