This year's editions of the Grands Prix Cyclistes de Québec (September 12) and Montréal (September 14) are particularly anticipated for at least three reasons. The first is that next year, in 2026, Montréal will host the World Championships, so for all participants it will be an excellent opportunity to get familiar with these roads, which have been a fixed point in the WorldTour circuit for years. The second is that the lineup will be truly stellar, but this, in reality, is not a great novelty, just look at the honor roll of the two races to realize it. The third, finally, is that they come just over a week before the World Championship in Rwanda and will therefore be the last test for many before heading to Africa.

The organizers of the Canadian week have meanwhile officially confirmed the stars who will animate the races in Québec City and Montréal. This year, Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) will be back, whom we saw in the yellow jersey on the Champs-Élysées and the beautiful duel with Wout Van Aert (Visma | Lease a Bike) climbing to Montmartre. A head-to-head that we might see again overseas, since the Belgian has also announced his presence for the second time in his career. In 2022 in Montréal, the Slovenian beat him in a sprint, and this year could be the right opportunity for revenge.

However, many athletes want to be part of the event, primarily the on-fire Arnaud De Lie (Lotto), who has returned in recent weeks to wearing the clothes of the super talent we knew. He won the Bretagne Classic in Plouay and in Québec City he won in 2023, which is why he will be among the top favorites. Then there will naturally be the quintessential specialist of the Canadian classics, Michael Matthews (Jayco AlUla), record holder for victories in Québec, with three wins, plus one in Montréal, who returned well in Brittany after the pulmonary problems that had forced him to skip the Tour.

Among the already announced athletes will also be Biniam Girmay (Intermarché-Wanty), Julian Alaphilippe (Soudal-QuickStep), Tim Wellens (UAE Team Emirates-XRG), Florian Lipowitz (Red Bull-Bora-hansgrohe), Oscar Onley (PicNic PostNL) and Michael Woods (Israel-PremierTech), who will close his career in Montréal, but many others will confirm their presence in the coming days.

"Since the creation of the Grands Prix Cyclistes de Québec et de Montréal, our ambition has been to offer races at the highest levels, both sportingly and organizationally, within a unique context like our host cities," said Joseph Limare, general director of GPCQM. "Just 12 months before the 2026 UCI Road World Championships in Montréal, we want to give fans and riders a true appetizer ahead of the world title event. The quality of this year's start list confirms the good work done and the timeless charm of our routes. It is a huge honor to once again welcome the World Champion and current Tour de France yellow jersey, Tadej Pogačar. Between Québec and Montréal, we can't wait to write together the prologue of what will happen in 2026".