When discussing calendars, it becomes clear how difficult it is for North America to insert itself into the geographical map that the UCI dreams of. A superpower like the USA doesn't have a top-level race, so Canada, and particularly the Quebec region, has been attracting big stars across the ocean since 2010 with the Grands Prix Cyclistes de Québec and Montréal, which have been part of the WorldTour circuit from the beginning.

Between the late '80s and early '90s, Montréal had the GP des Ameriques, then in 1999 the Tour Trans Canada arrived for a single year, a 10-stage race covering all the most iconic locations in Eastern Canada, including Niagara Falls. The driving force behind all this was the same organization that today runs the GP of Montréal and Québec, and will host the World Championship on these same roads next year - the Arsenault family, first with father Serge (a journalist who first brought the Tour de France to TV in Quebec) and now with his son Sébastien.

The organization, initially very European and French, has gradually become more Canadian, and today the events are well-established. Between the GP de Québec on Friday 12th and the GP de Montréal on Sunday 14th September, approximately 250,000 fans are expected to crowd the streets of the two cities. "The right intuition was to create a city center circuit, generating excitement for fans and riders," explained Joseph Limare, general manager of the Grands Prix Cyclistes. "It's no coincidence that even in Europe, they're increasingly seeking this solution because spectators have more fun, and they are ultimately our driving force. Then there's the organizational quality of the local people, who set up high-level events with great hospitality for everyone, which makes riders want to return, and consequently, sponsors and institutions become attached and continue to invest."

The costs of organizing a race in North America are higher compared to Europe, but the city circuit format and the attention that has been created around the races from the beginning have encouraged cities and sponsors to believe in the project. The Montreal World Championship in 2026 will be the pinnacle of this continuous growth: "The World Championship is a process that began about a decade ago with Serge and Sébastien Arsenault. We had this dream, but we told ourselves 'first let's organize 10 editions of the GP of Montréal, only then will we be ready for a World Championship'. And here we are," Limare said again.

And what if the project were to expand to other areas of North America? "We're exploring and looking at any area or city that might be interested in something similar. Mexico? An evaluation is in progress..."