A female version of the Quebec and Montreal cycling Grands Prix is a wish shared by the organizers. “It’s more than a project, it’s a dream,” says Sébastien Arsenault, CEO of GPCQM. He notes that the month of September is open in the women’s WorldTour calendar, around the same dates as the men’s competitions.
Like last fall, the promoter immediately repeated that he did not want to “arrive with a lower quality of organization” than for the men’s events. In other words, the costs would be equivalent and he does not see significant economies of scale. The GPCQMs, which cover almost all transportation, accommodation and meal costs, have a total budget of nearly $7 million, the majority of which comes from the three levels of government. One or more women’s races should be presented on different days due to the length of sunshine at this time of year in Quebec.
Read the article “The best here dream of a female version”
“Do these teams have the means to come here at their own expense and pay all hotel expenses, as is the case in Europe, where they only have a stipend? I don’t think so, explains Arsenault. It would therefore take solid political will to be able to do something grandiose, which includes television broadcasting. »
The audience would probably be smaller than for men, he adds, putting on “white gloves”: “The return on investment cannot be seen in the same light as for men’s sport. We must understand that it is an investment that we are making to develop the sport among young women and that is what we must really focus on. »
According to the organizer, a three-year commitment from the public authorities would be necessary. He indicates that he had “some informal discussions” on the subject with Mayor Bruno Marchand, who would have demonstrated an openness to hosting the two events in the Quebec region.
There was no serious or official meeting. I would say that it is a common desire that we share with the mayor. Both of us watch our Quebecers perform and we say to ourselves: my God, that would be interesting. (…) Well, we have to consult other public authorities to see if it fits with their objectives.
Sébastien Arsenault, CEO of GPCQM
After the canvassing carried out to finance the organization of the Road Worlds in 2026, Sébastien Arsenault is not ready “to take up the pilgrim’s staff” for women’s WorldTour competitions. “It has to be a political will that starts squarely from above,” insists the man who is also at the head of the Beneva Montreal marathon.
Don’t skip steps
Montreal has already experienced a sort of golden age of women’s cycling. From 1998 to 2009, a World Cup attracted thousands of spectators to Mount Royal, even before the start of the rivalry between Lyne Bessette and Geneviève Jeanson. Karol-Ann Canuel competed in the last three editions — as well as the Tours of Greater Montreal and Prince Edward Island, which were added. This experience served as a springboard for a long international career which concluded in 2021 with two Olympic Games and 11 participations in the World Championships.
PHOTO BERNARD BRAULT, LA PRESSE ARCHIVES
Geneviève Jeanson (in blue) and Lyne Bessette during the Women’s Cycling World Cup in Montreal in 2002
When the organizers of the Tour de Gatineau, where she also experienced great moments, threw in the towel in 2022 after three cancellations due to the pandemic, she raised her hand to take over as general director.
“I had no experience, but for me, it was too important to bring him back to give young athletes this opportunity to be able to race at the international level, at home,” says Canuel, who has just led a project with junior riders for Cycling Canada in Europe.
Held for the first time last September, the event is made up of two distinct UCI 1.1 sanction races (second category): the Gatineau Women’s Chrono and the Tour de Gatineau, in addition to a provincial level criterium. A WorldTour team has confirmed its participation next fall.
Canuel dreams that the competition will obtain a WorldTour license within three to five years, but she does not want to “skip steps”.
PHOTO TIM DE WAELE, ASSOCIATED PRESS ARCHIVES
Karol-Ann Canuel at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics
“The advantage of having a 1.1 is that we are allowed up to seven WorldTour teams, continental teams, but also clubs (not licensed by the International Cycling Union). It has a lot of value for those who are starting out, who want to touch the international peloton, without necessarily having the chance to come to Europe. It opens up these possibilities. »
Karol-Ann Canuel supports “100%” the idea of women’s cycling Grands Prix in Quebec or Montreal, especially since the teams would have an interest in extending their stay to line up in Gatineau. At the same time, an exact replica of the men’s calendar is not essential in his eyes. “We have this unique event for women that we can also help grow. »
Olivia Baril also believes that the existence of exclusively female competitions – like the Trofeo Alfredo Binda, where she finished seventh in mid-March in Italy – remains something “cool”. She nevertheless believes that it is high time that Quebec classics were enriched with a section for women.
Women’s cycling is evolving very quickly. More and more teams have a men’s team and a women’s team. And more and more races have a men’s and women’s version. It’s a good time for Quebec and Montreal to also have an edition for women.
Olivia Baril, from the Spanish team Movista
In the meantime, the 26-year-old cyclist “thinks about the World Championships in Montreal almost every day”…
reference: www.lapresse.ca