Grand Prix Cycliste de Québec & Montréal 2024, one day classics, September 13 & 15

[Red Rick]

You make it sounds it was Pogs fault. When it's 3 against the 🐐, the 3 have the responsibility.

If everyone is obligated to just help Pogacar any time I can see how you win everything.

There's no way De Lie should pull there

 

[AmRacer]

If everyone is obligated to just help Pogacar any time I can see how you win everything.

There's no way De Lie should pull there

Not De Lie, and yes 3 is to few against Pog.

 

[tobydawq]

Matthews' forgettability seems to be his biggest asset. He's inherited that role in the somewhat lumpy but not truly hilly races where he is the threat of what happens if people don't take the bull by the horns.

And from a personal point of view, his forgettability is an asset in that if I remembered he existed more than a handful of times a year, I'd probably really dislike him à la Gerrans. As it is, if I miss a race and then see him on the podium, it's usually a byword for "you should probably skip this one", but this thread appears to suggest that the latter parts of the race were actually worth checking out.

It definitely is. His Tour win from '22 definitely also is and on that occasion - unlike yesterday - he rode very much unlike Gerrans.

 

[Lequack]

Some pics

 

[movingtarget]

Matthews again. Nice sprint.

 

[Bolder]

Thank God, Matthews won today, as it's been a wasted year. Due to a combination of lack of team strength, tactical naivety on Matthew's account and his own mental fragility, he's cost himself another 3 or 4 wins. Will add that DeLie is tactically naive. When Pogi attacked on the final lap, he had to let his domestics chase down Pogi and stay in the bunch.

Because some random Belgian farmers can chase down the world’s greatest cyclist? It wasn’t a bad idea by DeLie but once he caught Pog there wasn’t really a plan B. If no one goes after Pog he likely wins.

 

[proffate]

Thank God, Matthews won today, as it's been a wasted year. Due to a combination of lack of team strength, tactical naivety on Matthew's account and his own mental fragility, he's cost himself another 3 or 4 wins. Will add that DeLie is tactically naive. When Pogi attacked on the final lap, he had to let his domestics chase down Pogi and stay in the bunch.

Just cause Matthews wears his heart on his sleeve doesn't mean he's fragile. I don't think the mental aspect is what's holding him back. He's just a cut rate Sagan who needs the perfect course to win. Even yesterday he would have lost to Bini if Bini didn't botch the positioning.

(Actually the comparison to Sagan is a bit unfair as Sagan did lose the drive to compete in later years. Bling looks pretty resilient in comparison.)

 

[yaco]

Just cause Matthews wears his heart on his sleeve doesn't mean he's fragile. I don't think the mental aspect is what's holding him back. He's just a cut rate Sagan who needs the perfect course to win. Even yesterday he would have lost to Bini if Bini didn't botch the positioning.

(Actually the comparison to Sagan is a bit unfair as Sagan did lose the drive to compete in later years. Bling looks pretty resilient in comparison.)

Matthews has been mentally fragile at times this year. His training numbers have been excellent this year and he should have got more than 2 wins this year. You also add some tactical naivety and lack of team support and that's your recipe. At the end of the day, Bling went early in the final and was far too strong.

 

[Rob5091]

Lotto DS & guys sum things up -
https://cyclinguptodate.com/cycling...-lose-out-at-gp-de-quebec-we-came-here-to-win

"We were with three in the front with Pogacar. Matthews came back and surprised us, he has a lot of experienced as he won twice here earlier," De Lie said in words following the race. "I tried to find my speed again for the sprint but to still go for victory was impossible. It's unfortunate we didn't go to the end as we had a big advantage being with three, but in the end it's promising for the future to be up there with three of us young guys on the highest level. The team showed it's strength here. We did a strong race and my teammates positioned me well. My form is here, and we will try again on Sunday".

Jenno Berckmoes, another of the team's revelations this season, tells the story through his point of view in words to Het Laatste Nieuws: "We were trying to ride the perfect race. There were three of us in the top ten and when they went, all three of us were with them. Certainly nice, but what do we get from it? We came here to win. The team was a lot better than last year, but we are not on the podium, so that is a shame".

Team DS Nikolas Maes supports the riders and their decision, stating that "nobody was disappointed. The team did perfectly until three kilometers from the finish, in the chaos that followed, perhaps not the best decisions were made, but in hindsight it's easy to talk".

 

[movingtarget]

Matthews having one of his better seasons. A win at MSR and no relegation at Flanders would have made it even better. His competitive spirit is still alive in his final season. I actually think he could ride for two more seasons based on this year. But it sounds like he won't. Shame he never got the monument or World's win but he came close many times.

 

[tobydawq]

Matthews having one of his better seasons. A win at MSR and no relegation at Flanders would have made it even better. His competitive spirit is still alive in his final season. I actually think he could ride for two more seasons based on this year. But it sounds like he won't. Shame he never got the monument or World's win but he came close many times.

His final season? Huh?

 

[E_F_]

I wish Montreal was more entertaining, because I like the idea of it.

The GP de Montreal is often pretty boring unfortunately, with all the action coming on the last lap - mostly on the Mont Royal itself. So I looked at how it might be improved.

Grand Prix Cycliste de Montreal

13.1 km, +320 m. Bike ride in Montreal, Quebec

ridewithgps.com

I've shifted the route to the south of Mont Royal rather than north. There I've added three short climbs of about 300 metres and 8% after a short bit of technical narrow descent. The section contains 13 90 degree corners within 13 km. I've kept the finish line with the 180, which I like a lot. Hopefully the techinal nature of the circuit could stretch the race out and make early attacks viable - like a Glasgow circuit, you know...

 

[yaco]

One less lap of Montreal gives the riders like De Lie and Matthews a better chance of making the finish.

 

[Lequack]

So Alaphilippe and Jorgenson the main favorites along with Pog?

 

[tobydawq]

So Alaphilippe and Jorgenson the main favorites along with Pog?

Van Gils too, certainly.

 

[johnymax]

Alan Filip for the win, please.

 

[Monsi]

One less lap of Montreal gives the riders like De Lie and Matthews a better chance of making the finish.

How come? It's still 17 laps of that circuit instead of 18. Just means the big favorites will attack on lap 17 instead of 18. Don't know how one less lap changes things. It's still 209 km long.

 

[2WpK]

Two very different races. Montreal has much more climbing and a climber winning solo is much more likely

 

[Libertine Seguros]

(Actually the comparison to Sagan is a bit unfair as Sagan did lose the drive to compete in later years. Bling looks pretty resilient in comparison.)

That may have been different had Sagan not been there, though, because that's a lot of victories that Matthews could have been in contention for. Not like he would have contested everything Sagan did, of course, but if he had a potential rainbow jersey or a couple more maillots verts at home plus a bunch of stage wins and smaller one-day races that Sagan won in sprints (as opposed to, say, Richmond or de Ronde) and you never know what his motivation would have been like.

 

[Moose McKnuckles]

I just want a good race, not a bunch sprint.

 

[E_F_]

I just want a good race, not a bunch sprint.

You'll get a bunch sprint the last time up Mont Royal, then a solo to the line.

 

[Pantani_lives]

The obvious favorite is Pogacar. I expect him to attack on the first climb of the final lap. Jorgenson, Alaphilippe and Van Gils will be his main rivals. I wonder if De Lie and Van den Broek can play a role after the good impression they left on Friday the 13th.

 

[Lequack]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1835077617910743338

View: https://x.com/lotto_dstny/status/1835077617910743338

https://twitter.com/x/status/1835322394711396766

View: https://x.com/IsraelPremTech/status/1835322394711396766

 

[Bolder]

I wish Montreal was more entertaining, because I like the idea of it.

The problem is that Mount Royal climb isn't quite hard enough, and also, I think, that the race comes toward the end of the season so there might be some conservative rideing.

Looking at your loop, McGill would probably not be happy to have to close the campus for a bike race! But there's a bunch of steep streets up from Sherbrooke for sure.

There's also some hillier bits around the U of M, in Outremont and the streets down to the river below McGill.

I wonder what the 2026 WCRR will look like. I can't imagine it wouldn't have Mount Royal a bunch on every lap. Could be cool to have an uphill finish at the top of the mount.

 

[Lequack]

Girmay is pretty popular at the start line