2014 GPCQM Montreal

Since last year we learned it was super difficult to get rider autographs at the Montreal sign on, we mostly just relaxed and watched the team presentation this morning. We did manage to talk with a few riders, including Phil Gaimon. Talking with Phil was a big goal for the weekend and he was nice enough to sign Hermano’s copy of his recently published book!

As the peloton lined up at the start, the favorites were positioned in the front. Below: Tejay Vangarderen struck his usual pre-race pose alongside Rui Costa and Simon Gerrans.

Go!

 

Once the peloton was on course, we booked it through the hilly park to watch the rest of the 16 remaining laps on the steepest climb.

 

16 laps to go

The breakaway: Ryan Roth, Jan Polanc, Louis Vervaeke, and Arnaud Jeannesson.

 

So early in the race, the peloton was still reasonably calm and relaxed.

 

It looks like Antoine Duchesne heard me cheering for him!

 

15 laps to go

No change in the break and their lead had extended to about seven minutes.

 

 

Van Garderen and Fuglsang were halfway back in the peloton.

14 laps to go

Below: Matteo Trentin, Jesus Herrada and Ruben Plaza.

 

 

Dutch road champion Sebastian Langeveld and Dutch TT champion Tom Dumoulin.

 

 

13 laps to go

The break had 10 minutes in hand but the real action was going on in the peloton. There were no screens on the climb, so I don’t know who I situated the move, but the peloton had split dramatically with Movistar sitting on the front of the first chase group.

 

 

There was a considerable gap back to the second chase group.

 

 

The peloton–finally.

 

 

12 laps to go

The break was still cruising along and the peloton had come back together with Matt Hayman pulling on the front.

 

 

With the break hovering around 10 minutes ahead of the peloton on a 12k circuit, the two were essentially chasing each other around Montreal. This was great news for us spectators because it meant one or the other would ride by every 10 minutes and this short wait was very welcomed on such a cloudy, chilly day.

 

Below: a photographer waited.

 

 

11 laps to go

Katusha had come to the front in support of Alexander Kristoff.

 

 

10 laps to go

The tail of the peloton.

 

 

9 lap to go

Simon Gerrans, winner of Friday’s race in Quebec, was surround by his teammates on every lap.

 

 

7 laps to go

Astana contributed to the effort.

 

 

Several riders rode through the cars after each of the last few laps.

Below: Gert Dockx and Stig Broeckx paced Tony Gallopin back to the bunch.

 

 

6 laps to go

A very organized Astana at the front of the peloton.

 

 

Matteo Bono dropped back to bring Costa back to the peloton.

 

 

5 laps to go

Roth, who had been sitting on the back of the break and not contributing for the bulk of the climbs, was finally dropped.

 

 

 

Hoping to get a view of the finish line, we raced through the park and managed to catch the peloton as they finished up the lap.

 

 

 

2 laps to go

A solo Polanc gave it his all in an effort to stay away.

 

 

1 lap to go! The bell lap!

Polanc had a narrow gap and was doomed to be caught before much longer.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Today’s 4 autographs came from: 14 Juan Jose Lobato, 73 Yannick Eijssen, 81 Jakob Fuglsang, and 154 Alex Howes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And that, dear readers, ends my spectating for the year!

 

UPDATE: Looks like my season isn’t over yet and I’m headed for Ponferrada after all! the first race I’ll catch will be the Junior Men’s TT on Tuesday morning. Can’t wait!