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Michael Matthews (Jayco-Alula) won the Grand Prix Cycliste de Québec on Friday, holding three fingers aloft to signify a record third career win at the one-day Canadian race.
The Australian opened up his sprint from the bunch after the peloton caught a late break of three Lotto Dstny riders, including defending champion Arnaud De Lie, and Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates).
Matthews held on to beat Biniam Girmay (Intermarché Wanty). Rudy Molard (Groupama-FDJ) rounded out the podium.
“I knew it was a hard day so I guess no one really had a real kick left in their sprint,” Matthews said. “When the bunch all moved to the left I saw an opportunity to open up my sprint on the right and I guess no one probably expected someone to go from that early.
“I knew I didn’t have the big power today, but I had a really long sprint and the power to do a 15, 20-second long sprint today.”
The 201.6km circuit race through the streets of Québec, Canada suits Matthews well. He has now won three of the 12 editions of this race, having also won back to back editions in 2018 and 2019. He has also finished on the podium a number of times. The third win puts him alone for most victories here, pushing ahead of Peter Sagan and compatriot Simon Gerrans at two apiece.
How the race unfolded
The first act of the race was dominated by an early break of five, highlighted by 2024 Tour de France standout Frank van den Broek (Dsm-Firmenich-PostNL) and young American Artem Shmidt (Ineos Grenadiers).
The group amassed about a 5-minute lead that held steady for quite a while as the peloton settled into the race. Even as the break dwindled down to four, then three riders, the gap continued to hover around the 5-minute mark.
Eventually only Van den Broek and Shmidt remained as the peloton began to awaken with 60km remaining in the 201.6km circuit race that consisted of 16 12.6km-long laps and 2,976m of total race elevation gain.
Multiple riders including Ben Healy (EF Education-EasyPost) tried their luck, but with everyone fighting to get away the moves kept coming back. That gave hope to the duo in the break in this fast-paced race.
UAE Team Emirates hit the front at about 51km to go and the pace continued to hasten, and the gap to the leading duo began to close. That margin would begin to fall rapidly on the third to last lap.
Gil Gelders (Soudal-Quick Step) and Alex Baudin (Deacthlon AG2R La Mondiale) gained a small gap on the peloton on the second to last lap. They got swallowed up at 15.6km to go. Not long after, the remnants of day’s original break, Van den Broek and Shmidt, got caught as the peloton cranked up the heat for the final lap.
Juan Ayuso led the peloton through the bell and set a fast pace that strung the race out to single file with occasional gaps opening up in the peloton as riders struggled to hold on.
With 10.7km to go, American Matteo Jorgenson (Visma-Lease a Bike) took a solo flyer and quickly amassed a 10-second lead that continued to grow as disorganized teams behind chased.
Jorgenson had a handful of seconds left entering the final climb but was caught by an attack from Julian Alaphilippe (Soudal-Quick-Step). Tadej Pogačar came along and joined the front group. Shortly after, 2023 winner Arnaud De Lie managed to bridge up.
Alaphilippe kicked again and was chased down by Pogačar, who pulled the rest of the six-strong group that consisted of De Lie and two Lotto-Dstny teammates, and Jorgenson.
Pogačar attacked with 2.1km to go but De Lie doggedly clung onto his wheel, causing him to sit up so as not to drag the sprinter to the line. Two other Lotto Dstny riders bridged up. leaving three from that team plus Pogačar out front with 1km to go.
But the team would squander the chance and the peloton caught the group, setting up the bunch sprint finale where Matthews launched from far out to secure victory.
Matthews dedicates win to late grandmother
After thanking his team for their efforts today, Matthews then had a special dedication for the win.
“My grandma actually passed away last week, Wednesday,” he said. “Her funeral was this Wednesday in Canberra in Australia, so this victory is for her.”
