April 5/06 3:07 am - Women's Cycling World Cup and the Tour du Grand Montréal Announcement

Posted by Editoress on 04/5/06
 

Épreuves de la Coupe du Monde Cycliste Féminine presents the 2006 Programming for the Women’s Cycling World Cup and the Tour du Grand Montréal Montreal
Courtesy Épreuves de la Coupe du Monde Cycliste Féminine

Épreuves de la Coupe du Monde Cycliste Féminine is proud to present its programming for 2006. The ninth edition of the only road cycling world cup in America will be held on Mount Royal in Montreal while the fifth edition of the Tour du Grand Montréal will take place in the cities of Montreal (Lachine and Rosemont-Petite Patrie boroughs), Rigaud and Mont-Saint-Hilaire.

The event promoter, Daniel Manibal, is very proud to present the 2006 edition’s honorary president, Isabelle Hudon, president and CEO of the Board of Trade of Metropolitan Montreal. According to Mr. Manibal, she is “a woman of many challenges and accomplishments, a kind woman who believed in our events”.

“I am proud to be associated with the Women’s Cycling World Cup, a unique race in North America that will bring together the world’s elite on Mount Royal next May. This unifying event also places Montreal in the international spotlight. We know that we have the talent and expertise it takes to make this race a resounding success. Sports and business share definite core values: perseverance and surpassing oneself are just two examples. This is a good opportunity to put these values to the test, for the athletes who will be racing as well as the region that welcomes them”, states Mrs. Hudon.

A Unique Event in America

The Montreal World Cup is the seventh leg of a twelve-leg circuit, each race held in a different country. Each year, the Union Cycliste Internationale grants only twelve international sanctions in order to determine the World Cup champion. Montreal hosts the only road cycling world cup on the American continent. Australia, New Zealand, Belgium, Switzerland and Spain hosted legs of the UCI World Cup 2006 before Canada (Montreal). The next races will take place in Sweden, Denmark, France, the Netherlands and Germany.

Improved Course

The famous Mount Royal course is now nearly 2 km longer, stretching to Parc Jeanne-Mance and Avenue du Parc. According to Mr. Manibal, “the new course allows the public to view the race from different vantage points. Although the Mount Royal lookout and summit remain choice spots from which to watch the event, Parc Jeanne-Mance and Avenue du Parc will be great for seeing cyclists flash by in this flat section of the race”. Mr. Manibal also thanked the Plateau-Mont-Royal borough for agreeing to welcome part of the course.

The Tour du Grand Montréal, Largest Tour in America

Quebeckers can be proud of the cycling reputation the province has built over the years. The Tour du Grand Montréal has become the largest road cycling tour in America. The victory of Oenone Wood in 2005, ranked first by the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI), is proof of the top-level athletes who come to compete in the greater metropolitan area.

Stages of the 2006 Tour du Grand Montréal

The Tour du Grand Montréal received the highest level of the international sanction. This prestigious Tour is divided into 4 stages:

Host of the Tour du Grand Montréal prologue for 4 years now, the Lachine borough is modifying its course by 3.8 km, now 9 km in all, thus transforming its prologue into a true time trial worthy of the greatest international races. The time trial will be held on Monday, May 29 at 10:30 a.m. in the streets of downtown Lachine.

The second stage, a 118 km road race, will take place on Tuesday, May 30 in Rigaud. This very hilly course will allow our mountain experts to give us a world championship-calibre performance.

The third stage, a 50 km criterium race mixed with intermediary sprints and public prize money giveaways, will take place in the evening of Wednesday, May 31, in Little Italy. Each year, more and more spectators gather along the course, creating an electrifying atmosphere. The contribution of the Italian community, a great supporter of the event, must be emphasized.

Our partners, Rythme FM and Journal de Montréal, got together this year to organize a friendly race featuring celebrities from the art, journalistic and sports scene. The Critérium des célébrités Rythme FM – Journal de Montréal will take place before the elite race, on May 31 at 6:45 p.m.

The fourth and last stage will be held in the late afternoon of Thursday, June 1, in Mont-Saint-Hilaire. The departure/arrival area for this course, a five-lap run totalling 115 km, is at the peak of Mont-Saint-Hilaire on Chemin de la Montagne.

The Best Cyclists in the World

The World Cup and Tour du Grand Montréal will once again welcome the best female cyclists in the world. We can expect to see the cream of the world cycling crop and the best Quebec and Canadian athletes. Mr. Manibal explains: “this year, we worked hard to find teams of different geographical origins to be able to offer spectators a diversified pack. Our efforts paid off. We have already received confirmation from Cuba’s national team and the new UCI team from Hong Kong, Giant Cycling Team, whose athletes are excellent sprinters, in addition to teams from Germany, New Zealand and Italy, who boast formidable climbers”.

Our Cyclosportive Back this Year and Better than Ever

Le Challenge du Mont-Royal, Saturday, May 27, 12:00 p.m. The Montreal World Cup will be led by a cycling challenge, Le Challenge du Mont-Royal. Open to experienced cyclists, the Challenge will involve running a complete lap of the world cup course.

La cyclo du Tour à Rigaud, Saturday, June 3, 1:30 p.m.
The Cyclo du Tour is a race on Rigaud’s course, the Tour du Grand Montréal’s crucial stage. The Rigaud road race, held on June 3, offers a choice of two courses to increase accessibility to this popular event. A podium will be set up for the three fastest women and the three fastest men in these two competitions. Interesting door prizes can also be won.

Défis des jeunes

In collaboration with their respective school boards, over 400 students at the elementary and secondary level will have a chance to take part in a friendly race on a section of the pro course during the Lachine, Rigaud and Mont-Saint-Hilaire stages.