July 23/20 9:17 am - GP Quebec & Montreal Cancelled

Posted by Editor on 07/23/20
 

The organizers of Canadian WorldTour races in Quebec and Montreal, scheduled for September 11th and 13th have announced that the races have been cancelled for this year due to the coronavirus pandemic. In a statement, the organization said:

Following [a] thorough and careful review of the current situation, both in Québec and abroad, the organizers of the Grands Prix Cyclistes de Québec et de Montréal (GPCQM) races have concluded that it would be impossible to fulfill all of the health and operational requirements needed to guarantee a safe and secure environment for everyone, given the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Therefore, jointly with their public-sector partners, the organizers regret to announce that the races will not take place as scheduled in Québec City and Montréal on September 11 and 13 respectively.

For the same reasons, the Critérium national de Montréal, organized by the GPCQM team in conjunction with the UCI WorldTour races, will not be held as planned on September 12.

Statement by Serge Arsenault, President of the GPCQM:

"These past few months, we have worked tirelessly to organize our races in strictest compliance with health requirements, striving to address the various scenarios and staying in constant touch with the authorities concerned. Today, there are still too many unresolved questions - for example, opening of borders, mandatory quarantine, and authorization to hold public gatherings. To delay this decision any longer would have been neither responsible nor respectful of all the parties who have placed their trust in us since 2010.

All the efforts made, to uphold our standards of quality as well as ensure everyone's safety, have ultimately been in vain. Obviously, we are deeply saddened to have to 'press pause' on our races, which in ten short years have become important events on the international circuit, eagerly looked forward to by the world's best cyclists. Our primary duty, however, is to the riders, the teams, the fans, and our partners."

Statement by David Lappartient, President of the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI):

"I understand the reasons for this difficult decision by the organizers of the Grands Prix Cyclistes de Québec et de Montréal to cancel these two races for 2020, while of course regretting that they will be absent from this season's UCI WorldTour calendar. These events, the only ones at this level to be held in the Americas, have been eagerly anticipated by the riders and by all cycling fans every year for the past ten years, and they contribute to the popularity of our sport well beyond Canada's borders. We are all very much looking forward to their return in 2021. I applaud the dedication of the cities of Québec and Montréal in lending invaluable support to cycling, and I thank the organizers for their commitment to our sport, which is very much appreciated."

The GPCQM organizers thank the UCI, the cities of Québec and Montréal, the governments of Québec and Canada, their public- and private-sector partners, and everyone who has collaborated with the organization for their unwavering support these past few months.

"To cycling fans, we say: See you next year, on September 10 and 12, 2021," the President of the GPCQM adds. "Until then, take care of yourselves and your loved ones."