September 12/25 20:28 pm - Alaphilippe Wins GP Quebec

Posted by Editoress on 09/12/25
 

Alaphilippe Takes Biggest Win of the Year at GP Quebec

Julien Alaphilippe (Tudor Cycling) took his biggest victory since a stage win at the Giro last year on Friday, with a solo win at the GP Cycliste de Quebec. Hugo Houle (Israel Premier Tech) was the top Canadian on the day, finishing 44th.

This year's GP Quebec featured a circuit change, slightly shortening the route and finishing on an uphill sprint in the Plains of Abraham. Near perfect weather conditions led to an impressive spectator turnout, with the biggest numbers on the crowd favourite Cote de la Montagne climb. The race was extended two laps, to 18 in total, for 216 kilometres.

The race began with the almost obligatory attack from Team Canada. Four riders assembled at the front - Felix Bouchard and Philippe Jacob from Team Canada, Luca Vergallito (Alpecin-Deceuninck) and Filip Maciejuk (Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe). The gap quickly grew, reaching over six minutes by three laps into the race.

Alaphilippe's Tudor Cycling squad took on the pace setting to keep the break within reach, and the gap remained at six minutes after 100 kilometres of racing. The gap finally started to shrink with a little over than 100 kilometres to go, and really started to come down after a group of 10, including Alaphilippe, broke away from the field around the 82 kilometre mark. This brought the gap down below five minutes.

That large group was caught, but another group countered, with Alaphilippe in that one also. This group was 2:20 behind the leaders - down to three after Jacob was dropped - with the peloton at 3:12 as the race entered the final five laps. The next lap saw the gaps between the leaders and the chasers start to come down slowly, as more riders jumped across to the chase. With a little over three laps remaining, the gap was down to 1:22 for 11 chasers. Bouchard, after an extremely impressive ride, was finally dropped from the lead, leaving just two at the front.

The chase group caught the two leaders with 34 kilometres to go - after 182 kilometres at the front. However, as the race started two laps to go, the new leaders were less than a minute ahead of the peloton, and shedding riders under the high pace. Then, the expected vicious attack by world champion Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates XRG) took place on the second to last time up the Montagne climb. Initially, no one could stay with him, but four riders clawed their way across over the top of the climb, including Biniam Girmay (Intermarche-Wanty).

The group got to within 20 seconds of the leaders by the start of the final lap, but no one would work with Pogacar, and the front of the splintered peloton was chasing from behind. The impetus went out of the chase when Pogacar stopped working.

Alaphilippe was driving the pace at the front, and attacked over the final Montagne climb to enter the final kilometre with only two chasers - Pavel Sivakov (UAE Team Emirates XRG) and Alberto Bettiol (XDS Astana). The duo could not close the gap, and Alaphilippe was able to sit up, straighten his jersey and celebrate his win. Sivakov took second.

"It's going to take me a while to realize what's happened," said a jubilant Alaphilippe. "The Grand Prix Cycliste de Québec is a race I've always dreamed of winning. To achieve that today, and in this way, is incredible! My team did a great job, I owe them a lot. This is my first World Tour victory since my stage win in the Giro last year, it's been a long time. I'm very proud. I felt good throughout the race, but it was also very tactical. I was the only one from my team in the counter-attack group. My sports director told me to save as much energy as possible for the final. I stayed focused until the last kilometre, where I gave it my all. I'm very happy that our plan worked!"

Trivia note:  Julian Alaphilippe is the third Frenchman in history to have his name added to the list of winners of the Grand Prix Cycliste de Québec. Thomas Voeckler won the first edition of the race in 2010, followed by Benoît Cosnefroy, who won in 2022.

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