Lotto Heads to Canada

This week the WorldTour peloton moves to the southeast of Canada for the Grand Prix Cycliste de Québec on Friday and the Grand Prix Cycliste de Montréal on Sunday. Both races take place on a local circuit. The one in Québec is 12,6 km long and will be covered 16 times. At the end of each lap some hills are waiting. After 9 km there is the Côte de la Montagne (375 m at 10% average), followed by the Côte de la Potasse (420 m at 9% average) and the Montée de la Fabrique (190 m at 7%). Finally there is the Montée du Fort, this ascent is one kilometer long and has an average gradient of 4%.

In Montréal 17 laps of 12,1 km have to be covered, with even more height meters than in Québec. Here it is a total of 3893 meters while it are 2976 meters two days earlier. The climbs are more spread in Montréal. To begin with the Côte Camilien-Houde (1,8 km at 8% average) after two kilometers of racing. Halfway the riders have to climb the Côte de la Polytechnique (780 m at 6% average) and in the run-up to the finish it goes 560 meters uphill at 4% average on the Avenue du Parc. Both races start at eleven o’clock in the morning, that’s 17:00 CET.

Jürgen Roelandts is part of the Lotto Belisol selection. Last year he became 7th in Montréal and in 2011 4th. In Canada he will meet among others Alberto Contador, Chris Froome, Tony Gallopin, Peter Sagan and Greg Van Avermaet. We asked Roelandts about his ambitions.

Jürgen Roelandts: “Both races suit me well, Québec even a bit better than Montréal although I finished high there twice. In Québec there has to be climbed less and that’s why it should suit my profile better. I go to Canada with the ambition to ride the final and aim for a place in top five. To win everything has to go well. In both races it will be up to the last lap and then much can happen. I find it two beautiful races. Because they take place on a local circuit it gives you a World Championships feeling.”

“We go to Canada with a strong team, with guys like Tim Wellens who is in good shape and also Jens Debusschere who’s doing well. My condition keeps improving. After the Tour I might have had a setback because of riding with a broken rib. In August I wasn’t fresh yet, but after taking some rest things have changed last week in Plouay.”

Selection Lotto Belisol: Dirk Bellemakers, Sander Cordeel, Jens Debusschere, Gert Dockx, Olivier Kaisen, Maarten Neyens, Jürgen Roelandts and Tim Wellens.

Sports director: Herman Frison