Pro Tour Coming to North America
by Sui Juris on Jun 18, 2009 3:25 PM EDT
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PrintCN (among others) reports:
The UCI announced on Thursday that it has reserved two dates for ProTour races on the 2010 calendar. The ProTour Council set aside September 10th and 12th, 2010 for two new UCI ProTour races, both in Canada.
[ . . . ]
The news comes on the heels of the announcement that the Tour of California has applied for ProTour status from 2011.
Excellent news for North American cycling, this.
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in canada?
"Wizard's first rule. People are stupid. They will believe anything they want to be true or fear to be true." -- Terry Goodkind
more important details...
first race will be held in Montreal and the second in Quebec City
Words cannot describe this feeling. Oh wait, it’s the same feeling I had when they announced the Montreal-Boston race.
"Never swing a small stick. " Andy Hampsten
oh, so not canada after all, but quebec
"Wizard's first rule. People are stupid. They will believe anything they want to be true or fear to be true." -- Terry Goodkind
Canda? and 2? Why don't settle in the USA first.. Or China, or Russia or whatever is in between..
Crashdan: "Veni Vidi Vici beats Wing Kong Exchange... … and I’ll change my signature to a backwards smile for a month."
Frining "It's what he thinks.. But he always do.. I eat my shoe if he ride top 15 in le Tour" about Devolder
The Cervélo factor perhaps, although they’re not ProTour. The World Championships have been in Hamilton, there have been lots of World Cups for women in Canada. What have the USA done for the UCI lately, apart from the Tour of Cali attracting a nice field in the last couple of years?
Well...
eeh..
The USA has Lance.. He will get meida attention and so it’s going to be a huge spectacle.. Whta has Canada? Only looking to riders I say Barry and Hesjedal? Don’t even know for sure they are Canadien.. Think the sport has to few riders from that country to make it an interesting sport for them.. But you know.. I have no idea what teh media attention is for cycling in Canada
Crashdan: "Veni Vidi Vici beats Wing Kong Exchange... … and I’ll change my signature to a backwards smile for a month."
Frining "It's what he thinks.. But he always do.. I eat my shoe if he ride top 15 in le Tour" about Devolder
Tuft and I think Meier are also canadian
Or is it meyer. I am so confused by those two on the garmin team.
Also, the Montreal-Quebec City area has been putting on *major* stage races for years now...
…aka the Montreal World Cup and the Tour of Greater Montreal, two of the most important events on the women’s calendar.
There used to be a great race in Montreal.
the Grand Prix des Amériques. This was the one world cup race (I think that’s what they called it back then) outside Europe for a few years. They did about 14 laps of the city if I remember right – i.e. 14 times up the Mont-Royal. Damn tough course. I saw it one year, it was amazing, just being that close to Sean Kelly.
on the island?
"Wizard's first rule. People are stupid. They will believe anything they want to be true or fear to be true." -- Terry Goodkind
now, if you wanta climb the cliff up to quebec city....
"Wizard's first rule. People are stupid. They will believe anything they want to be true or fear to be true." -- Terry Goodkind
Montreal is the island – when you get off the island it’s burbs/different cities.
by plinytheelder on Jun 18, 2009 6:14 PM EDT up reply actions
I'm sensing a new destination for a party of sorts next year. :-)
But… won’t that fall into the same time frame as the ToM???
I love C, not because he rocks as a cyclist, but because deep down he's a band geek! LOL!
Missouri would be a few days later
And according to news here, both ProTour races will be a week earlier after 2010 (in 2010 Mont Ste-Anne in Québec City will host the Mountain Bike World Championship so they’ve scheduled the ProTour races to avoid having both at the same time)
Good to note. Thanks!
I love C, not because he rocks as a cyclist, but because deep down he's a band geek! LOL!
Sounds nice...
though I doubt many of the big names will show up…Those dates are about 2 weeks before Worlds and during the Vuelta =[….Though it will be a good experience for the fans.
Hope the hills are selective
I’ve never seen harsh climbs in Montreal. Maybe we can make them ride a a few iced, cobbled climbs. Those I’ve seen there, in January.
Might be a good race for Worlds riders who don’t want to deal with the Vuelta at this stage of the reason. Guys like Pozzato or Cancellara, maybe.
Right here? Wow
Hi everyone… found this place a while ago, never commented until now but enjoyed reading what everyone has to say. Hope I won’t do anything wrong…
I live in Montreal and I’m thrilled to learn that a major race will be minutes away from my home.
The race will probably tackle the famous Camilien-Houde climb which goes straight up Mont-Royal. That climb was a part of the 74 World Championship (Merckx) and I think of the 76 Olympics. It was present in the Grand Prix des Amériques as plinytheelder said, and it’s also where the women World Cup is held every year. A single climb isn’t too bad… but when you repeat it a few times, it gets really tough.
As for Quebec City, it’s a regular fixture in the Tour de Beauce who just finished days ago. The Canadian National Championship is frequently in that area too.
If you have any questions, please ask, I’m happy to answer!
Glad to have you here.
Ashamed to say that I’ve never been to Montreal – this sounds like the perfect reason to go, next year.
Welcome to the party! :-)
Hey gang… I think MathieuG might’ve just offered up a place to crash next year for our party. :-)
I love C, not because he rocks as a cyclist, but because deep down he's a band geek! LOL!
We promise to behave. :-)
I love C, not because he rocks as a cyclist, but because deep down he's a band geek! LOL!
they could go nuts and go into Westmount too – up to that belvedère, whatever it’s called – that would be pretty damn tough if they followed on the heels of the M-R.
ps great to have you here!
by plinytheelder on Jun 18, 2009 11:02 PM EDT up reply actions
Going into Westmount would be fun
The belvédère (you had it right) is on the Camilien Houde climb… almost at the top, were things start to get rough. Not sure what you mean by following the heels (english is not my first language), if you mean other climbs beside the main one there aren’t a lot, Mont Royal is pretty much a hill in the middle of flat land. The Camilien Houde is a interesting climb… I never had the real numbers, but I figure the start is at about 80m, the top at about 210m, climbed in around 1.6km. I once heard it’s something like 8% average with a few steeper parts. No really sure, I may be off…
no, I mean the one where you – OK let’s see if I can describe this, you’re on avenue Mont-Royal, you veer left and go up the Mont-Royal, then on the other side you start descending. Then (I’m bringing up a map to get the street names) you cross Côte-des-neiges, then go up chemin Belvedère and cercle Summit to another belvedère, this one faces west. That’s a good climb too, especially on the heels of (i.e. immediately after) Camilien-Houde. (I used to live in Mtl and ride these two back-to-back all the time)
That’s if the snooty Westmount people let the race go into their hood ;)
by plinytheelder on Jun 18, 2009 11:27 PM EDT up reply actions
ok I see what you mean
You wouldn’t have the real precise Mont Royal numbers by any luck? Been searching for those for a long time
no, sorry
all I have is the memory of the pain in my legs! ;)
by plinytheelder on Jun 18, 2009 11:30 PM EDT up reply actions
Yeah, so do I
Never climbed the Westmount part… I’ll try that when I get a chance. Thanks for the tip.
Westmount climbs
There are about 4 great routes up westmount, and they are all really nice and switchbacky. If this race actually happens, I will be more than happy to host a “Climbs of Montreal” tour for PdC. They are about 9-10 all within a 5km radius. Steepest climb maxes out at ~23%.
"Never swing a small stick. " Andy Hampsten
Camilien houde
Here is a link to my Garmin file of it. It starts going up from Avenue du Parc and it would be about 2km total.
"Never swing a small stick. " Andy Hampsten
130m in 1,6 km = 8,1%.. Those are Belgium steep mountains gradints.. Nice and really tough
Crashdan: "Veni Vidi Vici beats Wing Kong Exchange... … and I’ll change my signature to a backwards smile for a month."
Frining "It's what he thinks.. But he always do.. I eat my shoe if he ride top 15 in le Tour" about Devolder
What to ask the local?
there’s always “how’s the weather”…
Which is applicable…
The closest I’ve been in location and time-of-year was August in Ottawa, about 20 years ago. It was sticky-hot. But the average monthly temperature charts suggest that was a total fluke, and that we should expect blue skies, maybe a cloud burst or two, and max temperatures in the low-mid 70’s degrees F—lovely!
So, what’s best case, worst case, and best bet for 3 days in early September? Sublime?
Best case and best bet is probably what you said: clear blue skies, not too hot (20 celsius maybe). Usually September is pretty nice (cool nights and warm days). July and August can get sticky hot, but in September that’s rare. And no, no snow :-)
I’d be surprised if it got over 30 or under 10, but sometimes it happens. Rain is also a possibility, but normally in September it’s not big heavy thunderstorms.
For the stage in Quebec City, the leaves might just start to get colored, I’m not too sure when it starts over there but since it’s more to the north it starts a little earlier there.
Sooo..... targeting..... Italy perhaps????
Okay I see these two dates and the first thing I do is to look at what else happens around then. Two things mainly:
-Vuelta
-The beginning of all those Italian one day races that culminate with Emilia and Lombardia in October.
So then I start wondering… California is a new PT race (2010) opposite the Giro. Now these two Quebec one day Pro Tour races are opposite some of the minor Itlaina one day races. I also note that Missouri, also opposite the Vuelta but earlier than these Quebec races, will probably benefit from this Quebec duo as teams could hit all three and with basically the same riders.
Then I also see that Catalunya, which has been opposite the Giro is now moved up to March, ending the California conflict and bumping Castile and Leon (to who knows where) thus having an early Pro Tour stage race- overlapping with Paris-Nice and Tirreno-Adriatico- two other PT stage races.
Three Pro Tour stage races at the same time? That makes no sense-unless more races will be moved soon or in a year or two.
I don’t know but I keep thinking of two things:
- The Vuelta will eventually get moved to April with the above mentioned PT stage races then becoming prep races for it.
- And on a different level UCI has formed a very informal alliance with ASO-against RCS. It’s the RCS’s territory that is being encroached upon. In ten years the pro cycling calendar will be quite a bit different than what iot is this year and RCS will be the big losers.
Catalyuna will be not be held at the same time as P-N and T-A
it starts on March 22, which should be the day after MSR. How exciting is that? First P-N and T-A for 11 days, then MSR and then Catalyuna to cap off an exciting March, I love it. Plus now that is in March I could see Bert and some other big names do both P-N and the Catalyuna insetad of P-N and Castilla Leon(which should be moved to February IMO).
Thanks for the correction in the schedule
That change makes my suspicions grow even more of a UCI/ASO hookup. T-A become ever more a sprinter’s race with local (Italian) stage racers. They go to MSR. P-N then Catalunya become the GC stage racer early season destination races just waiting for a Grand Tour to feed into.
if you move cyl into february, there go the mountains
"Wizard's first rule. People are stupid. They will believe anything they want to be true or fear to be true." -- Terry Goodkind
Just give it a few years
Once the North American Union is complete, we’ll just go back to calling it the USA.
no thanks!
one Jesusland is enough for this continent! ;)
by plinytheelder on Jun 18, 2009 10:57 PM EDT up reply actions
ouch!
Are you Joel Osteen in real life?
by plinytheelder on Jun 18, 2009 11:18 PM EDT up reply actions
Speaking about NA racing
Ivan Dominguez has left Fuji and gone back to the scumbags of the peloton(aka RR)
Disagree
Definitely not the riders. Lots of good guys on Rock Racing, just trying to make a living. You mean Ball? More douche, less scum, in the bag dept.
Right should have said mostly meant Ball and managment
they run the PR so to me they run the scum machine. Scummy douche IMO.
Guy definitely couldn't cut it at the top level...
He is more in the land of 90 minute crits…not 4+ hour road races.
by Vlaanderen90 on Jun 19, 2009 8:16 AM EDT up reply actions
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