A Spectator’s Guide to the Grand Prix Cycliste de Montréal
On Sunday, September 13, 2026, Montreal will again play host to many of cycling’s biggest names during the Grand Prix Cycliste de Montréal. Here’s an overview of the stakes, the course, the contenders, and how to watch.
Quick Facts
Date: September 13, 2026
Location: Montreal, Quebec
Classification: UCI WorldTour
Circuit: 13.4 km per lap, Mont-Royal (new course for 2026)
Laps: 16
Total distance: 214.4 km
Elevation gain: 269 m per lap (4,304 m total)
Teams: 18 WorldTeams + 3 ProTeams
Defending champion (2025): Brandon McNulty
What’s at Stake
For how UCI WorldTour points work, see our guide to the Grand Prix Cycliste de Québec. In Montreal, it’s all about the timing and especially the place: the Grand Prix falls one week before the UCI Road World Championships get underway in the same city on almost the same course the Championships will use for their finishing circuit. Riders also participating in the World Championship will have a chance to preview the course that will decide the world champion’s rainbow jersey.
Photo credit: Groupe Sonic
The Course
The new route features sixteen 13.4-kilometre lap, up from the 12.3-kilometre loop the Grand Prix had run since 2010. The course starts and finishes on Avenue du Parc, at the foot of Mount Royal. Riders climb up and over wooded Mount Royal Park, running past the Notre-Dame-des-Neiges Cemetery, before skirting and entering the Université de Montréal campus, where the route picks up Chemin de la Polytechnique. Then it goes through the Plateau's rowhouses along Avenue du Mont-Royal Ouest, Rue Saint-Urbain, and Avenue des Pins Ouest (new for 2026) before the false flat back up Avenue du Parc closes out the lap.
This is a hilly circuit. Riders take on Voie Camillien-Houde (1.8 km at 8%), Chemin de la Polytechnique (780 m at 6%, with 200 m at 11%!), Avenue Pagnuelo (534 m at 7.5%), and Avenue du Parc (600 m at 4%). They do so sixteen times over, racking up a massive 4,304 metres, which is comparable to a mountain stage and tough enough to challenge even elite riders.
Photo credit: Groupe Sonic
Riders to Watch
The course favours riders who can both keep up a fast pace and eventually break away on the steep, sustained uphills. With Tadej Pogacar riding the Vuelta a España, the field should be wide open. While start lists haven’t yet been formally announced, expect riders such as Paul Seixas, the 19-year-old French prodigy who just finished 4th overall in his first Tour de France, and Tom Pidcock, fresh off a ninth place in the Tour de France, to go for the win. The two reigning GPCQM champions, both top-tier climbers, could also be contenders: Julian Alaphilippe (Quebec, 2025) and Brandon McNulty (Montreal, 2025).
Photo credit: Groupe Sonic
How to Watch
In Person
The Grand Prix Cycliste de Montréal is freely accessible along the 13.4-kilometre circuit. Voie Camillien-Houde, which goes up Mount Royal, will be a prime viewing spot with a festive atmosphere. Its steep slope slows riders down enough to give you a good look at the action. It could also be where the top riders make their move. For the same reasons, the hill on Chemin de la Polytechnique is also a good place to watch.
You can also take in the race in the Fans Village at the start/finish line, which will have giant screens showing the race, exhibitors, entertainment, food, and a secure bike parking area at Parc Jeanne-Mance. For a paid upgrade, Espace Signature offers a more comfortable vantage near the start/finish line, and new for 2026, the Tribune Nord and Tribune Sud grandstands put you in prime viewing position on Avenue du Parc.
TV and Streaming
The race will stream live in English on CBC Gem starting at 10:00 a.m. (free). TVA Sports will cover the race in French ($17.99 for a 1-month subscription).
Photo credit: Groupe Sonic
FAQ — Grand Prix Cycliste de Montréal
Is Tadej Pogacar racing the Grand Prix Cycliste de Montréal in 2026?
No, Pogacar is skipping both Quebec and Montreal in 2026 to race the Vuelta a España. He will be racing in the UCI Road World Championships in Montreal later that month, where he’s going for a rainbow jersey three-peat.
Why did the Grand Prix Cycliste de Montréal change its course for 2026?
GPCQM reshaped its Mont-Royal circuit to align more closely with the finishing circuit used for the UCI Road World Championships.
When will the 2026 riders be announced?
Teams begin submitting their rosters to GPCQM about a month before race day. Headline names will be formally confirmed in the weeks that follow, typically by late August.
