UCI WorldTour: from Canadian wins to Zurich for Pogačar and Matthews

The two friends won in Canada

As he rode to the finish line of the Grand Prix Cycliste de Montréal on Sunday, his 54th race day and his 22nd victory of a spectacular 2024 to date, Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates) had more than enough time to celebrate.

In line with his trademark solo victories, the Slovenian had made his decisive move a couple dozen kilometres out, and his chasers - first Pello Bilbao (Bahrain Victorious) and then Julian Alaphilippe (Soudal Quick-Step), the fastest in a 15-man group - were in no position to get back to him.

So Pogačar shared his success with the crowds lining up in Canada for the two Grand Prix, in Québec (13 September) and Montréal (15 September). There were many hands reaching out to him; he high-fived some, including that of Michael Matthews (Team Jayco AlUla).

But the Australian star had not travelled to North America simply for leisure, and to enjoy Pogačar’s stunning attacks. He was there on business, having won the Grand Prix Cycliste de Québec himself, a couple of days earlier, before dropping out of the Grand Prix Cycliste de Montréal and waiting to celebrate his friend’s success.

Used to training together in Monaco, Pogačar and Matthews can both head back to the Principality victoriously. Now is time to put the final touches to their preparation for the UCI Road World Championships in Zurich, Switzerland (21-29 September), where they’re both expected to show their punchy skills.

Matthews, the expert

Matthews is no ordinary cyclist in Canada. He had already amassed lots of successes and many accolades, winning Québec and Montréal in 2018, and Québec again the following year. In nine participations in the Grand Prix de Québec, he abandoned once (2012, his first), finished 5th in 2016 and stood on the podium the seven other times he started!

The accumulation of small climbs, adding up to some 2,500 metres of elevation to wear out the sprinters, perfectly suits his abilities, resisting the ascents before enforcing his speed in the final straight.

This year, he kicked with about 300 metres to go, for a long dominant uphill sprint. Tiesj Benoot (Visma | Lease a Bike) almost came back to his level but the Belgian faltered (finishing 4th) while Matthews triumphed ahead of Biniam Girmay (Intermarché-Wanty) and Rudy Molard (Groupama-FDJ).

Pogačar was among the first to congratulate his friend, after his attack in the finale propelled him to 7th place in the first of the two Canadian one-day races.

“I think it means much more than I guess I can put into words,” Matthews said. “The season started really great with the Classics and since then until now, nothing has really fallen into place for me. To come back here, to a race that I know really well, to win my third Québec, I think it’s probably the strongest field that I’ve raced against here in Québec, so I think this was one of the most special for sure.”

Pogačar, the insatiable

There was even more climbing in the Grand Prix Cycliste de Montréal (close to 4,000m of elevation) which made it much harder for his rivals to resist Pogačar’s move. To compound things, the likes of Finn Fisher-Black then Juan Ayuso and Rafal Majka upped the ante before the Slovenian’s decisive attack with 23km to go.

“The team did a super job,” Pogačar celebrated. “We did it exactly how we wanted to. It was really great racing, and thank you to all my teammates because, without them, this plan would not go to perfection. Luckily, I also had good legs to pull it off at the end. We made it hard from early on, also to keep the break in check, and really the hard course suited me well. It was a hot day out there with lots of climbing but I’m so happy to take victory again here in Montréal.”

The Slovenian had already won the event in 2022, when he got the better of Wout van Aert in a five-man sprint. But 2024 is a year of one-man achievements for Pogačar, who took his 14th solo victory of the season in Montréal, six months after he got things going with a 81km solo ride in the Strade Bianche.

He also prevails in the UCI Individual World Ranking. But that is not enough for him. Pogačar has been conquering all year long from Italy to Canada, passing by Spain, Belgium and France. Now he wants to win the UCI Road World Championships in Switzerland.