Cycling Race Victory: Julian Alaphilippe securely wins solo after a fierce assault with a final-round offensive during the breakaway at the Grand Prix Cycliste de Québec

Cycling Race Victory: Julian Alaphilippe securely wins solo after a fierce assault with a final-round offensive during the breakaway at the Grand Prix Cycliste de Québec

In the heart of Quebec City, the Grand Prix de Québec saw a thrilling race unfold on Sunday, with Julian Alaphilippe (Tudor) clinching his first WorldTour win of the season.

The action began early, with a group of four riders—Luca Vergallito (Alpecin-Deceuninck), Filip Maciejuk (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe), Félix Bouchard, and Philippe Jacob (Canada)—escaping in the first few kilometres and gaining a significant lead. However, they were eventually caught by the peloton.

As the race progressed, another attack went clear with 75km to go, consisting of Laurence Pithie (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe), Nils Politt (UAE Team Emirates), Bastien Tronchon (Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale), and Xandro Meurisse (Alpecin-Deceuninck). This group managed to maintain a lead for a while, but they too were eventually caught in the feed zone.

Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates XRG), the defending champion, was not to be outdone. He attacked from the peloton and swept past the remnants of the lead group, heading into the final lap. Another attack came from Tim Wellens with four laps to go, bringing Alaphilippe's group into view.

Anthon Carmig, Alberto Bettiol (XDS Astana), Quinten Hermans (Alpecin-Deceuninck), Artem Shmidt (Ineos Grenadiers), Pavel Sivakov (UAE Team Emirates XRG) and Mattias Skjelmose (Lidl-Trek) joined the move, forming a formidable challenge. Six more riders attacked to bridge to Alaphilippe's group, setting the stage for an exciting finish.

Meanwhile, Bouchard was caught by the group, leaving only three riders in the breakaway with three laps to go. The leaders' advantage over the peloton was down to one minute with two laps to go, and the gap was reduced to three minutes with the first chase. With 50km to go, the peloton was 2:35 behind the leaders.

As the race reached its climax, Pogačar attempted a late attack, but was caught before the final climb. Julian Alaphilippe held his nerve, crossing the finish line first to claim a well-deserved victory. Pavel Sivakov finished second, and Alberto Bettiol (XDS Astana) rounded out the podium in third place.

In the bunch sprint for eighth place, Arnaud De Lie (Lotto) edged out defending champion Michael Matthews (Jayco-AlUla), while Brandon McNulty surged with 4.5km to go, followed by Biniam Girmay and Powless. However, Pogačar calmly waited at the back of the chase group as the McNulty group came back.

The Grand Prix de Québec once again proved to be a race of strategy, skill, and sheer determination, with Julian Alaphilippe emerging as the deserving winner.

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