Grand Prix Cycliste de Québec 2018: Favourites

The Grand Prix Cycliste de Québec is tailor made for hilly specialists with fast legs. No wonder Peter Sagan won the last two editions. Cyclingstage.com brings you the favourites to win the Québec circuit race in 2018. (Slideshow route/profile)

Peter Sagan skips the 2018 Grand Prix Cycliste de Québec as he is riding the Vuelta.

The trying circuit amounts to 12.6 kilometres and is raced 16 times. Each lap features 186 vertical metres, so that is a total of almost 3,000. Most climbing is centered in the second half of the circuit and the final kilometre is a 4% slope.

Mostly the Grand Prix Cycliste de Québec boils down to a group sprint, but three years ago Rigoberto Uran outsmarted the fast finishers with an attack near the flamme rouge. He held off the sprinters and won the race, while Peter Sagan outsprinted the field in 2016 and 2017. Last year he pipped Greg Van Avermaet and Michael Matthews and their sprint was so powerful that they opened up a gap with the rest of the field.

Former winners of the Grand Prix Cycliste de Québec are Peter Sagan (2017, 2016), Rigoberto Uran (2015), Simon Gerrans (2014, 2012), Robert Gesink (2013), Philippe Gilbert (2011), and Thomas Voeckler (2010).

Favourites 2018 Grand Prix Cycliste de Québec.

*** Michael Matthews, Greg Van Avermaet, Diego Ulissi
** Tim Wellens, Matej Mohoric, Alexander Kristoff, Sonny Colbrelli
* Enrico Battaglin, John Degenkolb, Anthony Roux, Alexis Vuillermoz