Evenepoel wins the GP Québec and sends a serious warning ahead of the World Championships

Remco Evenepoel has won the GP of Quebec 2026 after being the main protagonist of a demanding finale on the streets of the Canadian city. The Belgian triggered the decisive selection about 30 kilometers from the finish and ended up winning the sprint against Giulio Ciccone. Anthon Charmig completed the podium, while Tom Pidcock finished fourth.

Evenepoel debuts in Quebec with victory and confirms his good form before the World Championship

The first of the two major Canadian classics of the WorldTour has concluded, just over a week before the World Championship, that Remco Evenepoel arrives in top form for the season's big event.

The Belgian returned to competition after his altitude training in Livigno and did so by winning in his debut at the GP of Quebec. He did not wait for the final climb or a reduced group finish. Evenepoel took control of the race from afar and progressively selected a front group until he was left only with Giulio Ciccone in the final meters.

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The 205-kilometer circuit and its nearly 3,000 meters of accumulated elevation favored a race of attrition. The main favorites began to take action during the final laps, and the race definitively broke apart much earlier than the finish.

The initial breakaway consisted of Aivaras Mikutis, Nikias Arndt, Storm Ingebrigtsen, Jonas Rutsch, Frank van den Broek, and Samuel Boardman, who managed to hold more than three minutes over a peloton mainly controlled by the teams of the favorites.

But the situation changed completely in the last 60 kilometers. Once the break was neutralized, movements began among the candidates for victory, and different groups formed with many of the names we highlighted before the start: Tom Pidcock, Isaac Del Toro, Paul Seixas, Juan Ayuso, Brandon McNulty, Ben Healy, Quinn Simmons, and Maxim Van Gils were among the riders who moved in that phase.

Evenepoel breaks the race 30 kilometers from the finish

Paul Seixas was one of the first favorites to launch a serious attack, about 43 kilometers from the finish. His move prompted an immediate response from Evenepoel, who left the peloton to personally close the gap.

Shortly after, it was Alberto Bettiol who tried to anticipate. The Italian attacked 36 kilometers from the finish and managed to open a few seconds, but Evenepoel again took up the chase.

The Belgian ended up catching him when there were approximately 30 kilometers remaining, accompanied by Giulio Ciccone, Anthon Charmig, and Alessandro Pinarello. The five took command of a race that was already completely broken, while behind riders like Pidcock had to organize the chase. From there, Evenepoel began to set his pace.

First, Bettiol and Pinarello dropped off, leaving Evenepoel, Ciccone, and Charmig in front. The gap with the pursuers remained around 20 seconds for many kilometers, and although Quinn Simmons accelerated from behind with Michael Matthews following his wheel, the chase could not close the gap.

The last to give way in front was Charmig. The Dane held on until the last kilometer but ended up losing contact to the pace of Evenepoel and Ciccone. The victory was thus reduced to a head-to-head between Evenepoel and Ciccone.

The Italian arrived with options until the final straight, but Evenepoel left no room for surprise. The Belgian unleashed his power in the sprint and crossed the finish line first after 4:40:21 of racing. Ciccone finished second with the same time, and Charmig managed to hold onto third place 15 seconds back.

Pidcock finishes fourth and Del Toro misses out on the Top 10

Behind, Tom Pidcock led the major favorites who failed to make it into the decisive move. The Brit finished fourth, 28 seconds behind Evenepoel, just two days after arriving in Canada as one of the main candidates we highlighted beforehand.

Quinn Simmons was fifth at 30 seconds, and Michael Matthews, a three-time winner of the GP of Quebec, finished sixth at 35 seconds. Paul Lapeira, Matteo Jorgenson, Alessandro Pinarello, and Max Schachmann completed the top ten positions.

The race ended worse for Isaac Del Toro, another of the major favorites before the start. The Mexican began to struggle in the chase during the final kilometers and ended up losing his chances of contesting the top positions.

The race thus leaves Evenepoel as one of the major references before the upcoming GP of Montreal and, especially, the World Championship, which will also take place in Canada.

Top 10 GP of Quebec 2026

1. Remco Evenepoel (Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe) — 4:40:21
2. Giulio Ciccone (Lidl-Trek) — +00
3. Anthon Charmig (Uno-X Mobility) — +15"
4. Tom Pidcock (Pinarello-Q36.5) — +28"
5. Quinn Simmons (Lidl-Trek) — +30"
6. Michael Matthews (Jayco AlUla) — +35"
7. Paul Lapeira (Decathlon CMA CGM) — +43"
8. Matteo Jorgenson (Visma | Lease a Bike) — +43"
9. Alessandro Pinarello (NSN Cycling Team) — +45"
10. Max Schachmann (Soudal Quick-Step) — +47"