Michael Matthews claimed victory at the Grand Prix Cycliste de Quebec on Friday, dedicating the win to his recently deceased grandmother. Matthews narrowly edged out Biniam Girmay in the final sprint to secure the win. This victory came after Matthews’ participation in the Tour de France and Giro d’Italia double, marking his return to competitive racing.
Slovenian star Tadej Pogacar, making his debut after his previous grand tour successes, attempted an early break but finished in seventh place. Pogacar’s efforts to drop his rivals in the final lap were thwarted by defending champion Arnaud de Lie, who was eventually caught by a fast-moving group of elite riders with about 1km remaining. Matthews made his decisive move from 150 meters out to secure the win.
Girmay, who struggled towards the end of the race, noted the difficulty of keeping up with the high pace set by Pogacar in the final laps. The race, featuring sixteen laps of a 12.6km circuit around Quebec City, was run in ideal conditions. The next event in this series, set in Montreal, will feature a more challenging, hilly route.
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