Remco Evenepoel wins fast and furious GP de Québec with thumping sprint

Remco Evenepoel (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) won the Grand Prix Cycliste de Québec, beating Giulio Ciccone (Lidl-Trek) in a two-up sprint after the pair went clear inside the final two kilometres. Anthon Charmig (Uno-X Mobility) was third at five seconds.

It is Evenepoel's first win since his last appearance at the Clásica San Sebastián, 41 days ago. He last rode here in 2019 as a first-year professional, finishing 99th.

Quinn Simmons (Lidl-Trek) and Tom Pidcock (Pinarello Q36.5) came in at 15 seconds, with Michael Matthews (Team Jayco AlUla) at 19 and the group containing Isaac del Toro, Brandon McNulty, Maxim Van Gils, Matteo Jorgenson, Paul Seixas and Juan Ayuso at 24.

The race was the fastest edition in the event's history, averaging 43.8km/h across 206 kilometres and 19 ascents of the Côte de la Montagne.

A six-man break formed after a long opening fight: Nikias Arndt (Bahrain-Victorious), Storm Ingebrigtsen (Uno-X Mobility), Jonas Rutsch (Lotto Intermarché), Frank van den Broek (Team Picnic PostNL), Aivaras Mikutis (Tudor) and Samuel Boardman (Modern Adventure Pro Cycling).

Their lead peaked at three minutes before Red Bull, Pinarello Q36.5 and Decathlon CMA CGM took up the chase. Victor Campenaerts (Team Visma | Lease a Bike) abandoned with 165km to go, the first of 36 riders to leave the race.

Colby Simmons (EF Education-EasyPost) bridged to the leaders with 62km remaining, while Boardman was dropped and caught by the chasers.

A large chase group formed with around 81km left, containing Tim Wellens, Van Gils, Ben Healy, Quinn Simmons and Jenno Berckmoes among others. The race came back together before a 14-rider move went clear, including Jhonatan Narváez, Ciccone, Alberto Bettiol, Charmig, Sean Quinn and Maximilian Schachmann.

Evenepoel attacked out of the peloton with 42km to go and bridged to that group a kilometre later. He went again at 28km to go, and by two laps to go the front group was down to five: Evenepoel, Ciccone, Bettiol, Charmig and Alessandro Pinarello.

Bettiol and Pinarello were dropped with 22 kilometres left, leaving three. Pidcock attacked from the chasers at 12 kilometres and Seixas accelerated at 9.6, but neither closed.

Charmig lost contact with 1.7km left. Evenepoel accelerated immediately afterwards, but Ciccone went with him, and the pair stayed together to the line. Ciccone sat on the wheel, but Evenepoel had no qualms about sprinting from the front to claim the spoils.