September 05, 2012 (Saint-Lambert, QC) – The Quebec and Montreal Grand Prix Cyclistes will kick off for the second year in succession with a pioneering event at world level, the Challenge Sprint Pro as well as the Challenge Sprint for Media and Personnalities.

The event, to be held on the Grande Allée in Québec City on Thursday September 6  between 4 and 5:30 PM, is a groundbreaking discipline bound to develop globally in the future. Pioneers in this respect, the GPCQM organisers received the support of the international Cycling Union and the new concept has already appealed to organisers worldwide. The GrandPrix Ouest France in Plouay (another UCI World Tour event) also held a similar event on August 25 (with victory by BMC’s Adam Blythe).

The Challenge Sprint Pro is an attractive and thrilling event for both spectators and television viewers consisting in an opposition between four riders over a kilometre. Fast and spectacular, the event starts with a round of qualifications leading to the quarterfinals. The riders involved must rely on their speed as well as their skills and tactical sense. The Challenge Sprint Pro has what it takes to be part of the wave of modernisation of cycling.

After thevictory in 2011 of Denmark’s Michael Morkov (Saxo Bank SunGar, one of the most aggressive rider in the last Tour de France) and the great showing by Canada’s Remi Pelletier-Roy, who reached the semi-finals, the 2012 edition is another promising one. The Australian entry is impressive: Matthew Goss, one of the world’s leading sprinters, will start as a favourite just as youthful Michael Matthews, the 2010 under-23 world champion. While Radioshack-Nissan’s Tony Gallopin of France has the talent to go far, Quebec’s David Veilleux (Europcar) should be among the contenders given his current form.

Charly Mottet (GPCQM sports manager): “The idea for the Challenge Sprint Pro came fro Serge Arsenault. It’s an explosive event and we hope for other similar events to be held under the helm of the UCI. We wish for this discipline to develop.”

David Veilleux (Europcar): “I think the Challenge Sprint Pro is a great event. The action is dense and it is easy for the spectators to follow. Sportswise, it is tough because the effort isshort and intense, but it also requires the right tactics.”

Television broadcasting: the event will take place on Thursday, September 6. It will be broadcast by TVA Sports, Sportsnet One, Eurosport 2, British Eurosport and Eurosport Asia and Pacific between 4 and 5:30 PM EST.

Celebrities and Media Sprint Challenge
As an opener to the Challenge Sprint Pro, the Challenge Sprint for Media and Personnalities will be held at 3 pm. Sixteen personalities from the world of sports and the media will test their sprinting abilities on the one-kilometre course. Four heats of four will lead to a four-man final: thecurtain raiser was already a success last year.

The crowd will discover the sprinting abilities of Hugues and EmilieFournel, two kayak specialists who took part in the London Olympics, like Elise Marcotte, who competes in synchronised swimming. Josée Lavigueur (Salut Bonjour!), actor Sebastien Delorme, Karine Champagne (TVA Sports), Karl Larouche (TVA Québec), Jean-Francois Racine (Journal de Montréal), Jonathan Bernard (FM 93) and several others will battle it out in an entertaining event.