“This will likely be a seven-day event and beginning, for instance, in Lac St. Jean. From there, thousands of cyclists would ride toward Chicoutimi on the first day, then Tadoussac, la Malbaie, and finally arrive in Quebec City. Each day, new arrivals would join the thousands of cyclists in somewhat of a snowball effect.
“Some of these amateur cyclists might start each stage at 7 a.m. and try to maintain an average speed of 40kmh; others might stop before the finish line to enjoy some cheese and a bottle of wine. Others might stop to go fly fishing.
“If we have 18,000 participants in 2014, perhaps 14,000 will be here just to have fun,” commented Arsenault, making comparisons to the crowds running marathons. “There is always a small group that is more interested in making good time than in having fun…”
Arsenault predicts that the Plains of Abraham in Quebec City could see 5,000 tents leading up to the GPC race there, but some of the cyclists would also opt to stay in four-star or even five-star hotels. These cyclists will watch the GPC in Quebec City on Friday and, that night transfer to Montreal by bus and train for a big event in Montreal on Saturday. “Then on Sunday, we will hold the GPC WorldTour race in Montreal where the thousands of cyclists will be spectators again,” added Arsenault.
Part of the rationale behind this amateur world road cup is to help regional tourism in Quebec, and not only promote the province’s two biggest cities. The itinerary would change from year to year, promoting different regions of Quebec such as the Gaspé or the Laurentians.
The likelihood of this event happening in 2013 is pegged by Arsenault at 99%’. He also maintains that most of the event is recreational and thus not contingent on UCI approval. Arsenault approached the UCI on this question at a recent SportAccord (previously the General Association of International Sports Federations or GAISF) convention and is still waiting to hear back from them.
“This is a good investment for governments,” he claims, suggesting that his two GPC WorldTour events in Quebec City and Montreal generate some $53 million in economic spinoffs. This translates in a 10:1 return on investment for different levels of government. “We had to wait until we could show that the WorldTour events were a success [before moving ahead with the amateur world cup]. No politician will give money now without guarantees.”
Arsenault claims that there are thousands of people worldwide who would love to participate in such an event that would combine tourism, sport, gastronomy and music. A similar event has been held near Capetown, South Africa attracting 35,000 participants.