September 08, 2017 (Quebec City) – Peter Sagan made the best of a long waiting game in the Grand Prix Cycliste de Québec to win for the second year in succession ahead of arch-rival Greg Van Avermaet, who finished runner-up in the old capital for the third time. While very similar to the previous one, the victory was a special one as it marked the Slovak’s 100th pro win.

Another pre-race favorite, Australian Michael Matthews, already second here two years ago, took the third place in a race that actually waited for the final kilometre to unfold. It was difficult to dream of a better podium with the world champion, the Olympic champion and the Tour de France green jersey sharing the honours, still the result was a long time coming.

After several attempts, the break of the day took shape at kilometer 7 when Tyler Williams (Israel Cycling Academy), Pier-André Côté (Team Canada), Tosh Van der Sande (Lotto Soudal) and Baptiste Planckaert (Team Katusha Alpecin) joined forces to move to the front. The bunch let the four go and by the end of the third lap, their lead had reached nine minutes. The gap reached a maximum of 9:45 but the bunch never let the four reach the ten-minute mark.

Côté took advantage of Côte des Glacis to collect eight points in the GPM standings but the Team Canada rider was dropped in the 11th lap with 67 km to go. Astana Pro Team lead Jakob Fuglsang of Denmark called it quits at the end of the 11th lap, as the gap had been cut down to 6:40. Having lost Côté, the escapees also lost momentum and their lead had been cut down to three minutes with 35 km to go.

Three kilometers further down, Tyler Williams lost ground in turn leaving Planckaert and Van der Sande in the lead. Van deer Sande decided to wait for the peloton and with 16 km left, Planckaert was in turn reined in, leaving the bunch to battle it out for final victory. Sean De Bie (Lotto Soudal) attacked in the penultimate ascent of Côte des Glacis to go for the KOM lead and tackled the last lap in the front.

Several attempts involved Kenny Elissonde (Team Sky), Lars Bak (Lotto Soudal) and Roman Kreuziger (Orica-Scott) but the peloton arrived packed under the red flame when 2015 winner Rigoberto Uran launched his annual last kilometer move, unsuccessfully this time. The race was reduced to a last gasp sprint, in which Sagan, making his move on the right side of the road, easily prevailed, with Van Avermaet and Matthews in his wheel. The same three riders will be among the men to look for in Montreal on Sunday.

Peter Sagan: “It’s a bit like the same result from last year, the style of the race was also very similar, we saw in the last kilometer Uran attack like always, after we went for the sprint. I was happy in the finale, it was a very long sprint. The last kilometer here is always hard. Thanks very much to all our team. They did an amazing job. They rode all day in the front. We were able to control the final lap. Thanks to the guys. To win a 100th victory is a special number but it’s maybe better if you could live a 100 years. I hope it will grow again. We’ll see what happens next.”

Greg Van Avermaet: “It was a little bit different from last year as there were fewer attacks. I tried to keep some strength for the final sprint. I’m glad I could be on the podium today, it proves I have good sensations ahead of the worlds. On Sunday I hope to be able to beat Peter and win again.”

Michael Matthews: “Maybe I was a little bit too far in the final kilometer and there was not much I could do. I hope it’ll be the same podium at the worlds but in a different order. We all want to be in the top seat. Montreal is a little bit more for Tom (Dumoulin).”

Results
1. Peter Sagan (Svk) Bora – Hansrohe 5:00:31
2. Greg Van Avermaet (Bel) BMC Racing Team
3. Michael Matthews (Aus) Team Sunweb
4. Alexis Vuillermoz (Fra) Ag2R La Mondiale
5. Tim Wellens (Bel) Lotto Soudal
6. Tom-Jelte Slagter (Ned) Cannondale – Drapac Pro Cycling Team
7. Petr Vakoc (Cze) Quick – Step Floors
8. Sep Vanmarcke (Bel) Cannondale – Drapac Pro Cycling Team
9. Tony Gallopin (Fra) Lotto Soudal
10. Sonny Colbrelli (Ita) Bahrain – Merida
11. Diego Ulissi (Ita) Uae Team Emirates
12. Tiesj Benoot (Bel) Lotto Soudal
13. Nathan Haas (Aus) Team Dimension Data
14. Jan Bakelants (Bel) Ag2R La Mondiale
15. Alberto Bettiol (Ita) Cannondale – Drapac Pro Cycling Team
16. Sergio Luis Henao Montoya (Col) Team Sky
17. Oliver Naesen (Bel) Ag2R La Mondiale
18. Jasper Stuyven (Bel) Trek – Segafredo
19. Jasha Sutterlin (Ger) Movistar Team
20. Jesus Herrada (Esp) Movistar Team
21. Dries Devenyns (Bel) Quick – Step Floors
22. Michael Albasini (Sui) Orica – Scott
23. Viacheslav Kuznetsov (Rus) Team Katusha Alpecin
24. Oscar Gatto (Ita) Astana Pro Team
25. Daryl Impey (Rsa) Orica – Scott
26. Grega Bole (Slo) Bahrain – Merida
27. Jelle Vanendert (Bel) Lotto Soudal
28. Matthieu Ladagnous (Fra) FDJ
29. Guillaume Boivin (Can) Israel Cycling Academy
30. Carlos Barbero (Esp) Movistar Team
31. Enrico Gasparotto (Ita) Bahrain – Merida
32. Paul Martens (Ger) Team Lotto Nl – Jumbo
33. Jens Keukeleire (Bel) Orica – Scott
34. Rick Zabel (Ger) Team Katusha Alpecin
35. Pieter Serry (Bel) Quick – Step Floors
36. Bauke Mollema (Ned) Trek – Segafredo 0:12
37. Mathias Frank (Sui) Ag2R La Mondiale
38. Timo Roosen (Ned) Team Lotto Nl – Jumbo
39. Julien Vermote (Bel) Quick – Step Floors
40. Peter Kennaugh (Gbr) Team Sky
41. Valerio Conti (Ita) Uae Team Emirates 0:17
42. Gianluca Brambilla (Ita) Quick – Step Floors
43. Marco Marcato (Ita) Uae Team Emirates
44. Rémi Cavagna (Fra) Quick – Step Floors
45. Simon Geschke (Ger) Team Sunweb
46. Ruben Guerreiro (Por) Trek – Segafredo
47. Rigoberto Uran (Col) Cannondale – Drapac Pro Cycling Team
48. Mike Teunissen (Ned) Team Sunweb
49. Tom Dumoulin (Ned) Team Sunweb
50. Nathan Brown (USA) Cannondale – Drapac Pro Cycling Team
51. Lukasz Wisniowski (Pol) Team Sky
52. Bruno Langlois (Can) Équipe Canadienne
53. Kiel Reijnen (USA) Trek – Segafredo
54. Kristian Sbaragli (Ita) Team Dimension Data
55. Roman Kreuziger (Cze) Orica – Scott
56. Antoine Duchesne (Can) Équipe Canadienne 0:25
57. Sebastian Langeveld (Ned) Cannondale – Drapac Pro Cycling Team
58. Simon Gerrans (Aus) Orica – Scott
59. Simone Petilli (Ita) Uae Team Emirates
60. Winner Andrew Anacona (Col) Movistar Team
61. Michael Schar (Sui) BMC Racing Team
62. Marcus Burghardt (Ger) Bora – Hansrohe
63. Dylan Teuns (Bel) BMC Racing Team
64. Simon Spilak (Slo) Team Katusha Alpecin
65. Sébastien Reichenbach (Sui) FDJ
66. Michal Golas (Pol) Team Sky
67. Cyril Gautier (Fra) Ag2R La Mondiale 0:38
68. Luka Pibernik (Slo) Bahrain – Merida 0:41
69. Mitchell Docker (Aus) Orica – Scott
70. Jay Mc Carthy (Aus) Bora – Hansrohe
71. Arnaud Demare (Fra) FDJ 0:48
72. Jose Herrada (Esp) Movistar Team 0:51
73. Enrico Battaglin (Ita) Team Lotto Nl – Jumbo
74. Olivier Le Gac (Fra) FDJ 1:01
75. Mathew Hayman (Aus) Orica – Scott 1:06
76. Andrey Zeits (Kaz) Astana Pro Team 1:06
77. Jack Burke (Can) Équipe Canadienne 1:06
78. Nuno Bico (Por) Movistar Team 1:06
79. Maurits Lammertink (Ned) Team Katusha Alpecin 1:06
80. Robert Kiserlovski (Cro) Team Katusha Alpecin 1:06
81. Stephen Cummings (Gbr) Team Dimension Data 1:06
82. Heinrich Haussler (Aus) Bahrain – Merida 1:06
83. Aleksejs Saramotins (Lat) Bora – Hansrohe 1:12
84. Lukas Pöstlberger (Aut) Bora – Hansrohe 1:15
85. Ignatas Konovalovas (Ltu) FDJ 1:25
86. Benoit Vaugrenard (Fra) FDJ 1:38
87. Maarten Wynants (Bel) Team Lotto Nl – Jumbo 1:43
88. Kenny Elissonde (Fra) Team Sky 1:43
89. Sebastian Henao Gomez (Col) Team Sky 1:43
90. Natnael Berhane (Eri) Team Dimension Data 1:43
91. Sean De Bie (Bel) Lotto Soudal 1:56
92. Krists Neilands (Lat) Israel Cycling Academy 1:56
93. Lars Bak (Den) Lotto Soudal 2:08
94. Jack Bauer (Nzl) Quick – Step Floors 2:08
95. Bram Tankink (Ned) Team Lotto Nl – Jumbo 2:08
96. Fumiyuki Beppu (Jpn) Trek – Segafredo 2:08
97. Gregory Daniel (USA) Trek – Segafredo 2:08
98. Georg Preidler (Aut) Team Sunweb 2:08
99. Ryan Anderson (Can) Équipe Canadienne 2:08
100. Alexey Vermeulen (USA) Team Lotto Nl – Jumbo 2:08
101. Janez Brajkovic (Slo) Bahrain – Merida 2:31
102. Ben Gastauer (Lux) Ag2R La Mondiale 2:33
103. Nikias Arndt (Ger) Team Sunweb 2:33
104. Vegard Stake Laengen (Nor) Uae Team Emirates 2:33
105. Fabio Felline (Ita) Trek – Segafredo 2:49
106. Dario Cataldo (Ita) Astana Pro Team 2:53
107. Matteo Dal-Cin (Can) Équipe Canadienne 3:02
108. Alex Howes (USA) Cannondale – Drapac Pro Cycling Team 3:02
109. Guy Sagiv (Isr) Israel Cycling Academy 3:02
110. Maciej Bodnar (Pol) Bora – Hansrohe 3:02
111. Kristijan _urasek (Cro) Uae Team Emirates 3:02
112. Danilo Wyss (Sui) BMC Racing Team 3:02
113. Reinardt Janse Van Rensburg (Rsa) Team Dimension Data 3:02
114. Yukiya Arashiro (Jpn) Bahrain – Merida 3:26
115. Juraj Sagan (Svk) Bora – Hansrohe 3:41
116. Jean-Pierre Drucker (Lux) BMC Racing Team 3:41
117. Ben Swift (Gbr) Uae Team Emirates 4:27
118. Ian Boswell (USA) Team Sky 4:27
119. Amael Moinard (Fra) BMC Racing Team 4:27
120. Thomas Leezer (Ned) Team Lotto Nl – Jumbo 4:27
121. Jasper De Buyst (Bel) Lotto Soudal 4:53
122. Mihkel Raim (Est) Israel Cycling Academy 5:59
123. Dennis Van Winden (Ned) Israel Cycling Academy 5:59
124. Andrey Grivko (Ukr) Astana Pro Team 6:04
125. Jhonatan Restrepo Valencia (Col) Team Katusha Alpecin 10:23
126. Tyler Williams (USA) Israel Cycling Academy 10:23
127. Ruben Plaza (Esp) Orica – Scott 10:23
128. Victor De La Parte (Esp) Movistar Team 10:23
129. Léo Vincent (Fra) FDJ 10:23
130. Bakhtiyar Kozhatayev (Kaz) Astana Pro Team 10:23
131. Manuel Senni (Ita) BMC Racing Team 10:23
132. Tyler Farrar (USA) Team Dimension Data 10:23
133. Gediminas Bagdonas (Ltu) Ag2R La Mondiale 10:23
134. Twan Castelijns (Ned) Team Lotto Nl – Jumbo 10:23
135. Edward Ravasi (Ita) Uae Team Emirates 10:23
136. Jaco Venter (Rsa) Team Dimension Data 10:23
137. Manuel Quinziato (Ita) BMC Racing Team 11:01
138. Fabio Sabatini (Ita) Quick – Step Floors 11:01
139. Baptiste Planckaert (Bel) Team Katusha Alpecin 11:01
140. Marco Coledan (Ita) Trek – Segafredo 11:07
141. Benjamin Perry (Can) Israel Cycling Academy 11:22
142. Lawson Craddock (USA) Cannondale – Drapac Pro Cycling Team 17:06
Riders dropping out, Coureurs qui ont abandonné
Pascal Ackermann (Ger) Bora – Hansrohe
Philip Deignan (Irl) Team Sky
Albert Timmer (Ned) Team Sunweb
Zico Waeytens (Bel) Team Sunweb
Hector Carretero (Esp) Movistar Team
Christophe Riblon (Fra) Ag2R La Mondiale
Angel Vicioso Arcos (Esp) Team Katusha Alpecin
Tosh Van Der Sande (Bel) Lotto Soudal
Borut Bozic (Slo) Bahrain – Merida
Jakob Fuglsang (Den) Astana Pro Team
Moreno Moser (Ita) Astana Pro Team
Paolo Tiralongo (Ita) Astana Pro Team
Kevin Reza (Fra) FDJ
Ben O’Connor (Aus) Team Dimension Data
Pier-Andre Cote (Can) Équipe Canadienne
Alexander Cowan (Can) Équipe Canadienne
Marc-Antoine Soucy (Can) Équipe Canadienne
Zakkari Dempster (Aus) Israel Cycling Academy