June 26, 2013 (Montreal, QC) – The moment has finally arrived for the Tour de la Montérégie (TDLM) to present the grand finale championships of the 2013 cycling season. After presenting stages in the municipalities of Contrecoeur, Sainte-Martine, Brossard, Granby and Saint Jude, the TDLM comes to Ville Mercier and Saint-Urbain-Premier to present a program of professional racing along with festivities for the whole family.
We invite families to come celebrate with us on the weekend of July 19-21 in Ville Mercier and Saint-Urbain-Premier at Loiselle Mercier park. In addition, on Saturday, July 20, TDLM will host the Quebec Para-cycling Time Trial Championships in Saint-Urbain-Premier.
In 2012, for its first edition, the cities of Mercier and Saint-Urbain-Premier attended the genesis of this great adventure which has become the TDLM. For 2013, the weekend of the Grand Final is already on the calendars of Quebec, Ontario and New England athletes and their families. The sport and community are combining to create a unique event on the Quebec Federation of Cycling Sports (FQSC) calendar which the TDLM is very proud of. Additional investments are being made because it is worth the cost! To have an impact on society, we must start with our own community!
Program on Friday 19 July, the grand opening! Activities start with City of Mercier youth-day camp open to the general public, followed by the evening race where you can see North American professional athletes in action at 17:30. It is around the park Loiselle that cyclists will participate and contest this stage of the 2013 TDLM Championships. You can see the athletes racing in the 850 meters per lap criterium for more than one hour with intermediate sprints at speeds over 60km/h!
On Saturday, the Saint-Urbain-Premier road race will feature athletes dueling on a 12km route via Rivière-des-beans South and North. The course has already received high marks for it’s quality and it’s even better this year as more than 4 kilometers completely repaved. Only in its second year, this course will host the Quebec Para-Cycling Time Trial Championships. Many athletes representing Canada at the World Cups and World Para-cycling Championships will be in attendance.
The closing of our activities in 2013 will be celebrated with you in style on Sunday, July 21. Activities will return to Park Loiselle, on the criterium course featuring 850m per lap where athletes will compete for the final overall standings of the 2013 TDLM championship. In addition to the professional racing program, you can enjoy a great family outing with the proposed activities: fun run for children of all ages (mandatory helmet) at 11am, inflatable games, water games, hot dog, picnic in Park Loiselle and much more! Professional races and family activities will start at 10am.
“My first bike races took place in Mercier with friends at the dead-end part of Valley Street in the 70s. Then we’d go to the “Perette” store and Martinez pastry shop. In 1992, the City of Mercier offered me a scholarship which enabled me to travel to Switzerland to participate at my first international competition.
“I grew up in Mercier, the roads of Saint-Urbain-Premier were part of many training rides to allow me to perform around the world. Now, my organization and I are proud to bring the world back home to us,” commented Marc-Wayne Addison Président du TdlM. “To you and your families, welcome to our Grand Finale weekend.”
Interview Marc-Wayne Addison