Preview, favourites, profile, route and predictions GP de Montreal 2025 - Will Tadej Pogacar get his return victory?

We take a look at the profile of the 2025 GP de Montréal, which will take place on the 14th of September. This is the second of the Canadian World Tour classics and is similar to the 2026 World Championships course, with Tadej Pogacar as a headliner. The race is set to start at 16:15CET and finish at 21:45CET.

A total of 18 laps will be ridden in Montréal, all based around the Mont-Royal park, where the riders will spend the afternoon, however not only enjoying the scenery, but also having to go into a brutal race that will see plenty attacks and aggressive racing. There are over 3800 meters of climbing and 213 kilometers on the menu, making it harder and longer than Québec. There will also be more laps due to the shorter circuit, which is very explosive with three clear uphill sections and the rest of the circuit mostly downhill. The lap opens up immediately with it’s major feature, the Côte de Camilien-Houde, 2.2 kilometers at 6.5%. This will be the hardest section of the circuit and likely the one that will be attacked the hardest, finishing with 10 kilometers to go. 

A very fast descent follows, with the Côte de Polytechnique coming after summiting with 6 kilometers to go, it is 800 meters long at 4.9% average gradient but goes up to 10%. And with 3 kilometers will be the Côte Pagnuelo with 500 meters at 7.5%.

All three are very explosive climbs, where damage can be made. The riders will then very quickly travel back into the Avenue where the race is to finishing, going down it before turning back in the roundabout and within sight of the line. This won’t be a regular sprint however, with the final 600 meters featuring 4% of gradient which can alter the result of the sprints that will happen.

Modest temperatures and a grey but dry sky. All good for the riders who won't have the weather change the outcome of the race.

Tadej Pogacar - Few things to be honest. Firstly, in Québec the team gave freedom to everyone, didn't work for Pogacar and didn't win the race over that; Secondly Pogacar is going to have his level in Montréal with certainty and no-one is expected to respond to when he attacks; and lastly UAE's lineup is so strong that it almost looks like his biggest rivals would be his teammates. Jhonatan Narváez can absolutely also win this race if given the freedom; Adam Yates looked great in Québec and has won this race before; Pavel Sivakov was second on Friday whilst this race suits him much better, and Tim Wellens has his best legs ever this year and is an expert in these hilly classics; add to that Brandon McNulty who recently won the Tour de Pologne and has shown good form in a few recent races.

Climbers - These are the men best suited to this race, but it will very much depend to their feeling on the day. Mattias Skjelmose is an option if he definitely has improved since his Maryland Cycling Classic crash; Afonso Eulálio is in great form; the likes of Pello Bilbao, Tobias Johannessen, Oscar Onley, Tiesj Benoot and Simon Yates are other men to watch.

Classics riders - Two separate categories, which will be those who want a sprint and those who simply thrive in the short climbs and the explosive efforts. There can be alliance to some degree between some teams as always happens in Québec, like for example Wout van Aert's Visma, Michael Matthews' Jayco, Corbin Strong's Israel, Arnaud de Lie's Lotto, Biniam Girmay's Intermarché... No this doesn't put them in a favourable position to win the race, but it's more possible to control it until the final lap, and with some of these men then fighting for the Top10. Dorian Godon, Axel Laurance and Alex Aranburu will also be wanting such a finale to better their options of a Top10.

Meanwhile you've got puncheurs, some in good form and some in relatively unknown, who can perform well here with Julian Alaphilippe as an obvious example... Add there Paul Lapeira, Roger Adrià, Jan Tratnik, Matej Mohoric, Fred Wright, Jonas Abrahamsen, Riley Sheehan, Quinn Simmons, Quinten Hermans, Gianni Vermeersch, Mauro Schmid, Louis Barré, Neilson Powless, Alberto Bettiol, Anthon Charmig, Simone Velasco and Valentin Madouas.

*** Tadej Pogacar
** Mattias Skjelmose, Jhonatan Narváez
* Afonso Eulálio, Oscar Onley, Tiesj Benoot, Paul Lapeira, Jonas Abrahamsen, Michael Matthews, Alberto Bettiol, Arnaud de Lie, Wout van Aert, Julian Alaphilippe, Adam Yates, Pavel Sivakov, Tim Wellens

Pick: Tadej Pogacar

How: Solo victory.