After the tough GP de Québec last Friday, where Wout van Aert and Benoot just missed out on a top ten spot, Sunday’s race in Montréal turned into a true battle of attrition. It even became the fastest edition ever. Over the course of seventeen local laps in the Canadian city, the riders faced more than 4,500 meters of climbing. Early on, Jørgen Nordhagen launched an attack. However, due to the response from the favorites, the Norwegian and his fourteen breakaway companions were unable to build up a big lead.
With the pace extremely high, several Team Visma | Lease a Bike riders were forced to abandon early. Benoot, almost always strong in the Canadian doubleheader, delivered another solid performance. The 31-year-old rider had no answer to an attack by teammates Tadej Pogacar and McNulty, among others, but the Belgian did not give up. Battling for fourth place, a crash deep into the finale spoiled his chances. Slightly battered, he crossed the line more than two minutes behind winner McNulty in seventh place. Nordhagen eventually finished 33rd and was crowned the best U23 rider in the race.