The world’s best cyclists are racing through Montreal as the UCI Road World Championships get underway, bringing an international sporting spectacle to the city — and a major change to how Montrealers get around.
Nearly 1,000 athletes from 100 countries are competing for 13 world titles during the championships, which run from Sept. 20 to 27.
The competition opened Sunday with the women’s elite individual time trial, followed later in the day by the men’s elite time trial.
Montreal is hosting the road world championships for the second time, more than 50 years after the city first hosted the event in 1974.
For visitors taking in the racing, the scale of the competition is part of the appeal.
“The competition at this level is mesmerizing, you know, and the participation from all over the world, all here in Montreal. It’s fantastic,” one visitor said.
A global event on Montreal streets
The races are being staged largely on city streets, passing through seven Montreal boroughs and Westmount.
The city says traffic and parking will be significantly affected, with routes changing from day to day. Barriers are generally installed around 7 a.m., with streets expected to reopen to vehicles after races finish.
The main event site at the foot of Mount Royal is subject to longer-term restrictions. The site, on Avenue du Parc between Avenue des Pins and Avenue du Mont-Royal, includes the start and finish areas and the Fan Village.
It has been closed to vehicle traffic since Sept. 4 and is scheduled to remain closed through Oct. 4 to allow for setup and dismantling.
One visitor travelled to Montreal specifically for the championships.
“I came specifically for this for the entire week. We’re here to see all the events and took part in the Rando Beneva yesterday. So that was a lot of fun too. It’s a great event, very well staged, very well organized.”
Another cyclist said the championships are an opportunity to showcase Montreal’s cycling culture.
“I love it. I mean, I’m a cyclist and I feel like it’s such a great way of showing off the city and the wonderful cycling culture that’s in Montreal. It’s so different. Like I’m from Toronto. And even though we do have some nice bike infrastructure, it’s nothing like here. And it is really a special event that I feel like for a week to do this is definitely worth it for the city.”
Road closures reshape daily commutes
For people who live along the race routes, the championships are also bringing longer commutes and more complicated trips.
Road closures, detours and traffic restrictions are affecting several parts of the city. Some bus routes and stops near the race routes may also be changed or disrupted.
The city is encouraging people to plan ahead and use public transit or active transportation where possible.
One Montrealer said the changes have already added significant time to the trip to school.
“I’m going to school at the University of Montreal, so every morning I’m taking the bike to go to school because the bus was not working. That was very annoying. It took me over 40 minutes to get to school when it usually takes me 20 minutes.”
Another Montrealer said the closures have made getting around particularly difficult, especially without a car.
“The road closures. It’s everywhere, especially in downtown. And I think it should not be there, especially during the day hours. The reason is because every, during the day, weekends, especially whenever we have to plan out something to go out, we cannot take out a car and then we have to use the other way, that is the metro or the bus and everything.”
She said the disruptions also mean more walking and longer trips on public transit.
“During the weekdays also it’s very terrible because the buses which are there, the 55 number or the 18 number which is very close to my area, I have to take a very long way to walk about. It’s actually inconvenient, but it’s okay. Like, you know, we have to bear with the competition which is going on here. I just hope it gets over soon.”
For some, the disruption is more than an inconvenience
For some residents, the extra walking is more than an inconvenience.
The same Montrealer said a recent knee surgery has made navigating the closures particularly difficult.
“It’s quite annoying, honestly. It is annoying, especially I am having a problem because I’ve just had a knee surgery right just one month ago. And so I’m finding it terrible, you know, to walk down. It’s bad for me.”
The city says residents should consult its interactive map for daily information on road closures, parking restrictions, maintained access routes and pedestrian crossings. Vehicles parked in restricted areas can be towed before street closures begin.
Another potential disruption on Monday
The cycling championships are also unfolding against a separate labour dispute.
Blue-collar workers employed by the Société du parc Jean-Drapeau are set to strike for one day Monday. The workers, who are members of CUPE, rejected their employer’s offer, with 95.9 per cent voting against it, according to the union.
Their employer is challenging their legal right to strike before Quebec’s administrative labour tribunal.
Separately, CUPE 301 blue-collar workers with the City of Montreal remain at the bargaining table. The union says the parties have until midnight Sunday to reach an agreement and avoid a strike.
A city making room for the world
Despite the disruptions, some say the inconvenience is manageable as part of hosting an event of this scale.
“I feel like to begin with our cities are really car dominated and for a week to have to put up with this disturbance to cars. I think we can put up with it,” one resident that.
He added that the clearer communication about closures would make navigating the city easier.
“I think treating it kind of like construction is a way of approaching in the sense of, oh, the highways closed. I can’t make it this way today and just recognize that I think the city just needs to make it really clear when things are closed because I think yesterday, maybe it was a little bit unclear. That they’d be doing practice routes on the, on the route today. But other than that, I don’t really have too much of an issue with it.”
For the visitor who came specifically for the championships, staying in Montreal for the week has helped avoid some of the transportation challenges, but he acknowledged the concerns of people who live along the routes.
“Traffic can be a challenge and I appreciate the concerns that locals would have with that. I hope they can see the benefit this has overall on the city, the province and the country.”
More races and changing traffic conditions are expected across Montreal through Sept. 27.
Add CityNews Montreal as a trusted source on Google to see more local stories from us.
