After the Tour la Nuit, the 39th edition of the Tour de l’Île in the metropolis will take place on June 2 and thousands of cyclists will be there.
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This year, the two routes offered to cyclists are located in the south of the city, precisely under rue Jean-Talon, west of rue Berri. In both cases, athletes will start the tour at Jeanne-Mance Park and go down towards the river before going back east, near the Lachine Canal, to finally retrace their steps.
LCN screenshot
“It’s nice, we discover Montreal on two wheels,” illustrates Philippe Sabourin, spokesperson for the City of Montreal, in an interview with LCN. This also allows individuals who attend each year to not make an identical journey.
Departure from Jeanne-Mance Park also allows us to receive “everyone at the same time”, he declares. In addition to the 40,000 cyclists, the city is preparing to welcome more people who will go there to encourage the participants.
Some symbolic places remain on the route over the years. “To the great displeasure of cyclists, Berri Street remains with the hill which is hard on the calves,” says the spokesperson with a laugh. This choice is also strategic, according to him, since the Berri Street viaduct allows motorists to travel without problem.
Travel not recommended near the circuit
The sectors chosen for the route should be avoided by motorists. However, apart from the Victoria Bridge, none of the other bridges and tunnels will be affected by the event, according to Mr. Sabourin.
Those who live on the route of the circuit will have to park their cars in another place by midnight on Sunday, under penalty of fines, he warns.
The latter recommends that cyclists and drivers go to the Vélo Québec website and click on the “Infocirculation” page to plan their trips.
The Tour of the Island of Montreal will start early Sunday morning and should end around 4 p.m. Some arteries will be closed to traffic from 8:30 a.m. until the end of the event.
Watch the full interview in the video above.
