Tagging along with the Astana Team in Montreal

Montreal GP Cyclistes gives fans a chance to ride with the pros. It is not specificaly mentioned on the webste any more, but fans know that when the teams arrive from Quebec on Saturday morning before the race that pro teams are heading out for rides around Montreal to spin the legs or checkout the dmanding course.

The riders all stay in the same hotel every year. All the teams get booked here by the Montreal race organizers.

Fans gather outside the main garage entrance for a glimpse of various pros as they head out and come back from rides.

I arrived fully kitted out to checkout the scene and see if I can tag along. Luckily the Astana team rolled out so I decided to tag along.

I had no idea where they were headed as I tried to keep up through the streets of Montreal.

We eventually made our way to the Circuit de Gilles Villeneuve which is used as an F1 track and aslo used as a general purpose park the rest of the year.

Riding down the start/finish straight with Astana as my leadout train. Is this how Mark Cavendish felt?

Pros just spinning their legs as a pace that is sometimes a bit hard to keep up with. There were a few moments where I needed to close the gap to stay in contact.

Leaving the F1 track. I did not exactly know how to get back so I had to stick with these guys.

I made it onto Aleberto Bettiol's Instagram