Go Bike Montreal Festival returns this summer, with Tour de l'Ile at end of August

35th Tour de l’Ile attracts thousands of cyclists Some riders have been participating in the race for decades. Mayor Valerie Plante was also onhand for the race.

MONTREAL — The Go Bike Montreal Festival will be back this summer, including big events like the Tour de l'Île, the Tour la Nuit and the Défi métropolitain, announced Vélo Québec Wednesday.

The first of the three cycling events will be the Défi métropolitain on July 31. Cyclists will be able to go at their own pace and pedal an untimed route of 50 to 130 kilometres, all while discovering new areas of the greater metropolis starting in Châteauguay, on the South Shore.

The Tour la Nuit will take place on August 27 from 8 p.m. to 11 p.m., a 22-kilometre wandering tour through the streets of four Montreal boroughs.

The Tour de l'Île will take place two days later on August 29, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. It is a 33-kilometre, car-free tour of the streets of eight Montréal boroughs.

Organizers note to ensure the fluidity of cycling traffic, as well as allow adequate distancing, there will be multiple starting and finishing points.

When registering, participants will have to choose a starting mark from among eight access points spread out along the route, as well as a starting time from a proposed schedule.

Registration procedures have also been revised to adapt to public health guidelines due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Jean-François Rheault, president and CEO of Vélo Québec, says the goal this year is to allow cyclists to experience and enjoy riding their bikes in a safe environment. The festival will discourage events that could gather people together.

-- This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on May 26, 2021.