Festival Go vélo Montréal encourages cyclists to enjoy their city on two wheels

The Go vélo Montreal Festival made its return to the city on Sunday.

“The city is proud to be the host of this major event for cyclists,” said Philippe Sabourin, a spokesperson for the City of Montreal.

The weeklong event is dedicated to offering Montrealers cycling and urban activities for people of all ages.

“It’s a joy to see, year after year, the thousands of cyclists storming the streets of the metropolis. I’m convinced that we’ll have another successful event in 2024,” said Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante in a press release on Sunday.

“These unique moments, when bicycles are king, allow Montrealers to get moving, while seeing their city in a different light.”

Jean-François Rheault, Vélo Québec’s president-executive director, said the event took a long time to coordinate.

“An event like Tour de l’Île does not plan overnight. We’ve been working since September on choosing the course that would have the least impact on the citizens and the motorists,” he said.

The event kicked off in Terrebonne with the 22nd edition of the Défi métropolitain. It allowed cyclists to choose a route of 60, 85, 97 or 163 km. Cyclists rode at their own speed, allowing them to explore the greater metropolitan area.

An international conference about the cargo bike will be held on Thursday.

Montrealers can expect some street closures for a few hours. Planning your trip ahead is recommended. A traffic information page has been set up by Vélo Québec to help facilitate travel.

Sabourin says the city has coordinated their route with construction happening in the city.

“If it’s impossible to reopen the road, then we will make many adjustments in order to make sure there’s no construction work, no traffic, and there’s enough room for every cyclist,” he said.

Sabourin also mentions the work they put in to adjust potholes for the safety of the cyclists.

“In the last days, we used more than 90 tonnes of asphalt in order to make sure it’s going to be smooth and an easy ride for every cyclist,” he said.

The popular Tour la Nuit will be celebrating its 25th anniversary this year. It will take place on Friday at 8 p.m. at Parc Jean-Mance.

The festival will wrap up with the Tour de l’Île de Montréal on Sunday.

The regular route will begin at 9:15 a.m. at Parc Jeanne-Mance. The route offers cyclists a 50km route on a car-free circuit. A shorter 28 km version will also be offered.

Another option is the discovery route. Cyclists will take off at 7 a.m. from the same location. They have a choice of a 68 or 96 km route. The route will take place on marked roads, and is open to motorized traffic, excluding the last 24km of the route. Cyclists will join the other participants on the regular route.

“We invite everyone to get involved in the Tour de l’Île or to go to the curb of the street to encourage our cyclists this weekend. Hopefully, it’s going to be a big party for cyclists,” said Sabourin.

Registration for the event is still open.