Tour de Trudeau: Former PM announces new pro bike race

April Fool’s! Although there really was a Tour de Trump, there is not a Tour de Trudeau planned…but in the words of another famous Canadian Justin (Bieber): never say never!

It seems that former prime minister Justin Trudeau is definitely staying busy. On Tuesday, he announced an ambitious new cycling project for 2026, the Tour de Trudeau. The pro stage race will start in Montreal and head to Toronto, spanning five days. Trudeau announced his resignation on January 6, and left office March 14.
“I’ve always been a keen cyclist and love all sports, and I thought it would be a cool new venture to organize a bike race,” he said. “Canada already has some fantastic events–the Grand Prixs in Montreal and Quebec and the Tour de Beauce, but there’s always room for more.”

The race is set to begin in Montreal with a novel prologue–it will be a 2 km event on Mont Royal, but there is a twist. Cyclists will begin at the top of the climb and descend Voie Camilien-Houde. The next stage will be in Trois-Rivières, followed by a 200-km crit on the Preston Street course in Ottawa. Following that, riders will head to Kingston and will do a circuit race, beginning on Tragically Hip Way.

The final stage will take place in downtown Toronto.

The history of politicians and bike races in North America

Trudeau isn’t the first politician–past or present–to have organized an international stage race. In 1989 and 1990, current U.S. President Donald Trump organized the Tour de Trump, attracting riders from Europe, the U.S., and Canada. When asked if his new Canadian race was meant to be a slight against Trump, Trudeau said with a sparkle in his eye, “I had never heard of that before.” The former PM also added there will only be a men’s race, and there are no plans for a women’s event.

The Tour de Trump, Donald Trump’s venture into the world of competitive bike racing

The news of the race hasn’t been received well by a few parties. Tamara Lich, one of the organizers of the 2022 “Freedom Convoy,” has said that having a 200-km crit in Ottawa will be disruptive to locals and she has asked city councillors to cancel the event. “Think of all the teams that will descend into Ottawa. Each team has a bus, several cars, and it will totally clog the streets,” she said. “How will anyone get around?”

Problems with Toronto stage?

There may also be some problems with the Toronto race. Premier Doug Ford said that having a race in the core will be a huge problem. “If these bikers think that they can just ride around our great city and cause absolute gridlock, well, let me tell you, we have plenty of options in our toolbox,” he said. “There’s no way I am going to let a bunch of guys who think they are in the Tour de France come here and take over Toronto.”

When Ford was told that many of the cyclists invited may very well have raced in the actual Tour de France, he said he would be announcing an announcement that would announce an announcement at 11 a.m. the next day.

Cycling Canada to send team, support

Cycling Canada has weighed in, saying it will be sending a national team to the race, as well as logistical support. “We are very excited to have an international stage race of this calibre in Canada and will be fully behind it,” Kris Westwood, the high performance director, said. “As well as sending a team, we will also be supplying neutral support with six steel Argon 18s from 1990 that we have in storage from the Evian – Miko days. Not only is this a nice homage to the past, it also sends a clear message about Canadian brands during the ongoing trade war.”

Which Canadian team came closest to racing the Tour?

Given the current trade war, it is not clear which, if any, American teams will be attending. Trudeau did say that if the tariffs are still in place when the race takes place, all American-registered teams will be paying an additional 25 per cent entry fee and also be deducted 35 per cent from any prize money.

Although Lidl – Trek has yet to announce if they are attending, EF Education’s Jonathan Vaughters tweeted within 2 minutes of the announcement:

“It is true that we do not have any Canadians on our men’s squad, but there we do have four women on our EF Education-Oatly team,” he posted on X. “That’s why I am thrilled to announce that I will be adjusting their race program so they can follow the men’s race and stand at the side of the road each day cheering for them.”

Steve Bauer, who is the directeur sportif of Israel – Premier Tech–home to several Canadians, said they will definitely be racing at the inaugural Tour de Trudeau, saying that it was, “great news, eh.”

When asked why there would be no stages in Western Canada, Trudeau replied that he didn’t understand the question.