Rally Cycling’s Brandon McNulty sprinted to 16th place in the men’s team’s final race of the season, the WorldTour-ranked Grand Prix Cycliste de Montréal. McNulty’s performance, on a course that featured 15,000 ft of climbing across 16 laps, was one of the most impressive of his flourishing career. Courtenay, British Columbia native Nigel Ellsay delighted the hometown fans by helping spark a day long breakaway before being reeled in with 20 km remaining.
“The race was super fun,” said McNulty. “Definitely the hardest day of the year and also my career but I felt really good. I’m happy to have been able to make the select front group and I felt I still had a lot to give, but I got boxed in along the barriers in the last 300 meters.”
McNulty went toe-to-toe with some of the toughest one-day racers on Earth in the uphill finale.
“I’m super happy with the day and it’s motivating to be riding this well leading into worlds!”
Vancouver Island native Nigel Ellsay was tasked with making the day’s breakaway and on the second of 16 laps, he did exactly that. Joining four other riders, the quintet built up an advantage of over five minutes before Team Sunweb, BMC Racing, and Lotto Soudal worked to close the gap and shred the peloton.
“It was unreal being out front all day,” said Ellsay. “I was thankful to hear familiar and foreign voices shouting my name in my home country’s biggest race. I was thrilled to be able to help put on a show and to cap off a successful season with a strong performance for the team.”
On Friday, September 7th, the team raced the 201 km Grand Prix Cycliste de Québec. Rob Britton was the last man standing from the 170 km breakaway before Robin Carpenter attacked out of the diminished field in a bid for glory with one circuit remaining in the race. As Carpenter was reeled in at the base the day’s final climb, McNulty was well-positioned to take 24th place in the long uphill drag to the line.
Grand Prix Cycliste de Montréal Results
1 Michael Matthews (Aus) Team Sunweb 5:19:27
2 Sonny Colbrelli (Ita) Bahrain-Merida
3 Greg Van Avermaet (Bel) BMC Racing Team
4 Oliver Naesen (Bel) AG2R La Mondiale
5 Timo Roosen (Ned) LottoNl-Jumbo
6 Rui Alberto Faria Da Costa (Por) UAE Team Emirates
7 Diego Ulissi (Ita) UAE Team Emirates
8 Michael Valgren Andersen (Den) Astana Pro Team
9 Patrick Konrad (Aut) Bora-Hansgrohe
10 Edvald Boasson Hagen (Nor) Dimension Data
11 Nathan Haas (Aus) Katusha-Alpecin
12 Valentin Madouas (Fra) Groupama-FDJ
13 Toms Skujins (Lat) Trek-Segafredo
14 Jasper Stuyven (Bel) Trek-Segafredo
15 Jan Polanc (Slo) UAE Team Emirates
16 Brandon Mcnulty (USA) Rally Cycling
17 David Gaudu (Fra) Groupama-FDJ
18 Mathias Frank (Swi) AG2R La Mondiale
19 Guillaume Boivin (Can) Israel-Cycling Academy
20 Daryl Impey (RSA) Mitchelton-Scott
