Over 15,000 cyclists ride for Olympic-themed Tour de l'Île
Montréal marks 50 years since hosting Games with massive community bike event across seven boroughs.
Over 15,000 cyclists took to car-free streets Sunday for Tour de l'Île, an Olympic-themed ride celebrating 50 years since Montréal hosted the 1976 Games. The event rolled through Rosemont, Villeray, the Plateau, Ville-Marie, Côte-des-Neiges–NDG, Sud-Ouest, and back to Ville-Marie, with music and activities for families at various stops.
Organizers offered multiple route options—a standard ride through the city or longer challenges stretching 65 or 90 kilometres west toward Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue. Jean-François Rhéault, CEO of Vélo Québec, which organized the event, emphasized that the ride welcomes cyclists of all levels. "If you've never ridden a long distance, an event like this is perfect because you can learn that riding 50 kilometers is not that hard," he said. "You can do that in a safe and secured context."
Participants spoke of the event's energy drawing them back year after year. Annie Wilson, on her third Tour de l'Île, said retiring soon motivated her to prove she could still manage the distance. "The energy every time we come here is fantastic," she said. Another regular who's done the ride seven of her ten years in the city called it "one of the best things about the city."
The Olympic anniversary added a commemorative layer: organizers set up stops at four iconic 1976 sites with a scavenger hunt for kids collecting sticker medals and fun facts about early Canadian medalists. At the finish, participants received chocolate milk and snacks—a tradition as much a part of Tour de l'Île as the ride itself.