Having already finished second in the Grand Prix Quebec, Tom Dumoulin took another top result when he finished sixth in the Grand Prix Montreal. The Dutchman regretted some tactical mistakes that prevented him from doing even better.

Tom Dumoulin added to an already successful Canadian campaign today in Montréal sprinting to sixth from the select front group that formed in the final stages of the race. Dumoulin was present in the group with Simon Geschke who came over the line in 17th position.

The race came down to a similar finish to Friday’s Québec race, with the win going to the same rider, Simon Gerrans (Orica GreenEDGE). The final kilometres proved tougher however with a smaller group coming into the final kilometre to contest the win.

The fifth edition of the GP Cycliste de Montréal was a 205.7km race of 17 laps around a 12km circuit, each lap taking in the challenging climb of Mont Royal. The day’s break formed over the first ascent with three riders pulling clear soon to be joined by just one other to form the order for the day.

Coming up the final climb of Mont Royal the race came back together at the front end and as expected the attacks started to fly. The team were still here with Both Dumoulin and Geschke, as well as Georg Preidler, Daan Olivier and Reinardt Janse van Rensburg who all helped to play key roles in the positioning of the others on the climb.

Over the top a select group formed that swelled to around 35 riders, and it was from this group that the day’s winners came. Geschke and Dumoulin stuck together but couldn’t do much to fight the strength in numbers from Orica GreenEDGE as they powered on the front to set Gerrans up perfectly for a sprint finish.

Dumoulin started a bit too far back but clawed his way back up to sixth while Geschke finished within the group in 17th. Preidler was next back in 41st at just over a minute behind this leading group.

Dumoulin said after the race: “Today tactically I didn’t do the perfect race but still got sixth. So the result could have been even better, but I made some small mistakes on the final lap. I can learn from this though and it is nice to know that the form is there.

“Second and sixth in these past two races shows that I have taken another step in my career and can challenge for the win in these one day races at WorldTour level.”

“The race was quite OK today,” said coach Aike Visbeek. “We made some small mistakes towards the end that cost us some places but in the end it was an OK result. We can learn from these races and take away some important lessons in how better the guys can prepare for the finishes.

“It is good to see Tom challenging once again at the finish though, showing once again the progression that he has made over the course of last winter and this season.”