Montreal is getting ready to live up to its reputation as one of the most bikeable cities in the world.

Vehicles in the city’s core will give way to over 35,000 cyclists during the Tour la Nuit and Tour de l’Île events happening Friday evening and Sunday, respectively.

On Thursday, Jean-François Rheault, the president of Vélo-Québec — the organization behind the Go vélo Montréal festival — joined Christine Black, the Montreal executive committee member in charge of sports, to give an update on race preparations, road closures, and, of course — potholes.

“There are options to travel by car. It might not be the options that you’re used to, but if you take a moment to plan … you may save yourself a lot of time,” Rheault said.

If drivers are unhappy about the limited mobility, they may cheer up upon hearing that the biking festival has essentially triggered a pothole blitz.

Rheault said his team identified between 250 and 300 potholes on the course and flagged them to their respective boroughs to have them filled in before the weekend.

“This year, the task is colossal, but it’s progressing well,” Rheault said, adding that the collaborative process with the boroughs has improved compared to previous years.

Vélo-Québec staff will assess the circuit one more time before cyclists take over and mark any outstanding potholes with cones, though he’s confident there won’t be any left by then, he added.

“You can be assured the course will be safe,” he said.

Who is affected?

Vélo-Québec is introducing new circuits for the 41st edition of the Tour de l’Île and the Tour la Nuit race this year.

The Tour la Nuit will take cyclists on a 24-kilometre from Jarry Park to the northern edge of the Ahuntsic-Cartierville borough and back around.

The daytime event of Tour de l’Île, for its part, will utilize a 50-kilometre course looping around the city’s downtown core, Mount Royal Park and the Frédéric-Back park in the Villeray—Saint-Michel—Parc-Extension borough.

Black, the city’s executive committee member who is also the borough mayor for Montréal-Nord, said she encourages Montrealers to use public transit as much as possible over the weekend to alleviate traffic.

“We know this event will have [an] impact for the citizens in Montreal,” she said. “It’s really important to be prepared.”

How to get around by car

Rheault issued a call for vigilance to drivers in the northern part of the Villeray neighbourhood , saying circulation in those areas will be “very complicated” on Friday between 7:30 p.m. and 10 p.m.

“These are places where the enclave is a little more restricted this year; entry and exit are only possible via exit 73 of Highway 40,” he said.

Rheault says the best way for drivers to get around in Montreal this weekend will be by using the Waze app where road closures will be shown in real time.

Road closures are also listed on the festival’s website.

Though departures for the Tour la Nuit will be staggered starting at 8:15 p.m. on Friday, the stretch of St-Laurent Boulevard between Jean-Talon and Jarry streets will be closed as of 5:30 p.m. Every other road along the circuit will be closed to vehicles at 7:30 p.m. and reopened sometime between 10 p.m. and midnight.

On Sunday, St-Laurent Boulevard will once again be the first road to close, this time between De Castelnau and Jarry streets for the entirety of the event from 6 a.m. until 4 p.m. Jarry Street, between St-Laurent Boulevard and De l’Épée Avenue, will also be closed for most of the day from 8:30 a.m. until 4 p.m.

Every other road will be closed progressively starting at 8:30 a.m. and will reopen between 11:30 a.m. and 4 p.m., depending on where it is along the cycling course.

Montreal’s cycling culture will be on full display in September, when it will host the UCI Road World Championships, an eight-day racing event.