The race consisted of 17 laps of a circuit 12.1 km (7.5 mi) in length, an increase of one lap from the 2010 running of the race. The circuit, around the main campus of the Université de Montréal, was well-suited for climbers, with three climbs per lap, and those who are used to steep descents. The finish was on an uphill climb, that was located on Avenue du Parc.[4]
Teams
As the race was held under the auspices of the UCI World Tour, all eighteen ProTour teams were invited automatically. Four additional wildcard invitations were given – Cofidis, FDJ, SpiderTech–C10 and Team Europcar – to form the event's 22-team peloton.[5]