It was held on 11 September 2011, over a distance of 205.7 km (127.8 mi), starting and finishing in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.

[1][2] The other rider in the breakaway, Stefan Denifl of Leopard Trek faded in the closing stages to fifth place in the results behind the Omega Pharma–Lotto pair of Philippe Gilbert and Jürgen Roelandts.

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.

[4] 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.