(Quebec) “It won’t be too complicated to do better than last year, at least I hope so…”
Hugo Houle has not forgotten his last visit to the Grand Prix cyclists of Quebec and Montreal.
Hailed as a hero after his historic stage victory in the Tour de France, he had abandoned on the Grande Allée three laps from the end and dismounted on the avenue du Parc after less than a loop of the circuit. Without knowing it, the representative of Israel-Premier Tech was harboring an illness.
The blow had struck for one who generally takes pride in finishing his races.
“It’s a privilege to be able to perform in front of our people and appreciate the support of the crowd,” recalled Houle during a press briefing in Quebec City on Thursday afternoon.
The scenario looks different this year. After a fall at the World Championships in Glasgow last month, Houle had a longer rest period than expected. Illness forced him to cancel his participation in the Norwegian Arctic Race, where he finished second in 2022.
Without benchmarks in competition, the 32-year-old Quebecer surprised himself by finishing third in the Maryland Cycling Classic on Sunday, his best result in a one-day event of this caliber.
His presence at the front alongside riders of the level of the Dane Mattias Skjelmose (1st), the American Neilson Powless (2nd) and the eternal attacker Tom Skujins (5th) is an undeniably positive signal.
“The way the race went, I was a bit lucky,” Houle said at first. But you had to have the legs. I was the first one surprised. Honestly, there was still a good breakaway and I was able to respond to the attacks in the final. »
The “similarity” of the final Baltimore circuit with the Quebec route is another encouraging element.
“Obviously, the cycling Grands Prix, whether in Quebec or Montreal, it’s another level than Maryland. It will be interesting to see where I stand this weekend. The last time I was competitive [here] was quite a long time ago. I have progressed well since 2019 [15th in Quebec] and I am the first curious to see what I can do this weekend if the legs respond well. »
Hugo Houle hopes to “be there” in the final loop in Quebec, just like his teammate Guillaume Boivin, who is however recovering from a severe antics in Belgium. In the last hectometers of the fourth stage of the Renewi Tour, on August 26, the Longueuil resident was unable to avoid a collision that occurred in front of him.
“I wasn’t even in the sprint, I was going around the chute, and a bike fell on my head. I fell and I still hurt myself quite a bit. I did a forward somersault and my hip landed on a metal leg that holds the barriers upright. I left by ambulance. »
“It was maybe a little early to come back, but I was here and it might have done me good for the weekend. »
Boivin is finally feeling “normal” on the bike since Wednesday, which bodes well for the Quebec GP, one of his favorite races…when he’s not hit with bad luck.
Forty-fifth and best Canadian last year, he was in a state of grace before having to change bikes for a mechanical problem one lap from the end.
During his previous participation, in 2019, he rolled over a container before crashing onto the asphalt and fracturing a few ribs. Another time, his derailleur stopped working on the last lap…
Present at the inaugural 2010 edition, the 34-year-old cyclist will be making his 10th start out of a possible 12 in Quebec. He finished 17th in 2016, a personal best.
Boivin expects to be “one of the last riders to throw” his younger teammate Corbin Strong, a New Zealander renowned for his punching skills. “Hopefully it will be for the win. »
The rain forecast – which would represent a first for this event – could change the usual scenario.
“All the places where you take the curves without braking too much where you can have confidence in the grip of the tires, in the rain, that changes everything,” agreed Boivin. If it turns out, the race will be really different in my opinion. I wouldn’t be surprised to see much earlier picking and attacking. In the rain, it becomes harder to have cohesion and keep the group together. »
Michael Woods, for his part, will probably save his energies for Montreal, where he will aim for victory.
Five other Quebecers, members of the national team, will start Friday in Quebec: Pan-American champion Pier-André Côté aspires to a place among the top 20, while his young teammates Matisse Julien, Félix Hamel, Robin Plamondon and Nicholas Rivard will especially seek to familiarize themselves with the European peloton.
