(Québec) Even if his hopes were measured, Hugo Houle did not think he would have to join his family three laps before the end of the Grand Prix Cycliste de Québec on Friday afternoon.

A few minutes after his retirement with 36 km to go, the Tour de France stage winner stepped over a fence delimiting the VIP area near the finish line on the Grande Allée. He then shared his disappointment with his mother Diane and his father Yvon, as well as with the parents of Antoine Duchesne.

Diagnosis for those who generally make it a point of honor to finish their shopping? The tank was simply empty.

PHOTO JULIEN PAYETTE-TESSIER, PROVIDED BY GRAND PRIX CYCLIST DE QUÉBEC

Hugo Houle forced to retire

I had no legs at all. The sensations were truly catastrophic. After 2.5 hours, I already felt that the legs were getting very, very heavy and that it would be very, very complicated.

Hugo Houle

One lap before turning on the indicator, the representative of Israel-Premier Tech was let go on the Côte de la Montagne, the main difficulty of the circuit in Old Quebec. He returned to the peloton, without ever seeing the race leader again.

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His package was confirmed shortly after that of Peter Sagan, triple world champion and winner in 2016 and 2017.

“I found myself at the back and I had difficulty coming back up,” explained Houle. It was clear in my mind that I was not going to finish the test. So I’m definitely disappointed. »

The 31-year-old cyclist would have liked to “give more for the people” who welcomed him like a hero at the presentation of the riders and throughout the GP disputed for the first time since 2019. two weeks of not regaining its velocity.

“I was completely drained, I had no energy today. […] I spent my last strength in Norway (2e). I now have to recover because I’m still very tired and I can’t get back on the road. So everything that goes up very high comes down…”

PHOTO JULIEN PAYETTE-TESSIER, PROVIDED BY GRAND PRIX CYCLIST DE QUÉBEC

Guillaume Boivin

Conversely, his teammate Guillaume Boivin had finally regained momentum after a season complicated by illness. However, a change of bike forced by a mechanical problem completely took him out of the equation with one lap to go.

Best Canadian as in 2016, 2017 and 2018, he crossed the line at 45e rank, 1 min 16 s behind the surprise winner Benoît Cosnefroy (AG2R-Citroën).

“I was really, really good today, I had a perfect race,” sighed Boivin, disgusted by the turnaround. “I imagine you didn’t see me in the race, which is a good sign here in view of the last lap. But with the change of bike, it was over. »

His seatpost is down “three, four centimeters”. “The roads are so bad with the holes that it’s a bit hard for the mechanics,” he complained.

PHOTO JACQUES BOISSINOT, THE CANADIAN PRESS

Benoît Cosnefroy pulled out of the game with several hundred meters to negotiate on the last lap.

In his ninth participation in the GP, his favorite classic, Boivin hoped to redeem himself after a very difficult second Tour de France.

“It’s a big disappointment. But hey, it’s not the first nor the last. It sucks, in good Quebec. »

The future retiree Antoine Duchesne had more fun, even if the engine choked in front of the Château Frontenac, 1 km from the finish. The Quebecer from Groupama-FDJ, very active at the end of the event with David Gaudu and Michael Storer, rode with an orthosis on his left hand due to a finger fracture suffered two weeks earlier.

“I’m still satisfied,” said Duchesne, 67e at 3 min 12 sec. If not having run for six weeks, having pain in the ass, knee tendonitis and a broken hand, it won races, it would be known… Considering my last month, I am still very happy not to looking too crazy. »

The 30-year-old rode up to the front with two laps to go, but that was the best he could do.

“I would have liked to try something, but it’s a big race and the best in the world are there. Anyway, I believed in the fairy tale, but it didn’t happen! »

Canadian champion Pier-André Côté, tired, did not have a better fate in rallying the finish at the 111e place, more than 10 minutes from the winner.

“I suffered a little earlier than I wanted, noted the actuarial student at Laval University. When you start to suffer 10 laps from the end, it’s a long time to tear yourself away and grit your teeth. »

The four Quebecers are now turning their eyes to the Montreal GP. If Boivin was encouraged by his speed before his mechanical incident, Houle was not telling stories.

“It’s going to take a little miracle,” he admitted. After almost a month without running, maybe it will give me a little electroshock. We’ll see if I can do better, but I don’t have high hopes. »

The thread of the race

  • 34e km: five riders, including Canadian Carson Miles, break away and give themselves a four-minute priority over the peloton.
  • 57e km: the five riders in the leading group continue to exchange leads and maintain their lead of just over four minutes.
  • 100e km: halfway through the race, the contingent that escaped maintains its lead. The peloton did not drop any riders.
  • 135e km: Miles no longer maintains the rhythm and the group of leaders is reduced to four. The peloton is approaching nearly three minutes behind the leaders.
  • 160e km: A group of five chasers led by the American Quinn Simmons broke away from the peloton and was on the heels of the leaders by less than a minute.
  • 172e km: the pursuers have made up the delay on the leaders and the peloton is approaching a handful of seconds from the lead.
  • 180e km: at the start of the final lap, the headliners, including Tadej Pogačar and Wout van Aert, are positioned at the head of the peloton.
  • 200e km: with 1200 meters to go, Benoît Cosnefroy gives himself a priority of several seconds. He stands up to the push of the rivals and triumphs.

The Canadian Press

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