Cycling
The legs are holding up for Hugo Houle
Hugo Houle (Israel – Premier Tech) was at the start on Sunday from Ghent-Wevelgem, in Belgium. After the abandonment of his leader Itamar Einhorn along the way, Houle decided to go all out, finding himself alone in his team in the peloton. The cyclist from Sainte-Perpétue finally finished at 55and rank (+1 minute 30 seconds).
“We were caught in a fall quite early in the race and I stayed behind with Itamar. We managed to come back, but he ended up giving up a little later. I did my job, I think I’ve never been in such good shape at this point in the season,” mentioned Hugo Houle, who still hoped to get back in the field on Sunday.
“I’m a little disappointed not to have finished in front, because I think I have what it takes to get there. I played my role within the team, I made a few placement errors, it was difficult to catch up, ”he analyzed.
After cycling alone for several days in Paris-Nice, Houle has started to acclimatise to the absence of his teammates, but he hopes this situation will not be too common this season.
“It’s not easy to maneuver when you’re alone in the peloton. I know more and more how to manage, but it must not become a habit. »
Teammates are important in the peloton, we haven’t been lucky with injuries and illness in the last few weeks, but we feel that the tide is turning in our favour.
Hugo Houle
The Eritrean Biniam Girmay Hailu (Intermarché – Wanty – Gobert Matériaux) won the race by winning in a sprint with three other runners. He is the first African cyclist to win top honors at Ghent-Wevelgem. Frenchman Christophe Laporte (Jumbo-Visma) finished second while Belgian Dries Van Gestel (Total Energies) finished third. His compatriot Jasper Stuyven (Trek – Segafredo) completed the first group.
Sep Vanmarcke, also from Belgium, was Hugo Houle’s only teammate to cross the finish line. He took the 77and step (+7 minutes 6 seconds).
Houle will now enjoy a few days of well-deserved rest before continuing their Belgian tour with a stop in Waregem on Wednesday.
“I had some breathing issues after my last race, but nothing major, everything was back to normal today (Sunday). It’s encouraging for my next races, I hope to have more luck in the positioning and I’m aiming for good results next week,” he concluded.
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Sophia Jhon is a sports journalist and author. He has worked as a news editor for Sportish and is now a sport columnist for the same publication. Alberta’s professional interests lie largely in sports news, with an emphasis on English football. He has also written articles on other sporting topics.