(Bilbao and Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain) At 10 euros each, the yellow Tour de France ponchos easily found buyers on the sidelines of the official presentation of the riders, Thursday evening in Bilbao.
The lucky ones received free red polka dot ponchos distributed by the sponsor of the best climber’s jersey. With their orange hats, the Basque supporters had quite the look to applaud the cyclists wearing the traditional large black beret, which the locals call the txapela.
That of Guillaume Boivin dripped on leaving the large stage installed in front of the famous curves of the Guggenheim museum. The rain began to fall heavily shortly before the passage of the Israel-Premier Tech team.
PHOTO STÉPHANE MAHE, REUTERS
The cyclists of the Israel-Premier Tech team wave to the crowd, wearing the traditional large black beret that the locals call the txapela, during of the official presentation of the riders, Thursday evening, in Bilbao.
Nothing (too much) to cool the ardor of the few thousandEuskaldun massed along the fences bordering the parade of some two kilometers.
” They are courageous ! “, noted the Quebecer, who immortalized the moment by pedaling with a selfie stick.
PHOTO BENOIT TESSIER, REUTERS
Quebecer Guillaume Boivin, during the presentation of the teams
It’s always cool to ride in the streets and see everyone cheering for us. You feel the passion of the people here. Even with the pouring rain we have at the moment, they were there. It’s heart warming and we can’t wait to start on Saturday.
Guillaume Boivin
Two hours earlier, the 176 riders and their sports directors had been entitled to a technical preparatory meeting with the management of the Tour de France.
Chills and emotions
The meeting was marked by a poignant minute of silence in memory of Gino Mäder, a young Swiss rider who died less than two weeks ago after falling into a ravine during the Tour de Suisse. In his honor, none of his Bahrain-Victorious team members will wear number 61.
“It’s the only competition to hold this briefing,” said Hugo Houle. I remember my first [en 2019]. I was super impressed to hear the safety instructions and rules of procedure. »
Four years later, the cyclist from Sainte-Perpétue was part of the video summarizing the Tour of 2022, where he won the 16e stage in the Pyrenees and paid tribute to his deceased brother.
PHOTO PROVIDED BY ISRAEL-PREMIER TECH TEAM
Hugo Houle in interview with local media
It always gives me chills to see the pictures again.
Hugo Houle
“It’s a beautiful moment that means a lot to me, he wrote to us from the coach after having spun between the drops in the mixed zone. Otherwise, the summary video puts us back in the mood and makes us relive the emotions of the Tour. Seeing the stage winners and being part of this video makes me realize the privilege of winning at the TDF. Especially looking at the number of champions in the room. »
Whether he likes it or not, Houle now belongs to this caste, a status for which he is grateful, but which does not change his approach for what will be his fifth consecutive Grande Boucle.
“Whether it’s from the riders or the crowd in France, it’s clear that I’m more recognized. They know who Hugo Houle is. They believe in me more. But you have to prove yourself all the time. We are quickly forgotten. I have to respond again this year. »
Succeed again
On this level, no one has concerns. His friend Antoine Duchesne, with whom he crossed the Champs-Élysées finish line neck and neck last summer, is convinced that Houle will be able to give himself the chance to shine again.
“My friend looks good and he has confidence,” reported the new retiree from France last week. “Usually, when he says to me: ‘Don’t worry, my Tony, you’ll be fine’, it’s because he knows it. He has experience. He managed his things well, did a decent Tour of Switzerland, which is a good sign because you feel that he has a step to climb. »
Mäder’s tragic death shook the riders, but Houle managed to maintain his composure, even though he passed by the scene minutes after the crash.
“Hugo does his business and he’s hard to shake,” Duchesne said. It affected him, but not as much as others. He stays on his way and keeps a cool head. »
I don’t want to “scooper” him and reveal what he told me, but he is ready and motivated to do something good again at the Tour.
Antoine Duchesne
In any case, this victory, his only professional one, did not satisfy the main interested party.
PHOTO SIMON DROUIN, THE PRESS
Hugo Houle
“It’s a dream and I didn’t know if I was going to accomplish it,” Houle recalled in the afternoon after returning from a training trip in the mountains near Vitoria-Gasteiz, where Israel is staying. -Premier Tech for this big start.
Today, I want to relive the same feeling, to succeed again.
Hugo Houle
“It is sure that the emotion will always be different. The first was for my brother. I will never match that. It’s impossible. It remains that I have the same motivation, the same drive to show that I am capable of being in front, and that is what we have been making sacrifices for and preparing for for a month and a half. »
The next three weeks will be “a bit of a test to see if it worked well”.
“I see it more as a challenge with myself and [une volonté] to show that last year’s level was not a stroke of luck. »
No room for chance
At 68.5 kg – 4 less than in January – Houle is obviously sharp, like all his colleagues. “You have to stay healthy and have a little luck, but I’m confident in my form and my physical condition. I am certainly in the same position as last year, if not better. »
After competing for the first time in the Tour of the Basque Country, where he finished fourth in a stage last year, the 32-year-old Quebecer knows a little about what to expect during the first three stages.
True to form, he will still make a precise analysis of each of them during the bus trip to the start from Saturday. Like many of his colleagues, he consults the application VeloViewera sort of Google Street View for cyclists to which the teams subscribe as a package.
“With experience, you can see the type of roads, especially when you know France: national roads, departmental roads, it gives an idea of their width, their topology. You get to get a good idea of what the stage will look like. I identify the key points to be well placed because I know it has an impact [sur le déroulement]. »
Depending on the complexity of the course, I put in a good 35-40 minutes a day. I am very studious. I check them all. Some have no idea where they are going. I know where I’m going…
Hugo Houle
Nothing is therefore left to chance for this 110e Tour de France, especially since Houle does not know how many he has left. He is certainly aiming for that of 2024, which will end exceptionally near his home in Nice and which will constitute an ideal preparation for the Olympic Games in Paris.
But in 2025 and 2026, the year he ends his career with the World Championships in Montreal, he wants to do the Giro again, ten years after his first participation.
But Hugo Houle was not there to talk about Italy. After half an hour of conversation, he took leave of the two Quebec journalists, to go to the massage table.
“Enjoy your vacation, guys!” “, he launched with a wink before rushing into the elevator. It must have been Basque humour.
