Hugo Houle and Guillaume Boivin Make way for the Worlds before the Quebec and Montreal GPs

Hugo Houle and Guillaume Boivin will not be entitled to a long vacation after concluding the Tour de France on Sunday in Paris.

The day after a festive team dinner after arriving on the Champs-Élysées, the two representatives of Israel-Premier Tech were thinking of resting for their next objective, the road race at the World Championships in Glasgow on August 6.

“The way I feel, I think I’m in good shape,” Houle said on Monday. I’m very tired and I need to recover. But we have two weeks. Normally, if I’m following the trend of the last few years, I should be in pretty good shape by then. »

Boivin is in the same frame of mind. “The World Championships will come quickly, noted the 34-year-old cyclist. »

By virtue of the UCI points accumulated in the past year and the Pan American title won by Pier-André Côté in the spring, the Canadian men’s team will be able to count on seven starters in Scotland, one less than the majority of the major nations.

“I haven’t spoken to the national team yet, but I definitely hope to be a protected rider,” Houle said.

Seventeenth in his last appearance in Belgium in 2021, Boivin also wants to distinguish himself in the 277.6 km event.

“I particularly like these circuit races. I haven’t seen it in person yet, but from what I understand it’s a great course for me. I can’t wait to be there and put on a great performance. »

The two cyclists drew a positive balance sheet of their Tour de France. “It was probably my best Tour to date,” said Boivin, who was in his third participation.

“It went well in the last week. It was going well in the sprints with Corbin [Strong, 9^e de la 21^e étape]. »

The Longueuil native also derives satisfaction from the way he rode at the start of the 19^e stage to bring back a breakaway missed by his team.

“We worked quite hard to rectify the situation. It’s fun to see that the legs were good in the last week and that we could have an impact on the race. In general, we can be very proud of what we have done as a team. »

Houle was one of the main beneficiaries of this frantic hunt. He blamed himself for not having been able to take advantage of it when the event was relaunched in favor of the Slovenian Matej Mohoric. He finished 16^e of this stage which ended in Poligny, his second result after his 13^e place in the mountains in Saint-Gervais Mont-Blanc.

Failing to have won a stage like in 2022, Houle was one of the five cyclists who rode most often at the front of the peloton.

“I was proud to be in the race and to be a part of it. It is still significant. It shows that I was present every day. »

Looking back, Houle would change two things about his preparation. His camp high in Andorra was disrupted by cold weather and snowfall. The weather is generally milder in the Canary Islands, where he used to be. The absence of his regular massage therapist also affected his recovery at this same camp. It is already certain that he will accompany him everywhere next year.

“Last year, he was 100% of the time with me. At some point, you get used to the treatments you receive. It helps to always have the same one. He is top notch. It’s the best I’ve ever had. It still makes a difference. »

After the Worlds, Houle must participate in the Arctic Race of Norway, where he was second last year, while Boivin will relaunch in the Renewi Tour (former Tour du Benelux). In September, they will meet again at the Maryland Classic before reconnecting with their public at the Grands Prix Cyclistes de Québec (8) and Montreal (10).

No unemployment for them. “You have to work all the time, huh,” joked Houle before hopping on his flight to Nice.