Having been convalescing for a few weeks following an operation, Clara Émond was returning to training in the French Pyrenees in August, when Simone Boilard came to join her with important information to pass on to her: Premier Tech was ready to invest in women’s cycling.
The project came to fruition and was made official on Tuesday: the Rivière-du-Loup multinational will be a “partner” for two years of the French team St Michel-Preference Home-Auber93. Premier Tech will not be integrated into the name, but its logo will be displayed on the uniform of the team which holds a ProTeam license (second division).
“This opportunity fully aligns with the reasons why Premier Tech has been involved in cycling for more than 30 years, namely to create bridges at all levels of the sport and to contribute to the development of Quebec and Canadian cyclists,” said President and CEO, Jean Bélanger, in a press release.
Thus, the billionaire company, which recently announced its withdrawal from the Israel-Premier Tech men’s team, “facilitated” the arrival of Boilard and Émond, both from the Quebec region, and of Albertan Alison Jackson, Canadian champion who made herself known by winning Paris-Roubaix in 2023.
The three cyclists signed two-year contracts.
St Michel-Preference Home-Auber93, a structure founded in 1994, has been a mixed team since 2012. Its women’s section, in which Premier Tech will be the most involved, took on a professional dimension in 2021.
Both for Émond, winner of a stage at the Giro, and for Boilard, bronze medalist at the 2018 Junior World Championships, this commitment from Premier Tech is an opportunity to relaunch their careers.
“It will be a lot of changes, but after a difficult year like this, I think it will just be positive,” commented Clara Émond, reached in Spain a few hours after the announcement.
PHOTO ANOUK FLESCH, PROVIDED BY EF EDUCATION–OATLY
Quebecer Clara Émond during her stage victory at the Tour of Italy in July 2024
Émond, 28, has raced very little since her historic victory in Italy in July 2024. After suffering a knee injury, the representative of the EF Education-Oatly team (WorldTour) fractured her collarbone, shoulder blade and ribs during an accident in training in June. Upon her return to competition in September, she competed in only three races before suffering a concussion in a crash at the Wallonie Grand Prix.
His arrival at St Michel-Preference Home-Auber93 is “a new beginning”. “We’re going to get back into it in an environment with a little less pressure,” judged Émond. I will have many more opportunities to race for myself, to have more interesting roles and to do more races. »
The last season with EF, where she ran with Jackson, was sometimes difficult for the law school graduate. “It was a frustrating year, both for me, because it was out of my control, and for the team, because I couldn’t race. In the medium term, this sometimes makes relationships more difficult with the team. I didn’t always feel supported either. My first contact with [St Michel] was really very good. They trust me. It’s a new beginning. »
The athlete from Saint-Ferréol-les-Neiges expects to compete in the Ardennes classics, the Vuelta and the Tour de France under his new colors. The Giro, which changes dates, represents a question mark for St Michel. Émond will also have the opportunity to compete in smaller events where victory will be more within reach.
For her part, Simone Boilard returns to the fold after a more difficult final season in the Norwegian WorldTour team Uno-X Mobility, among other things due to health concerns. The 25-year-old cyclist experienced her greatest professional successes with St Michel in 2022 and 2023, including a victory at the GP Oetingen.
PHOTO PROVIDED BY UNO-X MOBILITY
Quebecer Simone Boilard
“This return to basics seems essential to me,” she stressed on her social networks last month. “Being able to find a familiar environment, and above all sharing it with other Canadian women, represents an important step in rediscovering the joy of cycling. »
A bridge to Europe
Clara Émond applauds the arrival of Premier Tech in the booming women’s sport: “It has grown. We see this for example with women’s soccer. It deserves the attention of big companies. A developing team like that is a very good opportunity for Premier Tech to get a foothold in women’s cycling and hope to grow with this team. »
PHOTO ROBERT SKINNER, LA PRESSE ARCHIVES
Albertan Alison Jackson
The presence of Premier Tech should also serve as a springboard for Canadian women’s cycling, added Émond. She herself made the jump to Europe in 2022 thanks to the Franco-Canadian training Emotional.fr-Tornatech-GSC Blagnac VS31, largely supported by Quebec sports director Gérard Penarroya. This first experience allowed him to compete in a first Tour de France (23e) with Arkéa and then found himself at EF.
PHOTO STUART FRANKLIN, AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE ARCHIVES
A stage of the women’s Tour de France
The same Penarroya is also relaunching a new project with Quebecers Laury Millette, Jazmine Lavergne and Mathilde Huot. These will be able to continue to evolve in Europe next season with the help of local companies such as Macogep, Magnan Design, the microbrewery Siboire and the chocolatier Jeff de Bruges.
“It’s still very difficult to bridge the gap,” emphasized Émond. In the long term, a Canadian team could bring a lot of talent from here to Europe. Despite our small number [dans le peloton professionnel]we have very, very good cyclists in Canada. It can only get bigger. »
The spectacular victory of her now ex-teammate Magdeleine Vallières Mill at the World Championships in Kigali and the holding of the competition in Montreal in September 2026 will be two other accelerators. “The timing couldn’t be better,” concluded Émond.
