May 14, 2018 (Québec, QC) – What the heck is going on with legendary Quebec veteran rider, Bruno Langlois? The former national road champ was considering retirement two years ago, but the Matane, Québec-native has revamped his career and is beginning yet another bike season with a new perspective.

“Even though I consider my pro career as over, I still have goals I want to reach. One of them is taking part in my 20th Tour de Beauce,” said the 39-years-old who started bike racing back in 1997. The only time he missed the renowned week-long grueling UCI stage race on Québec’s backroads was in 2007, when he suffered a leg fracture while training.

Langlois’ victory at the 2016 Canadian Road Race Championships in Ottawa/Gatineau played a big part in his decision to postpone his retirement. “I wanted to honour my title and wear the national champion jersey. That’s why I came back for one final pro-year with the Garneau-Québécor continental team in 2017,” he told Pedal. This proved to be a good move as Langlois received an invitation to the Grands Prix cyclistes de Québec and Montréal to race for Canada’s national team.

His unexpected maple leaf jersey victory gave his new coaching business, BL Coaching, a boost as well. Today his coaching venture has morphed into Vélo Cartel based in Quebec City, a place where you can train hard on Computrainers, grab a coffee, get your bike tuned up and buy cycling-related goodies. Vélo Cartel is also the name of the amateur cycling team that Langlois set up for the 2018 season. “It’s also a way to generate some conversation and exposure for the business,” he explained.

Recently, Vincent Brassard, one of the riders recruited by Langlois, won the men’s open category at the Critérium Beauharnois, near Montréal. “Like many riders in Vélo Cartel, Vincent is a talented cyclist who’s a late starter in cycling. Coaching him is my way of giving back. You never know when a Mike Woods scenario might happen,” he commented. In a recent La Presse+ interview, Woods credited Langlois for teaching him how to survive in bike races.

Langlois’s new lifestyle, however, comes with a set of new challenges. One of them is letting go of his professional mindset. “I’m not leading the show anymore. Even though this transition is way more difficult than I thought it would be, I am grateful for the opportunity to go through it. My victory, now, is when one of my clients comes back to me saying that they’re flying on their bike. It’s priceless, actually,” he remarked.

Vélo Cartel
367 Rue Soumande
Québec, QC  G1M 1A5
info@velocartel.cc
(418) 809-0189