June 23, 2017 – Several Quebecers will storm the roads of Gatineau and Ottawa at the Canadian Road Championships from June 24-28 to defend the honor of the Belle Province incluing Junior, U23 and Elite athletes.
Thirteen athletes will wear the jersey of the Fleur-de-lis during this event. The only elite representative on the Quebec team will be Alizée Brien. Representing the U23 Men will be Thierry Kirouac-Marcassa.
In the junior category, Édouard Beaudoin, Charles-Étienne Chrétien, Charles-Antoine Forest-Leblanc, Tristan Guillemette, Félix Pelletier, Robin Plamondon and Émile Vézina-Coulombe will line up for Quebec. The women will be represented by Simone Boilard, Laurie Jussaume, Ann-Pascale Ouellet and Rachel St-Onge.
“We have a very good junior team, both for men and women. Mention must be made of Simone Boilard, who was a medalist in the three events she attended last year. Laurie Jussaume, who took part in the 2016 World Road Championships, should also do well. On the men’s side, there are seven high-caliber representatives. Depending on the race situation, I’m hopeful that we will be able to win a place on the podium. Charles-Étienne Chrétien, who took part at the Road World Championships last year, is poised for a good performance. Tristan Guillemette, who will go to the Track Worlds, could also have a great day, especially on a flat course like this one,” commented Pascal Choquette, coach of the Quebec team.
“Canadian junior road champion last year, Thierry Kirouac-Marcassa could score a good result in his first year in the U23 category. Alizée Brien, who was a medalist at the last nationals and who had a good time trial in Gatineau, could do well in the elite events,” he added.
Several other Quebeckers will be competing in this competition, the most important race at the national level. The latter will then continue within their regular training.
“Many other Quebec rider will be racing. I think of Joëlle Numainville, Karol-Ann Canuel, Lex Albrecht, Kirsti Lay and Marie-Soleil Blais among the elites, Ariane Bonhomme and Catherine Ouellette among the U23. On the men’s elite side, there will be Antoine Duchesne, Guillaume Boivin, who recently proved that he was in good form and who could be suitable, Émile Jean, who has just won a stage at the Saguenay Grand Prix and Tour de Beauce, and Bruno Langlois, the defending champion who had his best Tour de Beauce at his 19th participation. And in the category U23, I must say that it is a great cuvée. From what I’ve seen at the Grand Prix de Saguenay and the Tour de Beauce, which are good performance benchmarks, Quebec has a lot of very promising athletes. There are Laurent Gervais, Marc-Antoine Soucy, Jean-François Soucy, Jean-Simon D’Anjou, Pier-André Côté, Nickolas Zukowsky and Adam Roberge, to name just a few, “said Choquette.
The kick-off will be given on Saturday, with the first races on the road, which will feature the juniors, elites and U23 women. The elites and U23 men will be in action on Sunday. On Tuesday, it will be the time trial which will be honored, while the test criterium will be presented Wednesday, at the end of the event.
Partners of the Quebec Team
The members of the Québec team are dressed by Louis Garneau. The spare bikes available to them are courtesy of Colnago. Alphamantis professionals accompany and advise them in their search for aerodynamics.
Quebec team members usually work for the following courses:
