Rider Profile
Name: Audrey Lemieux
Age: 17
Hometown: Alma, Que.
Club: Proco d’Alma
Sponsors: Marinomi,Vittoria,Team Proco
Coach: Nicolas Tremblay
Years Racing: Four
Results: 1st – 2002 Junior National ITT Championships; 3rd – 2002 Junior National RR Championships; 1st – Quebec Cup; 7th – 2002 Junior Worlds RR; 22nd – 2002 Junior Worlds
www.cybernaute.com/audreylemieux/

What enables someone to succeed at the sport of cycling? Is it a secret “winning” formula that riders carry around within them? Are you born with it? Can you create it? Is it the same for everyone? Here’s a recipe and the ingredients that make up the “formula for success” of  junior sensation Audrey Lemieux!

First add passion. Stir regularly.
Lemieux started riding a bike at age 13 and loves her sport. Once a successful competitive speed skater, Lemieux turned to cycling for cross-training. What began as her off-season fitness deal turned into a full-fledged love affair with the sport of cycling. Four years later, she is the reigning national junior champion and ranked seventh in the world.

The year 2002 was Lemieux’s fourth year as a bike racer, but only her first as a junior. Her successes were huge last year. She dominated the Quebec Cup and went on to win the national title in the junior women’s individual time trial. During the junior women’s road race nationals, she crossed the line in third in a sprint finish.
“This was a big year for me, I won a lot of races, including Nationals!” Her results at Nationals earned her a spot on the National Team. This smiling 17-year-old surprised everyone later in 2002 when she crossed the line in seventh at the junior women’s world championships in Belgium. As the 2003 season gets underway, Lemieux will be a force to reckon with.

Add one-quarter cup of each of the following. Stir in at regular intervals. Repeat until desired results are achieved.

Training: This winter, Lemieux geared up for the upcoming 2003 season and her cross-training now consists of cross-country skiing, running, and a little bit of mountain biking. Her summer schedule looks busy, with six days of training and only one day off a week.
School: Lemieux is attending CEGEP de Granby Haute-Yamaska in Granby, Que. The school is very understanding regarding her athletic goals and is known for its athletic/scholar programs. While taking four classes a semester in the sciences, Lemieux finds time to train and travel for her racing career. She is also very close to the National Training Centre in Bromont, Que., where she trains with élite cyclists, including National teammates Magalie Boulay and Genevieve LeBlanc.

Love and support: Family “support is great,” and coach Nicolas Tremblay is also very encouraging.

Role models: Roland Green is one of Lemieux’s role models because he does well in two disciplines of cycling: road and mountain. Lyne Bessette is another cyclist she admires.

Desired results: Success!

Lemieux’s goals: You can imagine that with a seventh place in the world anyone would be very happy. And Lemieux is happy, but not satisfied. Her thirst for competition is evident in this season’s goals: to win Nationals and earn a better result at the Worlds.

Other objectives: After her first year on the track, she did fairly well, and plans to do much better this year, as she’ll be at school in Granby and going to Bromont’s National

Training Centre nearby.

Tidbits to add.
Why she likes cycling: The challenges, the results, the traveling, and the friends.
Dislikes: Bad results!
Other sports interests: Skiing and soccer.
Canada’s cycling scene: She’d love to see more coverage of juniors.
Best race(s) of the year: National ITT Championships and the World Road Race Championships.
Worst race of the year: Lemieux says her worst race occurred in one of the Quebec Cups where she crashed.

Lemieux has one more year left of racing as a junior. In 2004, she will be racing as a senior. She is part of Canada’s cycling’s future. Her dedication to the sport is evident in the way that she balances training with school, friends, traveling, and family life. Her natural ability will only continue to grow. Year 2003 is going to be a good season for Lemieux…and for Canada!