April 10, 2012 – Here is a quick update about the start of my 2012 season. For another year I’ve re-signed with the Garneau-Quebecor team. I spent my winter training in the warmth of Florida and California, where the temperatures were more convenient to allow me to train more consistently and maintain my focus.

I have set the bar very high in terms of personal expectations this year, and with the help of my new coach, Pierre Hutsebaut, I am now ready for the block of upcoming big races.

I came over to Belgium in mid-March to finalize my preparations and for the three UCI Nations Cup races that I will race with the national team.  I have just come off of a block of preparation races where I finished 2nd at the amateur Schledlprijs race and placed 3rd at GP Florenne. I have also three top-10 finishes in kermesses with over 180 starters each. This is promising for the races to come.

Last Saturday at the first Nations Cup of the year, I was caught out at 200m from the finish and finished in the main group at 11 seconds behind race winner Kenneth Vanbilsen of Belgium. David Boily was the top Canadian in 13th, so the spirits are very high in the national team house.

Boily, Hugo Houle, Simon Lambert-Lemay, Stewart Wight and myself are all ready for the next few Nations Cup races – the Cote Picarde in France and the ZLM Tour in the Netherlands.

On April 16th, I will come back to Canada and join my Garneau-Quebecor teammates to commence our season.  We have the strongest Garneau team to date with the arrival of three former professional riders – Bruno Langlois and Charly Vives from SpiderTech and Mark Langland (NZL) from Pure Black racing.  Brett Tivers (NZL), is also back with the team which promises that we’ll be on the podium in the near future!

I am focusing my sights on the month of June where I’ll be on the startline for the Tour de Beauce and the Nations Cup race in Saguenay in Quebec. Until then, the wheels keep turning, work never stops!