November 11, 2008 (Beaupre, QC) — A gala mid-day celebration was held at the Château Mont Sainte-Anne yesterday by the Fédération québécoise des sports cyclistes (FQSC) to honour notable Quebec riders, coaches, volunteers, clubs and events for 2008. Beijing Olympians and Paralympians were also honoured and two members of the cycling community were inducted into the Quebec Cycling Hall of Fame.

The two athletes of the year for road and track were Dominique Rollin (Toyota-United) and Anne Samplonius (Cheerwine Cycling) while for mountain biking it was Marie-Hélène Prémont (Rocky Mountain) and Raphaël Gagné (Rocky Mountain). The tandem duo of Daniel Chalifour and Alexandre Cloutier were named paracyclist athletes of the year.

Marie-Claude Surprenant (Sportif Bromont) and Francis Morin (Specialized) were awarded the best aspiring mountain bikers of 2008, while Laurie-Anne Dupont-Renaud (CIBC Wood Gundy) and Simon Lambert-Lemay (Hot Tubes) received the same honour in the road and track category. Laurence Gingras and Michaël Beaudoin were named as the best aspiring BMX riders of 2008. Numerous other upcoming cyclists were also honoured.

Among the 2008 events recognized, Saguenay’s U23 Coupe des Nations Ville and the Nissan MTB World Cup at Mont Sainte-Anne were named as the top international events in Quebec.

Among the many teams honoured at the ceremony, Équipe Cascades won the road and track category while Rocky Mountain Bikes was named in mountain biking.

Cyclists and paracyclists who competed in Beijing this summer included Mark Beggs, Pierre-Olivier Boily, Eric Bourgault, Mark Breton, Daniel Chalifour, Alexandre Cloutier, Stéphane Côté, Martin Gilbert, Mathilde Hupin, Rico Morneau, Geneviève Ouellet, Marie-Hélène Prémont and Jean Quevillon. Officials and coaches who accompanied them included Catherine Barbeau, Frédéric Barbeau, Louis Barbeau, Josée Bédard, Louis Bertrand, Vincent Jourdain, Mathieu Laberge, Louise Lalonde, Chantale Philie, Jérôme Sanfaçon, Sophie St-Jacques, Samuel Thibodeau, Sylvie Trudel and Eric Van den Eynde.

The FQSC also inducted two new members to the Quebec Cycling Hall of Fame (Temple de la renommée du cyclisme québécois). Denyse Montgrain, who co-founded the Pierre Harvey MTB Raid in 1990, was honoured for her many accomplishments. Also inducted was Gervais Rioux, a member of the Canadian national team from 1980 to 1990 who competed at the Seoul 1988 Olympics and was Canadian road champ three times amongst his many accolades. Currently Rioux is the owner of the Montreal-based retail shop, Cycles Gervais Rioux, and also manufactures Argon 18 bikes available in many countries around the world.

More information on the Quebec Cycling Hall of Fame click
here.