July 25, 2018 (Val-d’Or , QC) – The day before the conclusion of the 50th edition, the inaugural Tour de l’Abitibi Hall of Fame inducted two athletes, three builders and one partner during a tribute evening held Saturday, July 21, at the Forestel Hotel in Val-d ‘Or.

The honourees were Pierre Harvey and Éric Van den Eynde, in the athlete category, Léandre Normand, Claude Pagé and Marc Lemay in the builder’s category. The city of Val-d’Or, host city in 2018 and on 21 other occasions over the years, was inducted as a partner.

This initiative is part of the celebrations of the 50th Tour. It will be repeated next year in Rouyn-Noranda, in 2020 in Amos and then every five years thereafter.

“It was very easy to identify the first 20 people we want to honor. Unfortunately, we can’t induct everyone in the first year. However, we will honor them and make sure they are never forgotten,” said Suzanne Fortin, president of the board of the Tour.

“Pierre Harvey and Eric Van den Eynde were obvious choices as athletes,” noted Fortin. “In addition to being former Tour champions in the ’70s, these are two people who have done a lot for the sport, for cycling, and who have been outstanding athletes.”

The three honored builders were great contributors to the event “most deserving as well” according to Fortin.

“Léandre Normand was a visionary who, perhaps without knowing it, built something grandiose. It is thanks to him if the Tour is recognized internationally, and gives so much visibility to our region. Without him, there would be no Tour de l’Abitibi. He is well deserving of the nickname ‘Father of the Tour’,” commented Fortin.

“Claude Pagé had the Tour tattooed on his heart, and he carried it at arm’s length. He was not afraid to innovate, as he showed with the underground departure. It became the signature of the Tour. It was a brilliant idea. If he had not been there to knock on the doors, to see the cities, the Tour would not be here in 2018,” she continued.

“Through his roles in the various spheres of cycling, Marc Lemay has always worked to advance the cause of this sport and, by extension, the Tour de l’Abitibi’s cause. He has been involved with the Tour since the very first year, as an athlete, and has never separated from it,” added Fortin.

Earlier in the day, more than 100 former participants, including Gérald Rocheleau, the first winner of le Tour de l’Abitibi in 1969, took part in the Tour des Légendes, a 1.5 km criterium in downtown Val-d’Or.

“For us, this is the unifying element of this 50th edition of the Tour de l’Abitibi,” said Ms. Fortin. We were thrilled to see how excited our former participants were after getting our invitation. These early participants helped bring the Tour to life and we had to thank them for it.”

Pierre Harvey
After finishing in 18th place in his first Tour in 1974 in Rouyn-Noranda, the Rimouski native managed to regroup after a punctured tire at the 24th km mark of the fourth stage, between the cities of Noranda and La Sarre to rejoin the main peloton, win the race and grab the brown jersey. He kept it until the end. The following year, at the age of 19, he took part in his first Olympic Games in Montreal.

“It happens at a time when you are 16, 17, 18 years old and that is decisive in an athlete’s career. This is where you see if you have the potential to continue. You are used to running in your area, then in the province of Quebec, and then, you have riders coming from outside Quebec. The level of competition is increasing and often it’s the highest you’ve ever seen in your life. Of course, they are important memories,” said Harvey.

“It’s impressive to see that this event lasted so long and that the people continued to believe in it, to develop it, to keep it alive. I know what it takes to try to find sponsors. It takes people who have the inner fire. We often meet them in more remote regions. All the people gather around an event and it becomes their pride,” he added.

Éric Van den Eynde
Born in Belgium, Éric Van den Eynde lived through three different eras at le Tour cycliste de l’Abitibi, starting with his beginnings as an athlete in the early 70s. His talent and tenacity helped him make history in 1972 when he became the first cyclist to finish the event with the brown jersey for two consecutive years. Only two other cyclists have achieved such a feat since. Back in northwestern Quebec in the mid 80s as head of the Quebec team, Éric Van den Eynde made headlines again by being named best sports director at the Tour in 1985, 1986 and 1994.

“Such a reward is always interesting because at some point in your life, you have shown intensity and somebody recognizes that in that particular time, you did something that for many people seems extraordinary. It’s flattering after so many years,” commented Van den Eynde.

“Without the administrators, there is no Tour. If you follow a logical chain, these people are the most important. I would never have won the Tour if Léandre Normand had not started the Tour. I think it starts there, with the administrators,” he added.

Léandre Normand
Falling in love with cycling in the mid 1960s, Léandre Normand has managed to pass on this passion to a whole region thanks to his determination and dedication. He founded le Tour cycliste de l’Abitibi in 1969 and was its organizer for the first ten years. Although he physically moved away from his native region, his heart never left Abitibi-Témiscamingue, nor the Tour. His love of the Tour is perceptible in “The Road of Champions” a 421-page book of which he is the co-author and which tells in great details the history of the race.

“Just to be considered for the Hall of Fame is something very moving. Even if people call you ‘Father of the Tour’, congratulate you, say bravo, thank you, the fact that it is officially recognized is very touching to me,” said Normand.

“There were so many events that were promising at the start but did not last, because no one was there to take over, because people could not continue for circumstances outside of their control. It’s quite an achievement that 50 years later, the Tour still exists. It is thanks to the passion of the people who carried the torch and who continued the work, despite the difficulties,” he commented.

Claude Pagé
A man of challenges known for being a go-getter, Claude Pagé perpetuated Léandre Normand’s work for 26 years at the direction of Tour de l’Abitibi, between 1979 and 2004. Originally from Baie-Saint-Paul but Abitibien at heart forever, he helped make the Tour an international event and set up several initiatives, the most spectacular being undoubtedly the underground Time Trial departure in 2001.

“Being inducted into the Tour Hall of Fame is a recognition, especially since it comes from my compatriots. When strangers tell you that you are beautiful, it’s nice, it’s rewarding. But when your compatriots tell you ‘we are very happy with what you did’, it’s an even more beautiful honor,” said Pagé.

“The Tour de l’Abitibi were the best years of my life. Contributing to the development of the Tour, to its internationalization, gave me a great degree of satisfaction. When I was walking near the finish line, it made me happy to hear people say that they were proud to see Russians at home, Dutch at home. It meant we had done something special,” he added.

Marc Lemay
A few years before the creation of le Tour de l’Abitibi, Marc Lemay was already a fan of cycling in his hometown of Amos. The Tour allowed him to fulfill this passion for three years as an athlete, between 1969 and 1971. His attachment to the Tour is undeniable and has never faded, whether as technical director, director, animator on stage and analyst. His love of cycling and his infectious energy have allowed him to occupy some of the most prestigious positions on the Canadian and international cycling scene.

“It’s thanks to the Tour de l’Abitibi if I climbed the stairs to go to the international level of cycling sport. If I had not had the Tour de l’Abitibi as a business card, to talk to the world, to introduce myself, I am sure that my career as an administrator at the Fédération québécoise, the Canadian Cycling Association, the International Cycling Union, would have been different,” shared Lemay.

“Le Tour de l’Abitibi is an extraordinary business card. No event in Abitibi receives national coverage like the Tour. This is the best form of advertising for the region,” he concluded.

Tour de l’Abitibi website here.
Photos of past 49 winners here.
History of the Tour de l’Abitibi here.
Order La Route des Champions click here.