June 12, 2003 – There is only one man in Canada who has attended more than 20 world championships of cycling, and, rest assured, Canada's governing bodies have placed him, appropriately, smack in the thick of things for the 2003 Road World Championships coming to Hamilton, Ont. in October.
Employed as executive director and director of national racing at the Canadian Cycling Association (CCA), Pierre Hutsebaut has agreed to be the sport director of the Hamilton 2003 Road Worlds, a job that means he oversees all of the races and competitions involved. Working closely with Charly Mottet and Phillipe Chevalier, the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) road co-ordinators, the success of these world championships will depend and reflect immensely on Hutsebaut and his expertise. Pedal caught up with a very busy Hutsebaut, who has juggled his responsibilities with the CCA along with those of the Road Worlds.
Tell us about your background in cycling? In France, my father and uncles were big fans of the sport. At 15, I was riding a bike, as the entire town was involved in the sport. Actually, I came to Montreal in the '60s to teach chemistry. Cycling was still in its infancy; the racing scene was small with few riders. I began racing and did fairly well, but I knew I was limited in that capacity.
How did you become involved with the CCA? I attribute it to the '76 Olympics, as I was brought aboard as a road technical manager. After this, I became the provincial coach for Quebec and won National medals right away. In 1981, I replaced Norm Shield as the National coach and worked alongside Barry Lycett and Bob Buker. I coached for six years and only stopped teaching in '84.
Obviously, you've had the pleasure of coaching some of Canada's finest cyclists. I thoroughly enjoyed the experience. With Steve Bauer on the team, it was especially nice to be the lead car in the caravan more often than not. The riders in this era, such as Louis Garneau, Bruce Spicer, Gervais Rioux, Eon D'Ornellas, had style and toughness, a great bunch of guys.
How did you arrive at your current CCA position? In 1991, I found myself getting out of the bicycle business. I had been importing products in Quebec. As a volunteer, I chaired the National Team program committee from '89 until '92, and replaced Ron Hayman after the '92 Olympics as director of the national racing program for the CCA. Hiring Yuri Kashirin and Denis Roux as coaches, we set up some great programs and training centres around the country, focusing on athletes' performance. Hopefully, there will be one more in Hamilton or the Niagara Region after these Worlds.
How long have you been involved with the Hamilton 2003 Road Worlds? I first heard of the bid in '97. An Italian gentleman from Montreal named Gianni Pavesio met with me several times about the possibility. He was partners with Guiseppe Ferrara and Giancarlo Serrafero, two other Italian enthusiasts, and they generated a business plan that I was privy to, and it went from there. In '97, the UCI visited and the meeting was entirely in Italian, but I could understand most [of it]. This first bid was unsuccessful, as it was a private bid, and subsequently found too be risky for the Europeans. The CCA eventually took over the bid process and, with the weight of Heritage Minister Sheila Copps behind it, the bid went forward successfully in 2000.
Can you tell us about any negativity from Hamilton's business sector? It comes down to grasping the magnitude of this event. There is less excitement and more negativity about the inevitable inconveniences associated with an event of this size. Things have calmed down at present, yet, believe me, we are behind, and should have been in business one year ago. There has been money allocated by the provincial government, but these things take time! Overall, we are gaining momentum to ensure a fabulous event.
A lot of pressure has been put squarely on your shoulders. Yes, there is not enough time in the day. Two big areas we are concentrating on are communications and sponsorship. So far, Triumph and Colnago are aboard, but we need to offset some huge expenses and still have something left over for a legacy in Hamilton. And in terms of communication, we need to have this event publicized not only nationally, but also internationally, to gain even more momentum.
Can you tell us more about plans for the legacy? It was a commitment made at the time of signing by the CCA and Sport Canada, where we wanted something left behind. One of the plans entails a road series for espoir (under 23), and the best of this series [will] be invited to a European base, located in France. At this base, these riders [will] be exposed to the best cycling has to offer over a three-year period. Currently, the Aussies are implementing this program in Italy with big success. Any predictions for Canada's riders? I know Roland Green is concentrating on the ITT, and that is his main focus. I believe he can realistically shoot for a top-10 finish. Sue Palmer-Komar is very motivated, as this is her hometown and the road course is perfect for her. I believe strongly in Sue and Clara Hughes because they have delivered in world-class events. I think Lyne Bessette and Genevieve Jeanson are also very strong and need to prove themselves, but I'm certain they have the potential to do it.
Do we know how many riders we will have in each category? At present, we have five espoirs qualified due to J.F. Laroche's ride at last year's Worlds. We have four junior men, four junior women, and six senior women qualified. As for the élite men, we will only know for sure by Aug. 15. The Canadian men have a job to do at all UCI races this year to up our country's ranking. We will even have a chance to race in the “B” Worlds in July to increase our numbers at the Olympics. Also, remember that qualification for the 2004 Olympics will depend on this year.
How is the CCA affected without you? Rose Mercier is the acting director of the CCA, keeping up with the administration. I fly back and forth, spending one day a week there. The coaches still report to me on athletes' progress, and CCA staff such as Sean O'Donnell, a National Team co-ordinator, are key at this time.
What's your primary goal for these championships? To organize them effectively and professionally. Essentially, to make cycling better in Ontario and Canada. On a personal level, it has been difficult holding two pivotal positions, but an opportunity such as this is rare. The legacy aspect is very important to me, developing riders and races. Implementing seven coaching centres across the country and creating 12 full-time coaching positions will hopefully lead to more.
As appeared in Pedal, May 2003