Another Quebecer will be one to watch in women’s cycling on the European continent. By winning the Clasica de Almeria in Spain on Saturday, Émilie Fortin sent a serious message to her opponents.
Originally from Laval, the 23-year-old got her hands on the best victory of her young career.
In this 141 kilometer event, the Cynisca Cycling athlete even crossed the finish line alone, 16 seconds ahead of fellow Canadian Alison Jackson, an Olympian from Tokyo who defends the colors of EF Tibco-SVB.
Confident for the future, the cyclist hopes that this is only the beginning.
“Exactly a year ago, I almost won when I was caught three kilometers from the finish. I cried so much. I had lost the element of surprise and I didn’t think it was going to happen to me,” she explains.
Above all, Fortin did not want to relive an identical scenario. She paid tribute to her teammate, the French
Pauline Allen.
“I didn’t want to look back. We had to push as hard as possible. I gave everything. With 150 meters, I understood that I was winning. It was amazing. »
“This is by far his best career result. It’s not trivial, ”adds Louis Barbeau, general manager of the Quebec Federation of Cycling Sports.
In 2023, the cyclist would like to achieve a good performance at the Canadian championship in Edmonton. A qualification for the Worlds is also an objective.
In parallel with her sport, she keeps her nose in her studies.
” I like this. It’s really complementary. You can see your career as a business and you want to study even more. I don’t see it as a burden, on the contrary,” says the athlete, who is studying business administration at Laval University in Quebec.