All the lights were green: a splendid form, an encouraging fourth place in the Tour of Catalonia and the Tour of Flanders to get into the groove.
Posted at 7:00 a.m.
After his fantastic epic last fall, Guillaume Boivin will approach Paris-Roubaix without great expectations, however, on Sunday.
Why ? Like several of his teammates, the runner from Israel-Premier Tech (IPT) was knocked out. by the flu at the end of last month.
Wishing to take advantage of his excellent physical condition, Boivin had cut short the Tour of Catalonia to compete in Through Flanders the following Wednesday.
However, the day before the semi-classic, where IPT presented itself to three starters (!), he fell ill. Bedridden for four days, he returned from pain and misery to his home in Andorra. Like all his teammates, he therefore followed the Tour of Flanders on television.
Fever, bronchitis, ear infection, cough: Boivin had the total despite the antibiotics. “We did some tests to find that it was influenza, the good old flu, he explained on Wednesday. I’ve been two weeks without training. I think I rode six hours in all. It’s really far from ideal. »
On October 3, Boivin distinguished himself at the 118and presentation of the famous cobblestone event, moved to the fall because of the pandemic.
In the rain and mud, a first in two decades, the champion was in the small group that fought for victory when he crashed on a cobbled section less than 20 km from the finish at the velodrome. He nevertheless finished ninth, the best result for a Canadian since Steve Bauer in the early 1990s.
Without wanting to condemn himself in advance, Boivin realizes that it will be much more complicated to compete again with Mathieu van der Poel, Mads Pedersen or Tom Pidcock on Sunday. Sonny Colbrelli, winner in 2021, will be absent after his heart attack at the Tour of Catalonia on March 22.
How does Boivin see the 257.2 km event with its 30 cobbled sections which promise to be “exceptionally dry”, according to the organization?
“Whew…enjoy as much as you can!” It’s the best race of the year. It is a privilege to be there. I have really fond memories of the past year. The way I feel may change a bit by Sunday. »
Maybe I’ll try to take the breakaway and run with my head as much as possible. I will need it because the legs are not level.
Guillaume Boivin
Despite a persistent cough, he has been able to resume training in recent days.
“I don’t feel unhappy on the bike, because the form was really great before I got sick, but I don’t have too many expectations. And all the guys on my team who will be there are a little beat up. We fell pretty seriously ill. It really is a spring – and especially cobblestone classics – to forget for us. »
Hard times for the team
Having had to settle for just one win this season – a Gran Camiño stage by Canadian Michael Woods, 2and in general, in February – the Israeli-Quebec formation is tested. Sep Vanmarcke, uncertain for Paris-Roubaix, Woods and newcomer Jakob Fuglsang have notably been slowed down by illness. Giacomo Nizzolo broke his wrist in a fall while in the lead group at Milan-San Remo.
At the end of the year, the UCI will renew the 18 WorldTour licenses. For now, IPT points to 19and rank of the three-year ranking. Runners are aware of this.
“The team tries not to put too much pressure on us, but we’re all smart enough to understand the game,” Boivin agreed. It’s our job to win bécyk races, and that’s what we get paid for. Beyond the pressure, we want to win because that’s what makes us trip. »
The former midget AAA player uses a hockey analogy to sum up the situation.
“I was talking about it this week with Mike: we’re like a team that isn’t in the playoffs before Christmas. Finally, we made a big push at the end of the season to come back just in time. You see that often in sports. It is in these moments that the team unites and pushes in the same direction. That’s kind of our mentality right now. »
His teammate Hugo Houle, 16and de la Flèche Brabançonne on Wednesday, had already indicated his intention to miss Paris-Roubaix. He therefore turns his attention to Flèche Wallonne and Liège-Bastogne-Liège next week.
Three Quebec women in Paris-Roubaix women
Three Quebecers will take the start of Paris-Roubaix women, whose second presentation of 124.7 km will start on Saturday in Denain. Barring a last-minute change, Gabrielle Pilote Fortin (Cofidis), Simone Boilard (St Michel-Auber 93) and Magdeleine Vallières-Mill (EF Education-Tibco-SVB) will discover the cobblestones of the Hell of the North. Britain’s Elizabeth Deignan, defending champion, will not be at the start as she is expecting her second child.