Hugo Houle enjoys a quiet rest day at the Giro
Italian coffee and pastries were enjoyed by Houle and his teammates on the Giro's second rest day
On the Giro’s second rest day, Canadian Cycling Magazine had a chance to chat with Hugo Houle ahead of the race resuming for Stage 10 that will take the riders from Campi Bisenzio outside of Florence to Sestola for an uphill finish.
His AG2R-Mondial team’s main mission for the final two weeks of the Giro is to place Dominico Pozzovivo in the top-5 of the general classification. With teammate Jean-Christophe Peraud dropping out of the race before it left the Netherlands where the first three stages were held, Houle anticipates he and his teammates will have more opportunities to go into breakaways. Houle said that the more defined gc hierarchy gives teams more opportunities to place riders in the break as often the races comes down to two separate battles, one for the stage and then one between the contenders for the overall win.
RELATED: A Giro rest day update with Svein Tuft
After the first week Houle said, “I didn’t know too much what to expect after coming off the classics. I am feeling really, really good. I have impressed myself with the way I am climbing.”
After enjoying a rest day where the team did an easy 40-km ride around Florence, Houle and his teammates had a coffee in the historic Renaissance city before returning to the hotel for a nap and a team meeting. Houle also enjoyed a nice, long message from the team’s best sports therapist.
Of course, Houle was mute about the specifics of what was discussed in the team meeting but he did say that now that the hectic first week is over, the team is focused on helping Pozzovivo reach a top-5 place in the GC. “I am confident he has the ability to do that. My job is to help him stay out of trouble, he needs to gain time in the mountains. On flatter stages I have to make sure he stays in the first group.”
The fight for the GC is just heating out, Houle pointed to the strength of both team Astana and Movistar saying Vincenzo Nibali and Aleajndro Valverde who he sites as the races top contenders who are supported by the strongest teams. He also was impressed with Mikel Landa’s time-trial.
Houle was pleased with his efforts in the Stage 9 time trial. “I did a decent effort, I didn’t ride on a dry course but I am pretty happy with how it went. The result shows some progress and the numbers were good,” he said. “I am not quite yet on the level to be with the best.”
Getting in a grand tour break is hard work but Houle said, “If I get in the break I have a chance to do my own race.”
After enjoying Italian coffee, a pastry and a quiet rest day the Canadian national time trial champion
