GP Montreal was ‘one of the very best races of my life’ says Guillaume Boivin
A speedy recovery from a knee injury allowed the Montreal-native to compete in his hometown races and finish as top Canadian
With a new contract in hand with the Israel Cycling Academy, Guillaume Boivin returned injury at the 2018 Grand Prix Cyclistes de Quebec et Montreal. Boivin had been rehabbing a fractured knee which required surgery suffered in July when he slammed into the back of a team car while coming back through the race caravan at the Belgian one-day classic Elfstedenronde.
The recovery was smooth despite doctors saying it could prematurely end his season. With four weeks of training in the legs, Boivin finished 21st in Quebec City and 19th in Montreal, the top Canadian in both races.
“I’m really pleased with my race today,” Boivin said after the GP Montreal. “It’s probably one of the very best races of my life.”
A Montreal-native, Boivin has raced the Canadian one-day races a total of seven times in his career but in 2018 he finished in the winning group at both events for the first time. His career-best finish remains 17th in Quebec in 2016 but this year he showed he is back to his best after a big season which included the Giro d’Italia with the Grande Partenza in Israel.
“I’m really happy, this is the first time I arrive in the winning group here in Montreal. It may be one of the best races I’ve done in my life, especially given the level of the peloton at these events,” Boivin said about his race on Sunday.
Boivin lead his Israel Cycling team at the Canadian Classics. The team showed their confidence in the 29-year-old signing him to a contract extension last Thursday. “It was very stressful,” admitted Boivin about injuring himself before having a contract for 2019 signed. “But from the first moment—the team reassured me that they are behind me 100 per cent and I should take care of myself and relax. ‘No stress’ they said and they were true to their word.”
On Sunday, Boivin once again relied on the team, this time the riders on the road, to help him stay in the main pack in the finale of a tough race.
“I told my teammates that I felt good, I really held on on the last lap. I had to try to get into the last corner for the sprint and see what was left in my legs,” Boivin said. “Unfortunately, there was not much left but I am very happy with my race.”
