Guillaume Boivin’s tips for following the Stanley Cup Playoffs while racing the Giro d’Italia
Montreal-native will be racing nearly every day for three-weeks across Italy while simultaneously trying to keep up NHL hockey
Being a professional cyclist can really hamper one’s ability to closely follow another sport. Pro riders have rigorous travel schedules and most of the biggest races take place in continental Europe where the time difference makes watching North American league games live impossible. Growing up in Montreal, Guillaume Boivin has a great love of hockey. Despite being a pro for most of the past decade, hockey, not cycling is his favourite sport.
“I’m a huge hockey fan. It is still to this day my favourite sport,” Boivin said before the start of the 2019 Giro d’Italia.
Boivin is the only Canadian who will take the Grande Partenza in Bologna on Saturday. Riding a Grand Tour is far from the ideal thing to be doing for a hockey fan in the midst of the NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs which will be into the conference finals by the time the Giro starts. There may be no Canadian teams left in the playoffs but Boivin will be doing his best to follow the action.
During the Giro, Boivin will be toeing the line for the Israel Cycling Academy. With long stages and transfers plus the need to optimize rest and recovery in between stages, keeping up with the playoffs will be tough. That won’t stop Boivin though. Here are Boivin’s three tips for the following hockey when racing over in Europe:
1- “I have watched Sport 30 on RDS every morning for as long as I can remember. So I keep the tradition alive when I’m over in Europe. After watching the sports news on the RDS website I watch the clips of the post-game analysis to make sure I’m up to date with everything.”
2- “I’m a big fan of The Spittin Chiclets podcast hosted by Ryan Whitney, Paul Bissonnette and Rear Admiral. Those guys are both entertaining and resourceful. Really love it.”
3- “I follow all the NHL insiders on social media to make sure I don’t miss any trades or stories!”
While the Grand Tour contenders duke it out over three weeks in Italy, the Carolina Hurricanes will be playing the Boston Bruins in the Eastern Conference Final while the St. Louis Blues play the San Jose Sharks in the Western Conference Final.
“As for who I’m rooting for, there is no other team in my heart than the Montreal Canadiens. To be honest, I’m a hockey fan first and I truly enjoy the game,” Boivin explained about where his allegiances lie on the ice. “I’ll watch any team at this time of the year. This year’s playoffs are a real treat for all hockey fans out there!”
As for the Giro, Boivin’s Israel Cycling Academy bring sprint darkhorse Davide Cimolai and other riders, including Boivin himself, who if given the chance will look for results from the breakaway. The Giro d’Italia starts with an 8 km time trial in Bologna on Saturday.
