Over the past few days, Vaudreuil-Dorion resident and cyclist Clovis Roy, 20, took part in the Canadian Championships held in Beauce from the 21st to the 24th. Inconvenienced by a virus, the young man did not deliver the performance he had hoped for at this important competition. Néomédia had the chance to speak with the athlete, who will be busy completing his college studies this summer before starting university in accounting sciences this autumn. 

Despite his young age, Clovis is no stranger to the Canadian Championships, as this year marked his 4th participation in this major event. "I was sick, so I didn't manage to perform as well as I would have liked or beyond my expectations. Unfortunately, that's part of life," says the man who has been cycling on the road since he was a teenager. 

Did his experience at the Canadian Championships help him in his preparation? "Yes, because I knew what to expect and how it would go. I'm used to cycling long distances, so it's not a problem for me. Last year, the competition was held in Edmonton, Alberta."  

Six weeks of preparation 

For the road race event, athletes taking part in the Canadian Championships must cover 200 kilometers in five hours. How does the young man prepare to perform well in these clashes between the best in the sport? "I started preparing for this competition about six weeks ago. To work on my endurance, I've been cycling for five consecutive hours, four times a week. So I've been training about 20 hours a week on the road for the last month and a half. Before the Canadian Championships, I also took part in the Tour de Beauce, a race that takes place on very hilly roads. It's not easy, and it was excellent preparation for me. I was really ready, but I had some health problems after the start of one of the races", he confides. 

After starting the road race on June 22, Clovis was forced to withdraw from the race after around 70 km due to ill health. "I was as white as a sheet and I really didn't feel well.  My body had taken too much. I couldn't do the next day's race either. I'm still trying to figure out what's wrong with me today, because I'm still having symptoms," he says the day after the competition ends. 

In the individual time trial held the day before, on June 21, he finished 13th, four places further back than the previous year when he finished 9th. "I was aiming for the top 5."

Cycling, a passion since adolescence

A resident of Vaudreuil-Dorion, it was at Sainte-Madeleine elementary school that the young man was introduced to cycling during the school's annual triathlon held in June. "When I was 12, I took part in this sports competition at my elementary school, where you had to swim, run and cycle. I enjoyed it so much that I joined a cycling club for fun with one of my friends. Then I liked it more and more and started competing at 13." 

What does the Vaudreuillois-Dorionnais love about his discipline? "I can travel. For example, I take part in a training camp in Arizona in the United States. I've also been racing for two years with a cycling club from February to May in Brittany. These are very pleasant life experiences. Cycling allows me to experience interesting things and gives me a great adrenalin rush during races." 

What's life like for a cyclist? "I train year-round, mostly on the bike and doing strength training. I also go to school. This summer, I'll be finishing my college studies in online humanities at Cégep de Valleyfield. This fall, I'll be at university studying accounting, a field that's a world away from sport (laughs). I want to continue my studies, even if it takes me longer," he says. 

This summer, Clovis will be taking it easier on the sporting front. "Summer is pretty much the off-season for cycling. There aren't really any races going on anymore. If I'm cured, I may join my team in France for two or three weeks. It'll depend on how I feel. I'm also going to finish my studies." 

What advice would he give to a youngster who wants to take up cycling more seriously? "To train assiduously and not give up even if the body doesn't always respond as you'd like. You have to keep on being determined," concludes the man who dreams of becoming a professional cycling athlete and taking part in the Tour de France.