July 24/22 15:49 pm - Boilard 8th in Opening Stage of Tour de France Femmes

Posted by Editoress on 07/24/22
 

Simone Boilard (St Michel - Auber93 WE) got off to a flying start in the women's Tour de France by finishing eighth on Sunday in the first stage of the first edition of the event. The stage began at the foot of the Eiffel Tower, for 81 kilometres to the finish on the Champs-Élysées, in front of the many spectators gathered for the finish of the men's Tour. Boilard just recently won the Under-23 national road title.

Photo: A.S.O. Thomas Maheux

Even if she had to work solo at the end of the race, Simone Boilard found herself in a good position at the exit of the last corner of the course. Seeing that the top-5 was within reach, Boilard tried to position herself to fight in the sprint, but she became caught in traffic.

"It was complicated for my teammates who had crashes, so I positioned myself alone in the last kilometres of the race. My plan was to get behind [Marianne] Vos until the sprint, which I managed to do, but I got caught at the very end and had to brake 300 meters from the line," she explained in an interview with Quebec news service Sportcom.

Lorena Wiebes (DSM) won the first stage and the leader's jersey, finishing just ahead of her Dutch compatriot Marianne Vos (Jumbo-Visma) and Belgium's Lotte Kopecky (SD Worx). Not far behind, Boilard reached the finish with mixed feelings.

"It wasn't the ideal execution and I was a little disappointed after the effort, because I knew I had a chance to do even better," she said. "However, I quickly came back to reality. It's an incredible performance and I didn't expect that."

One thing is certain, the 22-year-old cyclist is not about to forget this day, which marks the return of a women's stage race as part of the Tour de France. In just a few hours, was able to fulfill several dreams at the same time, both on a sporting and human level. "It was a very nice day! I was finally able to see the Eiffel Tower and the Champs-Élysées, in addition to putting in an excellent performance. It was a lot of emotions, but I was well prepared and I managed well. In the end, it's still cycling and you shouldn't have any complexes."

Boilard looks forward to the next stages of this competition which will conclude next Sunday, at the Super Planche des Belles Filles.

"I'm not aiming for the general classification, but there are several great opportunities before the final stages. I'm lucky to have a leadership role and I want to represent my team as best I can. It is close to my heart and I will give everything," she concluded.

Also in action in the women's Tour de France are Quebecers Olivia Baril (Valcar - Travel & Service) and Magdeleine Vallières-Mill (EF Education-TIBCO-SVB), who finished 41st and 125th, respectively.

Baril, who has just returned to competition from a knee injury sustained in the Giro d'Italia in early July, finished at the same time as the winner. Vallières-Mill was 56 seconds behind the leading pack after a memorable race. "It was really special to start next to the Eiffel Tower and ride on the Champs-Élysées. There were a lot of people on the side of the road, with a very nice atmosphere! It was really special, "commented the Sherbrooke resident.

"My role throughout the week will be to help the members of my team as much as possible to allow them to have a chance for certain stages, but also to collect the best possible team result."

On Monday, the second stage will take place on a flat course of 136 kilometres between Meaux and Provins.
Sportcom press release

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