(Sportcom) – If the next few months go like the Tour of Catalonia for Israel – Premier Tech, the team can expect victories sooner rather than later. At least that is the opinion of Guillaume Boivin, who expressed his satisfaction, both individually and collectively, with the work done this week.
True to form, the Quebecer worked for the leaders of his practice, including Michael Woods, 13th of the final stage, who was won in Sunday’s sprint by Belgian Remco Evenepoel (Soudal – Quick Step).
The Ontarian thus consolidated his 6th place in the overall standings and finished just over 3 minutes behind the winner, Primoz Roglic (Jumbo-Visma) from Slovenia. The latter finished 2nd for the day at the end of the event and maintained a priority of 6 seconds ahead of Evenepoel in the overall standings for the week.
“As a team, I would say it’s one of our best races (by stage) in a long time,” Boivin said in a phone interview with Sportcom right at the start.
“We didn’t necessarily manage to win during the week, but we were still close to the top. We ran well up front and that’s good for morale. We feel things are getting tight and we hope to build on that for the rest of the season!”
Photo provided by Team Israel-Premier Tech
More personal: The veteran was the only member of his team to withdraw from the final stage, presented at Barcelona over a distance of 136 kilometres. Not because of an injury or a mechanical problem, but for strategic reasons with a view to his next assignments.
“It was a pre-planned decision,” said the man who will race in Flanders on Wednesday. “I worked for the team until the last lap and then quit to stay strong. I’ll take the plane tonight and we’ll see what’s coming in Belgium.”
Pumped up, Boivin has circled some key dates on his calendar, including April 9. He will then race at his favorite event, Paris-Roubaix, where he finished ninth in 2021 after a spectacular race.
“It’s always special to race there and we’ll definitely try our luck again,” he said.
But before he gets too far in his thoughts, the 33-year-old Montreal native is focusing on the near-term, starting with his race on Wednesday and the Tour of Flanders scheduled for next Sunday.
“Personally, the races suit me well. I have very good legs at the moment, we’re going to have a big team and I think we can still stand out,” concluded Boivin.