Another Quebecer is being watched in women’s cycling on the European continent. Émilie Fortin sent a serious message to her opponents by winning the Clasica de Almeria in Spain on Saturday.
The 23-year-old from Laval clinched her first big win, the best of her young career.
In the 141-kilometer event, the Cynisca Cycling Team athlete even crossed the finish line alone, 16 seconds ahead of fellow Canadian Alison Jackson, a Tokyo Olympian who is defending the EF Tibco-SVB colors. Confident about the future, the cyclist hopes this is just the beginning. From now on, it should not be taken lightly.
Photo from Facebook of the Clasica de Almeria
“Exactly one year ago I almost won when I was caught with three kilometers to go. i cried so much I had lost the element of surprise and didn’t think that would happen to me,” says Fortin, who lives in Menton, a town on the Côte d’Azur in south-eastern France.
” Great ”
Above all, Fortin didn’t want to relive an identical scenario. She paid tribute to her teammate, France’s Pauline Allin.
Her team’s athletic director is Marion Clignet, former French champion and two-time silver medalist in the individual pursuit at the Olympic Games.
Photo from Emilie Fortin’s Instagram account
“I didn’t want to look back. We had to push as hard as possible. I gave everything. With 150 meters I understood that I was winning. It was wonderful. »
“This is by far his best career result. It’s not trivial,” adds Louis Barbeau, general manager of the Quebec Federation of Cycling Sports.
In July 2022, Émilie Fortin won Stage 2 of the women’s Tour de Charente-Maritime in France.
Photo from the Canadian Cyclist website
This season, the cyclist now wants to perform well at the Canadian Championships in Edmonton. Qualifying for the World Cup is also an important goal.
Parallel to sport, she keeps her nose in college. “I like it. It’s really complementary. You can see your career as a company and you want to study more. I don’t see it as a burden, on the contrary,” says the athlete, who studies business administration at Laval University.