Q&A

The Red Hook Crit winner on her racing fix

Eleven years ago, Raphaële Lemieux retired from speed skating. She had also stepped away from professional cycling. In 2001, the native of Rivière-du-loup, Que., rode on Team Rona with Geneviève Jeanson. That year, Lemieux also won the criterium at the Canada Games. (She has a Winter Games medal, too.) In 2017, Lemieux was standing on podiums once again. She won her second Red Hook Crit at the London edition of the fixed-gear race. She finished the four-race series second overall. In Brooklyn this year, she took her second Red Hook win.

How did you get into fixed-gear racing? For the past six years, I’ve used a fixed gear for commuting in Montreal. I did the first Red Bull Mini Drome also about six years ago, just for fun. The mini drome was so small it looked like a speed-skating track. Then, two years ago, I started riding with ibike, a team that does a lot of criteriums and fixed-gear races. They introduced me to the scene.

What’s the fixed-gear scene like in Montreal? It’s starting to be pretty interesting and pretty big. We have a lot of small races. There’s one called Toonies. They’ve been going for about four years. It’s a bit underground. They have about five or six races during the summer. There’s also the Jackalope crit by ibike. What’s interesting that this year, the provincial federation, Fédération québecoise des sports cyclistes, is trying to include more fixed-gear events. Tell me a bit about your training. I do Les Mardis Lachine crit race every Tuesday. And every Wednesday, there’s a crit at Laval. It’s an open masters crit. I can race in a nice peloton with maybe 80 boys. It’s the perfect speed for me. I’m good with those two races every week in the summer.

How you are able to race at such a high level and work your day job as an optician? It takes a lot of discipline, but there’s a nice balance. What’s cool about criteriums is that the events are maximum one hour. So, my training can be short. I can work until 6 p.m., be home at 6:30, then train until eight. And it’s enough. During the week, I can workout on my trainer or do some weights. I don’t need to train for four or six hours often. I do a little bit of volume on the weekend, but never on my trainer. In the winter, I do alpine skiing, cross-country skiing and snowshoeing for volume.

Do your co-workers know about your crit racing? They know, but they don’t really know. I always come to the office in bike clothes. Then I switch my clothes for a nice dress. It’s funny – the contrast between the day and the evening.

Do they know you ride around without any brakes? They know it and think that I’m crazy. Your first Red Hook win came in London in 2017 in the rain. How did you become so comfortable riding on wet surfaces? It’s not something I’m afraid of. I think in Canada and Montreal, you need to be able to ride in all conditions. I do lot of mountain biking and bmx. I commute with my bike in winter. Racing in the rain can be less scary than riding in snow and ice.

Less scary than the roads of Montreal? Yes. Exactly.

Does your experience as a speed skater play into that skill? It’s funny, but it’s true. I’m used to leaning, so I can lean a little bit more in the corners. I know how to take the apex. For Red Hook, yes, you need to be strong, fast and powerful, but you need to be able to ride your bike. I think that’s one of my advantages.

How would you compare your win at London in 2017 and this year’s win in Brooklyn? They were really different. In London, the race was very technical. The rain played a big part. It was only my second Red Hook race. A lot of small things made it perfect. I had the right gear. I knew how to corner in the rain. In Brooklyn, there were a lot of attacks. A breakaway got 10 seconds on the pack. I thought if I don’t go, they will win. I need to close the gap. That was really important. I was pretty proud of myself for spending my energies at the right moments.

What role can fixed-gear bikes have in developing new riders? I think fixed-gear bikes are good for young people. A fixed-gear bike is less expensive than a road bike. Fixed is a good start. A 16-year-old guy or girl who just wants to bike and finds the sport cool and a bit underground, they’ll know how to ride. Later in life, they might say, “Ah, now I want to buy a road bike.”

“They know it and think that I’m crazy.”