Writer and news anchor Michel Jean had just returned from a mountain bike ride on the trails of Mont Sainte-Anne when we spoke to him. With a clear voice and enthusiastic words, he shared this passion that has driven him for about twenty years.

How did your love for cycling begin?

Michel Jean: "When I was little and lived in Sorel — which is not a cycling town at all — I had a 10-speed, like everyone else, and I followed the exploits of pros like Eddy Merckx. One day, I saw an advertisement for a bike race of about thirty kilometers in Contrecoeur, and I decided to participate. I arrived there with my brother, and when we saw the cyclists with their "real" bikes, bib shorts and all, we realized it was actually the regional final of the Quebec Games! I became "friends" with a guy and his team, and we did the race together. Thanks to a breakaway, I finished 4th! I was then approached by other teams: even if the conditions weren't perfect, the seed was well sown."

You do a lot of mountain biking , and you also participate in several competitions. This sport is more commonly associated with a younger clientele...

M. J.: "Races often have categories for 60 and over! They compete by age group and the clientele is very varied; it's not just young people. It's much less dangerous than road cycling, by the way."

Why?

M. J.: "Because it's slower! The other day, in a road bike race, we were riding four abreast on a downhill slope and I looked at my odometer: we were going 100 km/hour! What do you think happens if we fall at 100 km/hour? On mountain bike trails, unless you really hit a rock, it's much less risky. You get more scrapes, but far fewer serious injuries.

What do you like about mountain biking ?

M. J.: "The feeling in the woods is incredible. At Mont Sainte-Anne, where I often go, I know all the trails by heart. I can ride there for 3 or 4 hours without going over the same spot twice. The nature around you, the physical challenge it represents, the adrenaline... It's really my sport. I run, I cross-country ski, etc., but for me, it's like celery: you eat it because it's good for your health, that's it . My pleasure is really cycling."

Where do you like to ride?

M. J.: "For road cycling, I really like Virginia and Europe. Over there, cyclists are respected and the asphalt is beautiful. In Quebec, apart from the areas around Mont Sainte-Anne and Quebec City, I especially like going to Charlevoix, Baie-St-Paul, La Malbaie... It's mountainous, it's so beautiful!"

Your best cycling memory?

M. J.: "So many! The races. Really. When you train hard for an event, when you focus all your efforts to peak at the right moment, it's an incredible feeling. The Transgaspésien in 2002 is a good example. I rode with Pierre Harvey, who is one of my idols. We rode an average of 100 km a day. At one point, I dropped the group on a climb and the feeling it gave me was incredible. I had put so much effort into my training for that race that seeing it rewarded like that was extremely satisfying."

Do you miss riding when all your activities keep you away from your bikes?

M. J.: "I'd say yes. Because it's what makes me want to improve, what gives me motivation to train. In my job, we're so intellectual, all the time. It's good to be able to focus on something technical... I would ride all year if I could!"