L'Xpress de Montréal, the only cycling development club in eastern Montreal, was founded in 2013 by actor Sébastien Delorme. Its goal: to get young people cycling for fun, but also to encourage them to push their limits. An interview.

Why did you create this cycling club?

Sébastien Delorme: I started cycling at 13 after watching the Los Angeles Olympics. I was completely crazy about the bike races! But I never competed because the cycling clubs were far from my home. I got the idea to found a club while hanging out in arenas with my son, who played hockey and soccer, but it wasn't really his thing... The only cycling club I could have enrolled him in was in Ville St-Laurent, while we live in the Rosemont neighborhood... So I decided to create a club in my area and train young people at the Gilles-Villeneuve circuit. I do it for fun, I'm not a businessman !

What is your club's philosophy?

S.D: We are a development club, so the fun aspect is super important. My 25 youngsters are not yet ready for intensive indoor training, for example – the smallest ones are 5 years old and have training wheels on their bikes!

Who is part of your club?

S.D.: Boys and girls aged 5 to 14 who often already practice skiing, hockey, soccer, cycling... Word-of-mouth meant that last year, I had 13 young people, and this year, I have 25. I had to turn down registrations. The hardest part is not recruiting young people, but coaches!

Do you often participate in races?

S.D: Every summer, we take part in about fifteen races that take place all over the region. We end up traveling all over Quebec, which is cool.

Is competition difficult for young people?

S.D. We try to vary the types of races, because it's hard to win the Coupe du Québec races; the competition is very strong. So we also participate in small regional races to give young people a better chance of placing. Racing is fun, but it's also fun not to always be crushed! We must not discourage young people and make them dislike racing.

In your opinion, what does cycling teach young people?

S.D: Since it's demanding cardiovascularly and muscularly, young people quickly confront their limits. And I always ask them to go back to where it hurts so they can improve. So I turn them into people who will have experienced difficulties and gone further. Also, in addition to getting them in shape, cycling gives them a good life ethic and a sense of organization: they have to remember to eat well, not to forget their helmet, gloves, or water bottle... They also have to take care of their bike. I make them responsible for their sport.

So good values go hand-in-hand with cycling?

S.D Yes. Since there are boys and girls, it's different from the very competitive hockey mentality I've seen in arenas, for example. The atmosphere is friendlier, it's less "you're my enemy because you're on another club"! On the contrary, during races, a brotherhood and respect develop between young cyclists from all over the province. It's beautiful to see.

Facebook page for Club cycliste l'Xpress de Montréal