A strong group of Green Mountain Stage Race alums raced in this year's Tour de France (TDF) and Women's Tour de France. In the women's TDF Simone Bollard (St. Michel-Auber 93) and Olivia Baril (Valcar Travel & Service) competed. Bollard was eighth on Stage 1 and was 11th in the young rider competition. In the 2017 GMSR Bollard, who was 17 years old at the time and riding for the Canadian National Team, took second overall on General Classification (GC) and won the Queen of the Mountains competition in the P/1/2/3 race. Baril who was 20 years old in 2017 took fifth on the Stage 3 (Mad River Road Race) and sixth in the overall GC.
In the men's TDF five GMSR alums competed. They included Antoine Duchesne (Groupama–FDJ), Michael Woods (Israel–Premier Tech), Guilliame Bolvin (Israel–Premier Tech), Matteo Jorgensen (Movistar), and Hugo Houle (Israel–Premier Tech). Jorgensen who as a junior raced for the Hot Tubes Development Team was fourth on GC at the GMSR in 2015 and 2016. At this year's TDF he was in several breakaways, finished 21st on GC and fourth in the young rider's competition. Houle attacked often which resulted in him getting into many breakaways. On Stage 16 he made his attack stick taking his first stage win in a world tour event. Houle dedicated the win to his brother Pierrick who was killed by a drunk driver while running in Quebec. Houle went on to finish 24th on GC.
“While none of these TDF competitors have registered for this year’s GMSR we do have many up-and-coming racers who hope to make an impression on pro team recruiters by achieving a strong result at this year’s event. Look for world class racing in the men’s and women’s pro fields as well as in the junior men’s field which often attracts some of the best junior racers in North America and beyond,” said race founder and director Gary Kessler.
The USA men’s National Pro champion Kyle Murphy (Human Powered Health Team) will be competing in the stars and stripes jersey in the men’s pro field, and organizers expect many racers in this field will be looking to beat him during the four days of racing. On the women’s side Montpelier resident Kaitlyn Agnew (Wolfpack Racing) who won the Burlington Criterium in an exciting breakaway last year will be returning and hoping to repeat her win. On a more local note, India Harvey (Sisterhood of Cycling) a standout cross-country runner and Harwood Union graduate will be returning to the Mad River Valley from her home in California to compete in her first stage race.
The GMSR race organizers are expecting 550-plus racers to compete over four days at this year’s event, which takes place September 2-5 over Labor Day weekend.
“Nearly all these competitors will be coming from outside Vermont many visiting Vermont for the first time,” Kessler said.
The event is still in need of volunteers to help make it a success. Help is needed over the course of the four days including at registration on Thursday and Friday, course marshalling, King of the Mountains judges and race caravan drivers.
Volunteers will have a front row seat for all the exciting racing and will receive an event T-shirt and a thank you dinner party following the event. Those who can help are asked to email
