“There’s no easy way to say this so I’ll be direct. I’ve decided to step away from professional cycling for health reasons,” Quebec’s Simone Boilard said on Instagram.
Since 2024, Boilard has been dealing with “persistent joint pain” that she said has been difficult to understand and diagnose. “Continuing to perform led to compensations that gradually worsened the situation and now I require care and interventions across multiple joints.”
Last few years and health problems
She described the past two seasons as a stretch marked by “detours, uncertainty and anxiety,” adding that clarity only came recently. “Only recently, by taking a step back and meeting with the right specialists have I finally been able to better understand my situation.”
Boilard also pointed to a longer medical history that helped explain the path she’s been on. “Earlier in life I lived with an autoimmune condition affecting my joints. With that predisposition, combined with the demands of elite sport, I now realize this path was not sustainable long term.”
Even with the very tough decision, she was reflective about what she was able to achieve in the sport. “At the same time, it makes me even more grateful for the career I was able to build.”
The timing adds another layer of emotion, she added, especially with what is going on with her team, and the Montreal road worlds later this year.
The 25-year-old said it was a shame as she and her team Premier Tech were building toward key targets, the worlds in her home province.
Boilard has had a difficult spring with several DNFs, underscoring her health challenges. The last race she was in, the Tour de Romandie, she didn’t start the second stage.
Back to Auber93
This year, she returned to St Michel – Preference Home – Auber93, a team she rode for in 2023. She was joined by national champion Alison Jackson and Clara Emond. She had a big win back in 2023, taking the GP Oetingen in Belgium.
Boilard took a bronze media at the junior worlds in 2018 in the road race. She was also junior national champion in the TT, and podiumed at the elite nationals in 2022. Some of her other notable results include a second at a stage of the Tour Cycliste Féminin International de l’Ardèche, finishing fourth overall on GC. She also represented Canada at the 2022 Commonwealth Games.
Canadian Cycling Magazine has reached out to Boilard to see what comes next, and we wish her all the best as she focuses on her…
Click Here to Read the Full Original Article at Canadian Cycling Magazine…