Lifelong dream fulfilled: Houle dedicates victory to dead brother
DPA
· 19.07.2022
After his solo journey with the emotional victory on the 16th stage of the 109th Tour de France, the 31-year-old Canadian from Team Israel-Premier Tech his right index finger to the sky before tears welled up in his eyes during the winner's interview. "I had a dream to win a stage for my dead brother. This is for him, I've been waiting years for this. It means a lot to me," said Houle, visibly moved.
First professional victory for Houle
For Houle, it was also his first ever win as a professional cyclist and the first success for a Canadian in the world's most important cycling race for 34 years, when Steve Bauer won. "I've never won a race before, it's the perfect place to win," said Houle.
But above all, it was a matter close to his heart with great symbolic value. As children, he and his younger brother had followed the Tour every year, every day. "We spent the summer together watching the Tour de France," Houle said before the start of the Tour. "When we were younger, we lived in a small village and there wasn't much to do, but we were happy when the Tour came."
Tragic story about Houle's brother
But then one moment during Christmas 2012 changed everything. His brother, who was undergoing police training, was out jogging when he was hit and killed by a drunk driver. When he didn't come home, Houle went looking for him and found him lying alone on the road - the perpetrator had committed a hit-and-run.
"I would say it destroyed me more in the beginning. But today I see it as something that drives me to keep training hard to achieve this," said Houle.
His brother never had the opportunity to come to Europe and watch the tour live. "It's terrible for me that he never got to see it all. That's why I really want to achieve this before I stop," said Houle. Now his lifelong dream has become a reality.
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