Meet Hugo Houle: Professional Cyclist and 2017 Klean Team Sponsored Athlete

Born in the small village of Sainte-Perpétue in Central Quebec, Hugo started his career at the age of 9 in triathlon. He competed in triathlon until he was 14, when he realized his primary talent was in cycling.

At 15, he joined the Club Cycliste Vélocité Drummond, for which he raced for two seasons in the Quebec cups, and his multiple appearances on the podium caught the attention of the best junior teams in Quebec.

At the age of 17, Hugo joined the junior team Louis Garneau-Crocs, where he met Mr. Louis Garneau. Mr. Garneau helped to launch Hugo’s career by providing him with all the support he needed, and the access to the best races in North America. Hugo soon distinguished himself on the Canadian scene by winning the 2008 Road National Championships. This allowed him to participate in his first World Championships in South Africa.

Meanwhile, Hugo stayed very busy with his full-time studies in Techniques policières at Collège Ellis de Drummondville, situated in Central-Quebec. In 2010, while finishing his studies, Hugo decided to put his career as a police officer on hold to become a professional cyclist. During that period, the first pro continental cycling team in Canada, Spidertech powered by C10, was launched, and during the 2011 and 2012 seasons Hugo was given the chance to develop on the international scene. He is a three-time U23 Canadian National Champion and finished fourth at the U23 World Championships.

Hugo’s astounding success at the world championships allowed him to secure a spot at the highest level of cycling with a top French World Tour team.

To reach the highest level of any professional sport, it takes so much hard work year after year. Through dedication and commitment to my training, I was able to achieve a professional contract at the World Tour level of cycling and represent Canada at the 2016 Olympics. In order to compete at this level, I’m training between 18 and 30 hours a week with my riding time split between endurance riding and higher-intensity intervals over the course of a six-hour training ride. I train approximately 900 hours and 30, 000 km per year. With my professional team Ag2r La Mondiale, I’m racing 85 calendar days.

It’s easy to see that I’m demanding a lot from body, so it’s important to fuel with only the best nutritional products on the market. What’s most important is that those products are NSF Certified for Sport^® and tested to be free of banned substances. This is a priority for me and allows me to focus my time and energy on my training. I’m dedicated to taking care of my health and well-being.

As a World-Tour cyclist, I’m registered on the ADAMS (Anti-Doping Administration and Management System)-WADA program. This program requires me to report my whereabouts every single day and provide a time slot of one hour where I have the responsibility to be there, if they choose to select me for doping control. Believe me when I say they will find me wherever I’m located in the world.  Last year alone, I was tested 12 times by UCI and CCES (Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport). I dedicate so much effort and sacrifice to be competitive at this level, and I refuse to end my career because of a contaminated nutritional product.

With my nutritionist Mélanie Olivier (Vivai Nutrition) we dedicated ourselves to searching for all the products I needed from a highly reputable NSF Certified for Sport^® source. I can rest assured knowing I’m consuming safe nutritional products that provide me with a daily foundation, a great recovery protocol with Klean Recovery™ and Klean Isolate™, as well as Klean BCAA + PEAK ATP^® during training.

I am a Klean Athlete^® because as a professional cyclist, I want to fuel my body with only the highest quality nutritional products. Klean Athlete^® is a brand that is NSF Certified for Sport^® so I have complete trust in the safety of the products, which is critical as an athlete competing at the highest level.

HHPOWER – Hugo’s Favorite Recovery Drink:

• 25 g KLEAN Recovery™ chocolate
• 2 tsp. REAL Maple Syrup (From Québec of course!)
• 1 Banana
• ¼ cup Greek Yogurt
• 500ml Almond milk

Blend it and enjoy!

More about Hugo:
Hugo Houle was a very unruly young boy in primary school. In an effort to channel their son’s boundless energy, his parents enrolled Hugo and his brother into the local triathlon club. Soon after discovering his aptitude for road cycling as a teenager, the sport became a passion for adrenaline that road racing offered.

Hugo had a very competitive nature and quickly got serious about his training program, determined to become the best. By expending his energy on the bike, he became much more focused and attentive in class. This had a direct positive impact on academic performance.

“The reason that I love cycling is achieving the feeling of freedom when I ride and the rush of adrenaline when racing. These are two feelings that cannot be replicated. Pushing my limits keeps me going everyday,” says Houle.

In late 2012, Hugo’s brother was tragically killed in a hit-and-run accident while out running.

“Every summer, it became a tradition to watch the Tour de France with my little brother, Pierrik. I never imagined myself riding with a World Tour Team in Europe. Instead, he and I were always in competition to find the name of the rider in the field. Now I dream of winning a stage at the Tour de France in honor of my little brother. Everything starts with a dream, and I’m working to make this dream come true in his memory!”

You can follow Hugo on Twitter and Instagram.
Twitter: @HugoHoule
Instagram: @HugoHoule