A Quebec cyclist will tackle the Guinness record for the fastest crossing of Canada

A Quebec cyclist will soon tackle the Guinness record for the fastest crossing of Canada, which he believes he can complete in less than 12 days.

Originally from Gaspésie, Joël Gagné, 37, wants to pulverize the old mark held since 2019 by Chris Bruckner, namely 13 days, 3 hours and 49 minutes.

Very confident, he aims to take at least one day off this record to make it practically impossible to beat.

“To do better than 13 days, I have no stress with that. There’s nothing that’s going to stop me. My favorite distance has been 475 kilometers per day for a long time and I’m used to it like that,” he explains.

In 11 days

Since May, the athlete has been preparing himself physically and mentally to cover at least 480 kilometres every 24 hours. However, he hopes to exceed the threshold of 500 kilometres per day.

“I’m going to aim for 550 kilometres and lower the record to 11 days because I have no other solution. I know myself well enough to say that I’m going to do it. I want to become the best in the world without a doubt. Nobody is going to try after that,” he adds, pumped up.

And as if the challenge wasn’t big enough, Joël Gagné decided to train by first going to Vancouver by bike, from where he will leave around July 20 to try to beat the record by pedaling towards east of the country to Halifax. A few days ago, the cyclist cycled in the middle of the night in the flood between Montreal and Ottawa.

Only one element worries him, the cold.

“I want to leave on my birthday. I’m skinny, I’m on the right diet and I’m going to go really fast,” says the athlete, who is not at his first challenge.

During the pandemic, Joël Gagné carried out a everesting, a cycling activity originating in Australia in which participants must repeatedly climb a climb to reach a drop equivalent to the altitude of Mount Everest.

Having left in the middle of the night in temperatures of -8°C, he made 32 ascents of Mont Bélair, near Quebec, for a total elevation gain of 10,700 metres.

“I returned home at 8:45 p.m. after spending more than 14 hours in the saddle and 301 kilometers.”

Need help

This time, the Quebecer even took a break from his professional life.

“I took a sabbatical with $50,000 less. I would like to dream in colors, thinking that in the end, I won’t owe anyone anything. I will build my team in Vancouver according to the means I have.”

Joël Gagné will notably need witnesses and timekeepers to validate the record, as well as videographers to immortalize his feat.

Before the sun rises on the 1st^is Next August, the record could be shattered.

On GoFundMe, simply search for “projectx” to support Joël Gagné.