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Cycling – Tour de France – Stage 18 – Pau to Luz Ardiden – France – July 15, 2021 Israel Start-Up Nation rider Michael Woods of Canada in action during Stage 18 REUTERS/Benoit Tessier
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Cycling – Tour de France – Stage 18 – Pau to Luz Ardiden – France – July 15, 2021 Israel Start-Up Nation rider Michael Woods of Canada in action during Stage 18 REUTERS/Benoit Tessier
The sudden passing of Montreal cyclist Pierre Gagné has left the cycling community in Quebec inconsolable as they grieve his loss. The demise of the 78-year-old biker has irreparably damaged the close-knit neighbourhood, breaking the hearts of friends, family, and other cyclists.
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The Fédération québécoise des sports cyclistes (FQSC), the institute in charge in Quebec, informed the community about his untimely death on Saturday. Gagne knew Louis Barbeau, the general manager of the FQSC, well and they shared a close bond.
Nation in mourning after Pierre Gagne’s passing
Speaking to the media, he said,
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“Thanks to his unwavering dedication and active involvement in our federation, Pierre became an invaluable pillar for training commissaries. Moreover, he played a crucial role in developing tailored training programs for cyclists holding various positions during cycle races, all with the aim of ensuring well-structured road races. It’s impossible not to acknowledge the impact he had on our organization. His professionalism, attention to detail, and commitment to constantly enhancing the quality of events earned him great respect from all those who worked with him,”
Gagne was a well-respected and beloved individual in the community with great virtues. His infectious energy and personality left a long-lasting impression on every person he met. He participated in several prestigious tournaments throughout the 1970s, most notably the UCI Road World Championships, the Commonwealth Games, but he is also famous for working as a commissaire during the 1976 Montreal Olympics.
Gagne’s astounding journey
Gagne made his cycling debut in the year 1971 but it found his calling after working in 1976 Olympics as a commissaire. He qualified as an international commissioner in 1978, which gave him the opportunity to be named the Commonwealth Games’ main timekeeper in Edmonton the following year. He returned to Edmonton in 1982, this time serving as the commissaires’ panel’s secretary for the Universiade.
Pierre Gagné was quite active in the Canadian and Quebec scenes, both on the road and on the track, in addition to his involvement in the international arena. Every year, he attended at least one Canadian road or track championship. In addition to serving on the different provincial and federal committees in charge of the commissaires, Gagné also worked as a trainer for them for a long time. He also spent a number of years’ training riders who oversee road races.
For relatives, friends and all those who knew Gagné, his twins Isabelle and Marc-André Gagné, have organized a ceremony which will take place on Friday, July 28, at the Complexe funéraire des Trembles located at 15005 rue Sherbrooke East, in Montreal. It will take place from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Few people have devoted so much of their life to a sport, in an often thankless role. His passion for the sport of cycling and his patience will certainly have largely contributed to this longevity and inspired many.
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Written by
Edited by
Priyadarshini Ajay