In the Cartel family: Bruno Langlois

Matane, March 1, 1979

... I founded BL Coaching, which was kind of the starting point for Cartel, which we launched two years ago. I set up BL Coaching in the winter of 2015, so I feel like I've been starting a business ever since! (Laughs.)

A headquarters, a family of cyclists who share the same passion. And we continue to improve our offering with new services (performance lab, fitting, gym). Kevin and I had the same goal, we saw the same thing, but I don't think we could have done it without each other.

Normally, people retire and then take up cycling. For me, it's the opposite: I've been working since I retired from cycling. And there are things I'm very good at, but others, such as everything related to running a business, that I didn't know anything about.

I sometimes challenge Kevin on some of his decisions, I motivate him to train harder, and he pushes me to be a better businessman. We're like coaches to each other. Like roommates, too. We spend all day in the same place, and sometimes we get on each other's nerves, but we know we work well together and that the advice we give each other is helpful.

I take my work seriously. I know that if you want to achieve something, you have to work hard, and that's what I do. When I started cycling, I wasn't the best, so I worked twice as hard, trained more than the others, and was very disciplined. That made all the difference.

I am resilient. I think that's something I manage to convey to the athletes I coach and to Cartel clients: this attitude that allows you to not let yourself get discouraged, despite setbacks and bad luck.

The other thing is that I am cautious and thrifty. My parents taught me that it is important to have a backup plan. That is also why I finished my studies in kinesiology instead of just cycling. We built what we have step by step, without taking excessive risks. This allowed us to lay our foundations, to have something solid to build on, and we continue to grow.

It's a source of pride. We started from almost nothing, we didn't buy a "turnkey" solution, nobody gave us anything. I also take great pride in the improvements my clients have made in their performance. That's very important to me.

I've been running since 1997. Now it's how I earn my living. For me, it's a kind of therapy. I do it every day, or almost every day. It's more a way of life than an obligation now. Before, I used to train because I had no choice, but today I still do it because I want to.

When I was young, I loved the movie BMX Boys. Me and one of my friends each had one. I had to be outside all the time. That hasn't changed. In the summer, I get tired when I'm inside and it's nice out, I just want to go outside with my bike!

I don't have time to do it anymore, but I love cooking. Otherwise, hunting and fishing, being outdoors, in the woods.

For what I need right now, a new one. But I still like bikes with round tubes, not too sloped, fairly traditional in shape. I like classic styles.

I've done so many... The Tour of Rwanda was really special. I have lots of wonderful memories that all blend together. The Tour of Malaysia was magical too. But the one I remember best is the worst of them all. (Laughs.) It was at Qinghai Lake, China, in 2003. Seriously, I thought I was going to die. It was tough, we were near the Tibetan plateaus, and the altitude was getting to me. I lost consciousness two or three times and I was a little scared because we were so far from everything that I thought if something serious happened to me, I was too far from a city to get treatment. So I said to myself: never again. Then I went back twice... (Laughs.)

I'm really looking forward to doing The Rift in Iceland in July. It's my big goal this year, and I've never beenSocks, so it's really exciting for me. Gravel opens up possibilities. There are beautiful places everywhere, they don't need to be paved. I'd love to discover remote places in the North, both in the Yukon and James Bay. You fly there by seaplane with your bike and take the opportunity to go hunting and fishing!

CP20.

The Power Meter may not be the most beautiful invention, but it is the tool that has contributed most to advancing training techniques.

I often dream that I miss the start of a race. You know, when you're young and you dream that a monster is chasing you but you can only move very slowly? Well, I dream that I can't put my race number on my Jersey. But that's not my biggest fear. I'm a little afraid of cars; I've been hit before. When I'm racing, I'm afraid... not of losing, but of performing poorly.

I don't get enough sleep. I go to bed too late because I feel like if I go to bed early, I'm missing out on something. But I like getting up early.

Siboire's IPA Test.

Espresso, short.

I really like We Never Die by Juke Ross, but my timeless classic is Lose Yourself by Eminem .

The Secret Race by Tyler Hamilton.

Gladiator by Ridley Scott.