Raspu" memories in pictures

In just a few years, Julien Payette-Tessier has established himself as one of the most important photographers in the cycling world. The man who goes by the nickname Pété (yes, like the initials of his last name) has a gift for capturing the perfect moment and bringing the viewer into the heart of the action. His images are vivid and captivating. He possesses the quality that all photographers seek: the ability to find, very often, the ideal light.

After immortalizing World Tour races, mountain bike world championships, and countless other high-caliber cycling events, he showed up for the first time in 2019 in East Burke, Vermont, to cover the now legendary Rasputitsa spring race.

And what he saw left a deep impression on him.

"When I woke up that morning and heard the rain pouring down on the tin roof of the house, I was a little reluctant. Yes, we were going to get wet, but I was mainly worried that my equipment would be damaged by the water and mud," he says.

"Throughout the race, sitting in the back of the Range Rover, I tried to keep my equipment dry... It wasn't long before I heard the sound of sand getting into my lenses."

Even though "Raspu" was canceled in 2020 due to the global health crisis, he wanted to share his impressions of the event with us through a series of photos that we chose with him, as they perfectly capture the spirit of this participatory competition, whose high-quality organization and the iron will of all the runners he praises.

"That was at the beginning. It was so cold! The day hadn't even started and we were already soaked. I really wondered what I was doing there. I asked myself that question several times, but I consoled myself by thinking that it was worse for the participants. Anthony and Heidi, the founders of the race, explained how the day would unfold. And the fastest riders went ahead (including Lars Boom)."

"It's not long after the start. The riders are still grouped together. What I find beautiful is the road behind them, the cyclists stretching out. There's something magical about seeing that. Their faces aren't burnt out yet, there are still a few smiles, some are trying to stay in the pack. Raphaële Lemieux is watching. Everyone wants to stay with the group so they don't have to race alone."

"I had been following the group of leaders for a while, trying to take as many photos as possible before entering the forest. When I saw Bruno messing around with his shoe cover, I thought to myself: thanks guys for that nice gesture. What I find powerful and symbolic here is that everyone is aware of how difficult the day is. For many, it's the first race of the year. And in conditions like these, everyone is going into battle. But to still have fun, you have to stick together. I find that beautiful and powerful, and that's what this image shows: we're going to get through this, but as a team."

"That was probably the most intense moment of the race. We had been following the same group of runners with the truck for a long time; they were one of the leading groups. Everyone was starting to be exhausted. When I turned my camera toward Mag (Maghalie Rochette) and saw that look in her eyes, so intense, I almost got goosebumps, honestly. I thought it was magical. I could never have asked her to give me a more focused and determined look than that. With all that mud on her face, it's a really evocative portrait."

"Here, we're only a few minutes behind. The runners are focused, leaning against each other, tanned, the group is silent. At one point, I hear a small Quebecois voice saying, 'Slow down.' I'm not sure I understand. It's Matis (Boyer), whom I don't know at the time. He wants us to slow down so he can warm up. We do, and he puts his hands near the exhaust pipe to warm them up."

"We waited a long time before seeing the leading group arrive. They were coming down a big hill, we couldn't pass them, so we took a shortcut to get there. We had no idea where they were, we just hoped they hadn't already passed when we arrived. Then I found this angle. With the spring river flowing freely, I felt it gave a good sense of the atmosphere. But I couldn't miss my shot, I had to be on the lookout. You can see the guys are riding in single file: they were going fast. The one in front is Lars Boom."

We're just a few meters from the finish line, at Burke's cottage. Everyone along the course is cheering on the riders. At this point, everyone is exhausted. There's so much mud, it's unbelievable. The guy we see here has broken his derailleur. He's thinking, no way is this going to end like this. I think it really illustrates the pride of having made it to the end. No matter what condition the bike is in, he finishes the race."