Hugo Houle, 32, made his Tour de France debut at the 2019 event and has competed each year since. The 2023 race will mark his fifth consecutive appearance. 

In 2019, his best stage finish was a 10th-place effort on Stage 2, which was a team time trial with Team Astana. He finished the year 91st in the general classification. 

In 2020, Houle finished in the top 20 seven times in the 21 stages. His best effort was a seventh-place finish on Stage 12. He again completed the Tour de France and finished 47th overall.

In 2021, Houle finished 12th on Stage 7 and 66th overall.

The 2022 Tour de France was Houle’s best and included a victory on Stage 16, making him the second Canadian, and first since 1988, to win a stage at the Tour de France (read more below).

Houle also logged a third-place finish in Stage 13, and the continued success catapulted him to 13th in the points classification, 18th in the mountains classification and a career-best 23rd overall.

Heading into the 2023 Tour de France, Houle is coming off a 21st-place effort at the recent Tour de Suisse.

Houle’s Israel-Premier Tech teammate Chris Froome has won the Tour de France four times and is looking to join some of the sport’s most elite company with a fifth win.

The 2023 Tour de France will be the 110th edition of the famed race, which first was contested in 1903.

The 21-stage journey across France, and often parts of neighboring countries, has become the most prestigious annual cycling event and traditionally features more than 20 of the best teams (nearly 200 of the top riders in the world).

A UCI WorldTour event, the 2023 Tour de France will begin July 1 in Bilbao, Spain, and send competitors on a trek of more than 3,400 kilometers, testing them across a variety of terrains – hills, mountains and flat countryside.

The final day (July 23) will start at France’s national velodrome in Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines, the track cycling venue for the 2024 Olympics. And, as has been the tradition since 1975, the race will conclude on the Champs-Elysées in Paris.

Riders will be rewarded for their success across each stage and the terrain within, recognized daily with different colored jerseys for the top performers – green (leader in stage points), white (best time for riders under 25) and polka dot (King of the Mountains/best climber).

The most coveted and recognizable jersey at the Tour de France is the yellow one, worn each day by the overall leader based on total time across all stages. 

Across the 21 stages and the overall final standings, riders also will be competing for more than €2,300,000 ($2.5 million) in prize money.

The defending champion at the Tour de France is Denmark’s Jonas Vingegaard. Slovenia’s Tadej Pogačar won the previous two times (2020, 2021).

The Tour de France coverage on FloBikes will be available live for viewers in Canada from July 1st to 23rd. 

Viewers can catch the action as it unfolds and come back anytime to revisit their favorite moments via the archived full replays.

All FloSports subscribers will be able to enjoy daily news and video coverage, highlights, extended highlights and more.

More To Know About Hugo Houle:

Hugo Houle’s Athletic Beginnings

Houle, who hails from Quebec, initially was a triathlete, a passion he shared with his brother, Pierrik. The two also enjoyed watching the Tour de France together.

Early in his teens, Houle turned his focus entirely to cycling. 

In 2010, delaying his intentions to become a police officer, he began his professional cycling career. In 2013, he got his start on the UCI WorldTour, a step his brother was not able to share with him.

Hugo Houle Dedicated Tour de France Stage Win To His Brother

In late 2012, Pierrik Houle was jogging near their home village, when he was killed by a drunk driver in a hit-and-run incident. 

A decade later, Hugo Houle realized a longtime dream when he was able to win a stage of the Tour de France in his brother’s honor. 

Houle came close to achieving his goal when he finished third on Stage 13 in 2022, and his breakthrough moment came a few days later on Stage 16. He became the second Canadian overall, and first since 1988 with Steve Bauer, to win a stage of the event.

Success For Hugo Houle While Representing Canada

Houle is a two-time Canadian time trial national champion (2015, 2021), and he immediately was able to parlay the first win into a gold medal at the 2015 Pan American Games, held in his home country (in Toronto). 

Like his Israel-Premier Tech teammate and fellow Canadian, Michael Woods, Houle also has represented Canada twice at the Olympics – 2016 (Rio de Janeiro) and 2020 (Tokyo).

In 2016, Houle and Antoine Duchesne were among those who did not finish the race, while Woods finished 55th in the 241.5-kilometer trek.

In the individual time trial in 2016, Houle finished 21st.

In Tokyo, in 2021 (delayed due to COVID-19), Houle served in support of Woods in the individual road race. It ended in a sprint for the silver medal, with Woods ending up fifth. Houle had been successful in his role and finished the race in 85th place. They were joined by Guillaume Boivin, who finished 65th.

Houle also participated in the individual time trial in Tokyo (as the only Canadian). He finished 13th.

Hugo Houle Is An Advocate

Houle is an ambassador for cycling in Canada and has been vocal about the lack of support for road cyclists in his home country from Cycling Canada.

By giving young riders the support and resources they need for training and advancement, they can continue to improve and provide a deeper pool of talent for Canada.

Houle also feels strongly about Opération Nez Rouge (Operation Red Nose), an organization focused on stopping people from drinking and driving.

Since his brother’s death, Houle has continued to make regular donations. 

2023 UCI Individual World Rankings

In the most recent UCI Individual World Rankings, Hugo Houle is No. 214. The highest-ranking Canadian rider is Derek Gee at No. 52. 

Here are the top 5:

1. Tadej Pogačar, Slovenia
2. Remco Evenepoel, Belgium
3. Wout Van Aert, Belgium
4. Jonas Vingegaard, Denmark
5. Mads Pedersen, Denmark

* Michael Woods ranked 112th.

How To Watch 2023 Tour de France In Canada

The 2023 Tour de France starts July 1 and will run through July 23.

STREAMING: Canadian fans can watch the 2023 Tour de France on FloBikes. SIGN UP HERE.

On Your TV: Now Available on Roku, Fire TV, Chromecast and Apple TV.

Cast: Cast to your smart TV, including Vizio, Samsung and LG TVs.

On The Go: Download the FloSports app on iOS or Android.

Archived Footage

Video footage from the event will be archived and stored in a video library for FloBikes subscribers in Canada to watch for the duration of their subscription.

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