About a hundred cyclists took advantage of the good weather on Saturday to ride for a good cause, applauding the staff of the Maisonneuve-Rosemont Hospital and thanking them for all the efforts invested for almost a year in a pandemic context.
The routes of around ten kilometers were taken on snow-cleared trails and on the site of the Réseau express Vélo (REV). They drove on the REV Saint-Denis from the Saint-Louis square, then on the REV Bellechasse to Boulevard de l’Assomption, where the hospital center is located.
Jacques Nacouzi, who has been cycling in winter for two years, organized this event because he wanted to show that we can ride safely during the cold season and, above all, he wanted to show his gratitude to the actors of the network of health who have been on the front lines since last March against COVID-19.
“We applauded the staff for two to three minutes once in front of the hospital, and after that, we observed a minute of silence in respect for those who died of COVID-19,” said Mr. Nacouzi, a resident of Tray.
“It started from the idea that people are demoralized, alone at home. Afterwards, I thought to thank the health staff, ”he added, adding that pedaling is good for both heart and soul.
Wearing a mask was mandatory for the occasion, as was the physical distance of two meters between the bikes. And the cyclists rode in groups of eight.
As for winter biking, he still wonders why he hasn’t done one before, he told QMI Agency.
“It’s more pleasant than in summer, we have less sweating, and it’s pleasant with the snow-cleared and protected slopes. I only take snow-cleared bike paths, ”he said, pointing out that he meets even more cyclists this winter, no doubt a consequence of the pandemic as people look for other ways to move.
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