Tributes continue to pour in for Clément Ouimet, cyclist who died on Mount Royal
Young cyclist known for passion for biking, dreamed of cycling professionally
More and more friends, family and cyclists are paying tribute to Clément Ouimet, the 18-year-old man who was killed Wednesday while cycling on Mount Royal.
His father donned his son's racing bib this weekend at the starting line of a race in which Ouimet would have competed.
Ouimet's sister also competed in the women's race as a symbolic gesture to honour the memory of her deceased brother.
At the site of the race, which took place in Brossard, Que., Ouimet's teammates shared words and memories of their friend and colleague. They held a moment of silence to pay their respects.
Ouimet was known for his passion for cycling and was hoping to become a professional cyclist.
He recently took seventh place in the Grand Prix Cycliste Charlevoix competition in June, and he finished 10th in the Championnat québécois de course sur route competition.
His teammates said they wanted to be present at the race in Brossard, and the cycling community wants Ouimet's death not to have been in vain.
Calls for safety
In the wake of his death, about 250 cyclists rode up Mount Royal in silence on Friday.
While cycling on the mountain, Ouimet was struck by an SUV performing what police are calling an illegal U-turn on Camillien-Houde Way.
The road, which passes through Mount Royal, is a popular training route and Ouimet's death has sparked calls to make it safer for cyclists.
Policymakers are now looking at different proposals for increasing safety for cyclists on Camillien-Houde — among them, cutting off access to the shortcut over the mountain to most vehicular traffic.
With files from Elysha Enos and Radio-Canada