Chats with Valentin

Indeed, I spent my entire childhood in Touraine. When I finished my midwifery studies in 2007, my partner and I decided to visit the south of France where we had already spent holidays. The bike rides, the hikes, the scenery, the nature – it all appealed to us.

I found a 6-month contract at the Foix hospital, a contract that was renewed several times. In the meantime, we made friends, planned projects, and had two little children from Ariège… and in the end, we've been in Ariège for 17 years.

For my family life, it's the town of Mirepoix and its surroundings where I now live. For my professional life, there's the hospital where I work as a midwife at the maternity ward in Foix. And then there's my sporting life, and there the choice is difficult… There are mountain passes like Pailhères, Beille, or Agnès, but if I had to choose just one, I would say the Col de Montségur . The closest to my home and the one I ride most often, I love it!

I come from a family of cyclists. My father, my brothers, we all had our own bikes and we had to maintain them. To do this, I quickly learned bike mechanics and it immediately captivated me. As for the wheels, my older brother worked at a bike shop and would bring home wheels to be assembled. I must have been about nine years old . To help him, he started by explaining how to put the spokes on the hub, then later how to cross the spokes, and finally how to true the wheels. In just a few months, I knew how to build a wheel!

Then, with competitions, I started wanting to personalize my bike builds. Lightweight hubs, rims of varying depths depending on the course, bladed spokes, and custom lacing. I also did my work experience placement in a bike shop where Mr. Danguillaume, a former pro, worked, and he completed my apprenticeship. Later, I was inspired by bike builders like Marcel Borthayre, who worked for Jacques Anquetil, among others. I had a long conversation with him on the phone—a great memory !

For those in the know, I remember participating in a national cadet challenge in 1998 with the first Zipp 340 carbon rims, which I had built with Tec hubs. I was a pioneer. With the arrival of the internet, I even had a website where I showcased my builds and exchanged ideas on forums with fellow enthusiasts. Some acquaintances from that time made it their profession, like Adrien Gontier from RAR or Julien, founder of the Veloptimal website. Then came factory-made wheels, and the custom options became more limited. But I continue to enjoy myself by keeping up with the various technical developments and trying to maintain that handcrafted aspect that I love so much.

Since the COVID period, when there were no more competitions, I've tried to take on a personal challenge once a year. The goal is simply to challenge myself, to step out of my comfort zone. As a cyclocross rider, a specialist in short, intense efforts, I enjoy trying my hand at long endurance efforts. In 2020, I finished the 7 Majors (360km, 12,000m of elevation gain) in 21 hours; in 2021, the crossing of the Pyrenees in 3 days; in 2022, a route linking all the Ariège ski resorts (320km, 10,000m of elevation gain) in 18 hours; and in 2023, I was more sensible, just doing a round trip to the Pic de Nore from my home.

This year, I had a GPS track I'd made three or four years ago for a trip to the Touraine region , a 630km route to be completed in one go. I made my decision about a month before leaving, feeling a bit uncertain about the prospect of a longer, less intense effort. I set off at the end of July, on a Saturday at midday. The weekend was hot, and I made numerous stops at cemeteries and water fountains. The first day and night went well; I maintained a good pace and only started to feel tired in the early morning, around 5 a.m., when I forced myself to lie down for 45 minutes to wait for sunrise. As a side note, I had promised my wife I would rest when the first signs of fatigue appeared… I simply listened to the voice of reason!

A little further on, a breakfast stop with hot chocolate, coffee, and a pain au chocolat, and then it was off for the second day. This one was more complicated. Physically, because the wind was blowing in my face and I gradually wore myself out, but also mentally, with straight roads of little interest. The feeling of not making any progress and of never seeing the end… Then, arriving near Poitiers on roads I knew was beneficial. I was rediscovering my old home, and time suddenly seemed to fly by. I stopped to see my old primary school, now closed, and the town where I spent my first 10 years. A little pilgrimage!

In the end, after 30 hours (25 of which were spent cycling) , I arrived "quickly" in Joué-lès-Tours , where my parents live, where I was welcomed by my entire family and in-laws—a wonderful moment! Looking back, I'm happy and proud to have done it, but I think a more challenging route with varied scenery would have certainly prevented me from feeling so tired. Something to consider for a future challenge.

I'm what you might call a courier; outside of cyclocross, I do races of around 100 km, and training sessions rarely exceed four hours. I only had small panniers to carry essential repairs. For this trip, I needed more space for everything I needed on a 30-hour ride, including an overnight stay on the bike, fluctuating temperatures, and of course, food and drink. A large 10-liter pannier was too big and would be cumbersome, especially since I wasn't used to it. So I talked to Ricardo, who suggested a size between those two. And thanks to his expertise, the mini-volcano was born !

A saddlebag that adapts to its contents and, most importantly , stays perfectly in place , even when I'm standing up on the pedals. Inside, I was able to fit three inner tubes, a multi-tool, a rain jacket, a survival blanket, and three sandwiches, in addition to my documents, credit card, and some cash. I had a separate bag in front of my stem for my drum kit and some energy bars and fruit jellies. It was perfect. When I took something out, I just rolled up the fabric and everything was secure!

For the past four or five years, I've structured my year the same way. Cyclocross finishes in January, I take a short break, then resume with running and cycling. When the weather gets warmer, I stop running to focus on cycling and longer rides in the mountains. In June or July, I take on a small personal challenge, then another break, and then I resume training to prepare for the cyclocross season, which starts at the end of September. At that point, I concentrate on cyclocross with specific training, aiming for the European Championships in Pontevedra, Spain, this year. Two years ago, I finished second due to a mechanical issue, and I have a score to settle. I just hope luck will be on my side this time. After that, there are the regional and French championships where I'll defend my titles. The season will fly by with 2025 approaching and other projects on the horizon, perhaps tackling Mont Ventoux from all three sides in May or June with a friend—we'll see.

What I love is setting off early in the morning , just before sunrise, and heading for the mountains. I find myself climbing a few passes, descending a few, and riding through the beautiful landscapes of the Ariège region. After 6, 7, or 8 hours, I get home not too late to enjoy my family in the afternoon. And I don't rule out a short bike ride with my son to recover. There's a certain sense of freedom I feel on my bike , a way to discover magical places while practicing my favorite sport. But also the satisfaction of achieving my goals. I think all of this contributes to my well-being and to who I am in life, someone who is rather calm and cheerful.

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