Cycling. The oldest of Cotentin races celebrates its 75th birthday

Par

Baptiste Hue

Published on

May 2, 2025 at 5:37 p.m.
; Updated on May 2, 2025 at 6:54 p.m.

A week after Liège-Bastogne-Liège, the Doyenne of classicsplace locally the Sunday May 4, 2025 At the GP of Montaigu-La-Brisette (Manche), the older of the Cycling races in the Cotentina “torch” recovered after the judgment this year of the legendary GP of the seamstresses of Martinvast.

It has now been 75 years since the runners’ parade animates The festivities of the Saint-Martina comforting longevity at a time when The calendar of races crashes a little more every year …

Bernard Yon the irreducible

This loyalty From the Sair Commune to cycling is largely linked to a man, the irreducible Bernard Yon, president of festival committee For 35 years.

“The former president wanted to stop the race in 1990 but I wanted to continue. I am very attached to it, ”says The old factor of Sauxemesnil-Ruffossses, who had fun recorded All archivesTHE press clippingsTHE photos and rankings relating to the test.

This former cyclist and accomplished athlete (2 h 36 me marathon de Cherbourg in 1993, please!) kept in his memory The most beautiful editions that he evokes as if it was yesterday.

In 1957, it was a resident of the town who won, Bernard Frigot.
Bernard a

He also evokes, pell-mell, Franck Baudouin, a runner who won 16 years apart (1986-2005), Régis Pezet, who won in 2001, 23 years after his father Jean-Marie, Nicolas Malle, who won the title of Champion of the Champion minimal in 2012, four years before his coronation European Junior Championshipthe improbable quadrup of the Bricquebec UC in 2003 with the victory hand in Julien Leclerc and Julien Mesnil … “We even have a Japanese Who won in 2010! THE speaker couldn’t interview it!

The juniors still in the spotlight?

On an explosive circuit like that of Montaigu-La-Brisette, where the “bump” of arrival returns too quickly for old engines (16 climbs in total), the passion and the heart of young runners often fly. The last three editions thus returned to U19 runners. This year, we could bet a piece on James Chatonnet (Moyon) or Louison Gilles (Vire), the former Normandy Champion Cadets. The most experienced are not to be ruled out of the game either, like Guillaume Cruchon (AC Cherbourg-Cotentin) or Thomas Auber (UC Bricquebec), former winners of the event.

Memories, memories …

His most striking memory remains, by far, Victory in 2013 From a certain Benoît Cosnefroy, then 17 years old.

“It was the bump with him!” A real racing car! It’s beautiful to have his name in the record. But it is not the only one, we have often taken out beautiful winners “, He adds, notably emphasizing the victory in 1990 of Charles Guilbert and in 2018 by Yohann Simon, winner last year of the 3 days of Cherbourg and currently professional at Auber 93. For the emotional aspect, he does not forget to recall the participation of his two nephews, Hervé and Eric Mabire, in the early 2000s.

So many “good moments” that encourage Bernard Yon, 73, to continue. Even if he sometimes has the impression of leading the “fight” alone.

If I stop, unfortunately there will be no one behind to resume. The volunteers are aging, it is harder than before mobilizing, finding Carrefour guards. People are less involved. If you do nothing in the town, they complain. If you do something, it bothers … I wouldn’t want her to disappear, this race. We have a beautiful circuit, always with a lot of audiences.
Bernard a

By learning that his list of committedincluded 68 names, a figure raised in times that run, Bernard Yon felt a big relief.

“I was afraid. When you only have 20 or 30 runners, it is not encouraging. There, we know why we are fighting to maintain the race… ”

Track record

2024: Martin Levillain
2023 : Justin Coron
2022 : Augustin Lecolley
2019: Frédéric Lecrosnier
2018: Yohann Simon
2017 : Guillaume Cruchon
2016: Thomas Auber
2015 : Xavier Pesnel
2014: Anthony Aubé
2013: Benoît Cosnefroy
2012: Anthony Aubé
2011 : Adrien Dupont
2010: Yutaka Ohmura
2009 : Jean-Charles Bréard
2008: Mathieu Chanteloup
2007: Vincent Fauvel
2006 : Th. Vanmackelbergh
2005: Franck Baudouin
2004: Vincent Legrand
2003: Julien Leclerc
2002: Sébastien Siouville
2001: Régis Pép
2000 : Pascal Althoffer
1999: Bruno Legoupil
1998 : Eric Lepigeon
1997: Sébastien Cailland
1996: Jean-Louis Galodé
1995: Antoine Destrés
1994: Cyril Queuniet
1993 : Tony Joret
1992 : Tony Joret
1991: Stéphane Lebiez
1990: Charles Guilbert
1989 : Cyrille Cardet
1988: Loïc Bouchard
1987: Roger Jeannton
1986: Franck Baudouin
1985 : David Hardy
1984 : Marcel Bernard
1983: Gilbert Queuniet
1982 : Eric Renouf
1981: Jean-Luc Amiot
1980: Fabrice Petitpas
1979 : Olivier Lecaplain
1978: Jean-Marie Pezet
1977: Jean Hamel
1976 : Guy Cousin
197: Roger Jeann took
1974: Michel Jeannot
1973: Alain Choisy

Sunday 4 May. Departure : 2 pm 30 ; Distance: 96 km (16 x 6 km); 68 engaged. Organization : AS Tourlaville. The Prognosis of The Press of the Sleeve: 2. 3. James Chatonnet (Moyon); 4. Mabyrial Mabire (UST Equourreville); 5.

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