Étoile de Bessèges: At the top of the Hermitage, to be as close as possible to the runners

Three generations of cyclists to encourage runners Midi Libre – Alexis Béthune

Noa and Enzo brought back signs to encourage the runners of the Flanders-Baloise team Midi Libre – Alexis Béthune

Stéphane, photographe amateur ne loupe aucun coureur Midi Libre – Alexis Béthune

La dernière étape de l'Etoile de Bessèges s'est terminée au sommet de l'Ermitage d'Alès, l'occasion pour les fans de voir de près leurs coureurs préférés. 

«We come to encourage the lesser known runners; they do not expect to receive such support from anonymous.» This is the leitmotif of Noa and Enzo. Just adults, they come to encourage the Belgian team Flanders-Baloise at the top of the Ermitage, in Alès, for the finish of the last stage of the Étoile de Bessèges, this Sunday after -noon.

Yellow and blue caps on their heads, long hair pulled back and cycling glasses on their eyes, the young licensees of the Nîmes Cyclisme club took out their most beautiful signs in the last bend of the pass before the finish. It reads “Vanhoof”, “Van Hemelen”, “Colman” or even “Claeys”. These are the names of the riders from the Flemish team whom they met during the stage the day before, when they were able to get into their caravan and chat with the team and the riders . « Each time, we try to make a sign to encourage our favorites, like today with a giant of more than two meters for Magnus Cort Nielsen. &amp ;raquo; The Dane, recognizable by his mustache and double stage winner on the Tour de France, also signed their sign after passing the finish line.

A story of inheritance

Photos and autographs, this was also the case for Maxence and Sacha who are each 12 and 9 years old and came from Avignon by car, before climbing the Col de l’Ermitage by bike before the passage runners. The two young graduates of CVC Montfavet fell into a passion for cycling thanks to their family. It was their grandfather and Sacha’s father who accompanied them on the side of the roads this Sunday. « Sacha, he wants the runners' bottles, but I prefer photos and autographs of the runners. And especially Mads Pedersen or Axel Laurence », declares Maxence, club jersey on his back. « L’Étoile de Bessèges, it’s a classic for the family. My father has been bringing me there for thirty years and, from now on, we introduce it to the little ones », adds Sacha’s father.

For Stéphane Tillet-Lannegrand, the passion for cycling is also experienced through photography. This amateur photographer, a former competitive runner for twenty years, arrives from Bordeaux in a motorhome to come and witness the entire Étoile de Bessèges: « The advantage of this year's route is that they passed the same places several times during the day. This allows me to photograph them from several angles. » The people of Bordeaux have been traveling the roads of Europe for two decades for cycling. Photographer and blogger for men's and women's cycling, he does not hesitate to devote all his vacations to his passion. He also takes advantage of the smaller races to get up close and personal with the runners: « They are nicer and the atmosphere is more relaxed; they have less pressure. I avoid the Tour de France, because there are too many people, but the Tour of Spain or Italy, I go very often. And the classics like the Flèche Wallone and Liège-Bastogne-Liège, I go there every year. »

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