Marine Cabirou opens “La place du vélo” in the city center of Millau

Marine Cabirou est à la tête de “La place du vélo” Midi libre – Maxime Cohen

La vététiste professionnelle prend la suite de Salvatore Arcuri dans la rue du Barry, dans le centre-ville de Millau.

Rue du Barry, the sign has changed and now reads "La place du vélo". The store's main brand is always the same. And for good reason, Marine Cabirou, resident of the Scott DH Factory team since 2019, takes over the reins of the store run until then by Salvatore Arcuri, for more than 30 years. A new start and above all a new challenge for the professional pilot. "I knew he was retiring and I spoke about it with Scott and they were interested and motivated, details the Millavoise. The general project also interests him he didn't want to sell like that and leave overnight. Salvatore will be there for a few more months."

A new story to be written as a family

Indeed, the professional sportswoman will have to juggle between her schedule dictated by the season and now, that of her business. "I'm going to try to be present as much as possible at the store, it's good to be able to be present for the customers. I can't be there all the time, I have my training and during competition periods I will be less present." 

For this reason, she is not alone in this project. Lucas de Boissieu, her cousin, will run the shop when she is away. "It will allow you to have someone who will be there all the time, she explains.& ;nbsp;He worked at X1 racing, he did suspension maintenance and will return to Millau. He will bring this skill here and it will allow us to provide new customer service."

"Bringing my experience and sharing it"

Besides the brand, "the expense and some work", customers will have different services from what they have experienced before in the same store. "The goal is to' bring something else to Millau, continues the pilot. And also to bring my experience and share it with customers."

“I told myself we'll see as we go along”

In her career plan, the professional mountain biker had not necessarily considered this project. "I told myself "we'll see as we go along" “measured according to opportunities”, there, it was not at all anticipated and not at all planned. &agrav; the advance is what is good about this project and çit poses a bit of a challenge", admits the Millavoise. For her and for her Millavois teammate at Scott, Dylan Levesque, the World Cup will resume on May 3 and 5 at home. Fort William, Scotland. Two stages will take place in France in the heart of summer, the first in Haute-Savoie from June 28 to July 7, for a great mountain bike festival bringing together cross-country, short track, marathon, downhill and enduro. 

The store has not closed its doors

That doesn't mean she's more apprehensive about this new life as a business manager than starting at the top of a company. #39;a track. "It's a new challenge, I stay in my world and my environment. I have always known the brand and we are going to bring Moustache, a big French brand of electric bike and Millau is the paradise of electric bikes, as well as Santa Cruz. It's a new challenge, that's what's exciting and also motivating." 

The store therefore did not close its doors during the transition period, even if the new sign already sits above the door. "We are starting to tell customers that Salvatore will still be there for a few more months." The inauguration is scheduled for the end of March .