Pétanque: champions present, favorites, calendar… discover the summer program of the French championships

Marie- Christine Virebayre, icône palavasienne de la discipline. DDM – DDM-JEAN ALEXANDRE LAHOCSINSZKY

Ce samedi 22 juin, à Douay, commencent les Championnats de France. Le jour J pour des Languedociens ambitieux, prêts à donner le ton de la saison.   

With the imminent arrival of the French's favorite solstice, the atmosphere will rise up a notch around the small steel spheres. And for good reason, on June 22, in this fabulous setting that is the Sin-le-Noble bowling alley, the three shots will ring out, synonymous with the launch of the season of competitions on a French scale.   In Hérault and the other departments which, not so long ago, formed Languedoc, we are waiting for qualified representatives either through their committee or through that of the region. Occitanie whose sessions have just ended. At least, between six and ten meters, because the long distances specific to the Provençal game have their own timetable.   Still, in the near suburb of Douai to start, we will find Florian Saint-Machin, Sonny Prudhomme and Auguste Bauer in a good place on the starting grid. The Agathois (this is the élan pétanqueur club) reached the final of the catch-up session which took place in Marvejols on May 19. Their close neighbors, who were pétanqueurs from Graulens (Agde, rue des pins to be precise), who from Palavas-les-Flots, followed suit.  

Male and female triplet on the same weekend: a detrimental overlap

  We no longer present either Marie-Christine Virebayre or Karine Toussaint, Margareta Labartino's teammates, to the followers. Remember that the main events have been taking place (alas!) concurrently since 2023.   You must now have the gift of ubiquity, but there is no doubt that the journey of the trio led by Magali Saez (French champion in 2005) will be followed with the necessary attention.   A week later (June 29/30), the mixed doublet will appear alone at the head of the gondola. It will be in Saint-Flour, the mecca of this part of Cantal called « Planèze » by the natives.   In the spotlight, Gardois and Lozériens. Thus, Nancy Cailotto (today licensed at Manduel in the same way as Mathis Budet) and Fabienne Chapus, Dylan Carteyrade's running mate under the Marvejols banner, climbed the bulwark in the company of Muriel Scuderi in 2009. ;!   On July 10, 11, 13 and 14, head to Castelnaudary, with the immense Michel Briand taking center stage. Alongside the former world champion, Pierre Raymond (like in Castres last year) and, no longer André Dehay, but Pascal Tellier. We can imagine the impatience of the Laudun supporters!  

Fireworks in sight for the Aveyronnais ?

Still on the banks of the Canal du Midi, the "Promotion" will serve as a Sunday closing or, it’s depending, as a final bouquet. The Aveyronnais, from Villefranche-de-Rouergue in particular, will very happily bet on Bruno Dufresne, Pascal Marty and Cédric. The last named is none other than the half-brother of the illustrious Julien and Dorian   On July 20 and 21, Fenouillet will host the other highlight from the summer saga: the mixed triplet! Incredibly popular, its award, since the big northern premiere in July 2023, has been the subject of numerous requests resembling calls for tender.   In the suburbs of Toulouse, we will keep an eye on Philippe Stievenart, the natural leader of the trio completed by Nathalie Rochette and Jean-François Schatz (Lattes).   On July 27 and 28, heading to Corrèze or the International d’Objat scores so many good points from edition to edition that the Areopagus did not hesitate to staff the organization of the men's head-to-head and women's doubles events.   Finally, last but not least, the curtain drop is scheduled for Saint-Yrieix/Charente, on August 31 and September 1. What a pleasure to see Sandrine Saint-Machin (Florian’s mother, see above) defending the Agathoises colors again.   On June 1st, near Armissan, the former champion of France and Europe once again got the ball rolling. Nadège Biau (Cazères, double title holder what's more) and Jenny Rathberger alias "Chouchoune" have given in under the attacks of the one who will go not far from Angoulême in the same way as Sébastien Sanchez and Joseph Bauer, the Lodévois allies of the Boule Sauvage club, authors of a formidable journey also on the many Septimanian sites dear to the good President Chevassu.