Bytagand the publication "Cyrille Patoux, the eternal warrior of amateur cycling"
Cyrille Patoux opened his door to us fortager with us more than a career: a true lesson in passion and perseverance. From his cadet years to today, he embodies what is most authentic in cycling: love of the sport, respect for effort and remarkable consistency. At 40, he continues to shine among the best, driven by an intact motivation and an entourage that has always supported him. His story is that of a rider who has never stopped moving forward, with humility and determination.
By Jean-François Tatard – Photos: DR
In a sport where the careers of amateur riders are often short-lived, where many give up after the first disappointments, Cyrille Patoux is an exception.At 40, he is still there, at the highest amateur level, ready to do battle, to show off his racing knowledge, his talent and his experience.
« First of all, it's passion that motivates me. I love my sport, and sometimes it loves me back, sometimes not at all, but that's what I love. " A sentence that sums it all up. Cyrille is not just a runner, he has always been driven by cycling.
Exceptional longevity
Twenty seasons at the highest amateur level, that can't be improvised. It is a question of passion, certainly, but also of rigor and mentality. I am a championship and one-day racer. I like to take on the challenge on those days when anything is possible. »
His ability to excel on big occasions, his knowledge of the race and his steely mentality allow him to remain competitive against much younger riders.
He could have stopped everything, like so many others, faced with hard knocks and disillusionment.. " Yes, especially when you take a beating, and when I had back pain like last year, I had no pleasure and it made me sick, but otherwise I quickly move on. The mind plays a big part. »
There is a form of wisdom in this response, a detachment that allows him to bounce back, always.
The story of a pillar of amateur cycling
Although his time with the pros was short, he remains convinced that everything could have been different.. " My biggest regret about my career will be the very short time I spent with the pros. If I had been French champion, it would have changed things, I think, because AG2R and Cofidis were on the case. Even if my season with Roubaix was far from ridiculous, eighth in Plumelec and my two top fives in Bessèges behind Bryan Coquard, and other places of honor… »
His talent was there, his potential too, but the opportunities were not always there.
What he remembers above all are the memorable memories.. " 10th in the Poly Normande in the French team in 2012. And then French amateur vice-champion in Saint-Amand-les-Eaux in 2012, also one of my best seasons. »
He did not run for glory, but for the pleasure of fighting, of surpassing himself.. And it has never stopped evolving: " I like challenges and challenges. When I like a field of cycling, I invest myself fully to find out if I am good at it."
A balance between cycling, family and work
If Cyrille is still here, it is also thanks to those around him. " They are there every weekend with me, my partner of 17 years and the children. As soon as they were born, from their first month, they were already on a bike race, and that is my strength. My wife is my assistant, my mental coach, my DS and my mechanic. »
He's not just a bike man, he's a family man, aware that this stability allows him to continue his career.
He juggles between his professional life and high level. " I have a job that makes me leave early in the morning and return around 15:30 p.m. This leaves me a little time to train and my Wednesday afternoons. Sure, I ride less during the week than before, but that doesn't stop me from performing. »
Where many slow down, where professional and family life take over, he continues to trace his path. route with the same desire.
An informed look at cycling
With two decades of career, Cyrille has seen cycling evolve. " Disc brakes and electric gear shifting are what have changed the most. »
And what about the runners he met? « I don't necessarily have any runners who have impressed me, I've seen so many come and go... Let's say Samuel Plouhinec as an amateur. " A humble response, which shows his respect for his adversaries.
And the end of his career? He doesn't see it yet.. " As long as the body and the desire follow, I continue. » He knows that day will come, but for now, he is still here, ready to advise the younger generation. I always like to give advice to the guys in the team or others in the peloton, to help them develop as much as possible and teach them my knowledge."
He wants to transmit, bytagand everything that cycling has taught him.
One last victory?
He still has dreams, goals. " A French Cup or a beautiful classic. » He knows that time is against him, but he doesn't give up on anything.
And if he had to sum up his story with cycling in one sentence? « The world of cycling is a second family"
That's why he's still here. Because Cyrille Patoux is more than a rider, he is passionate, a cycling man, a pillar of this sport.. He never sought the light, he simply followed his own path. And that is what makes him a champion apart.
