Lorenzo Magnien, between passion and balance

There are names that resonate as obvious in the world of cycling. That of Magnien is one of them. Emmanuel, the father, was one of the best French cyclists of the 90s and 2000s, a daring puncher, a combative sprinter. Lorenzo, the son, could have fled this imposing shadow, turned away from cycling to forge his own path. But no. From a very young age, discovering his father's jerseys and trophies in the family attic, he understood that his story would also pass through cycling. 

By Jeff Tatard – Photos: ©Gérard Briand / DR

“It was when I saw the suitcases full of my father’s old jerseys and all the trophies that I wanted to get into this industry.. » Yet, this destiny was not written. At the Magnien, the bicycle was not an obvious thing to pass on. Emmanuel Magnever knew all too well what this sport demanded. The suffering, the sacrifices, the hardships of the road for those who dare to dream of a future between breakaways and sprints to glory. His mother, however, saw above all the danger, the route merciless, the falls that mark bodies and minds.

Lorenzo had to fight for five long years for his parents to acceptAnd he did it his way: by taking matters into his own hands, alone. I brought a registration form from the associations' forum and told them I wanted to be licensed. They finally gave in, on one condition: that I find my first bike myself and manage to go to the races.

Independence as a driving force

This autonomy, this desire to owe nothing to anyone, Lorenzo cultivated it from his first turns of the wheelIt was his uncle who gave him his first bike. It was his ASELB coach, Laurent Tricot, who took him to races. A year later, seeing their son's determination, his parents finally joined him. But Lorenzo had already learned a crucial lesson: nothing would be given to him. He would have to build everything, earn everything.

Growing up in the shadow of a former professional father isn't always a blessing.. Very quickly, pressure is invited into his races. Every finish, every breakaway, every performance is scrutinized, compared. We don't just talk about Lorenzo, we talk about the son of. A weight that will take time to free himself from. At first, it was a pressure. At every race, people would talk to me about my father. Today, I'm proud of his career, and when people talk to me about it, it's always with pleasure. But now, I ride for myself."

He did his learning the old-fashioned way. Emmanuel Magnien has never been one to impose the ultra-scientific training plans that now follow young runners.. " He always trained me without any data, just telling me how many hours I had to do and whether I should accelerate. He especially insisted that I not burn out too young." Where others exhaust themselves trying to rush things, Lorenzo moves at his own pace. He listens to his body and builds his progress over time.

Find your balance

But Lorenzo is not just a cyclist. He understood very early on that he needed balance.At 16, he began a vocational baccalaureate in landscaping, another passion passed on by his father. I started working with him as an apprentice and after my baccalaureate, I started working with him full-time." But rather than follow the same path, Lorenzo created his own business: Lodgi Paysage. A bold decision that allowed him to organize his work around his training and classes.

Working in landscaping is a strength, but also a constraint. Physically, it is an asset: " It allows me to strengthen muscles that I don't necessarily work on the bike." Mentally, it's an escape. Lorenzo refuses to be confined to a single identity. He wants to be a runner, but also an entrepreneur, a free man above all.

Rolling for the present moment

Today, Lorenzo has joined the ranks of DN1 with Guidon Chalettois, one of the best amateur clubs in France. He climbed the ladder one by one, without rushing things, with the necessary patience and rigor.He knows his worth: a sprinter capable of shining on difficult finishes, a powerful roller who is not afraid to lead the chase.

His ambitions are clear, but he does not stray into unrealistic dreams.. Go professional? Why not. I'm not chasing a professional contract, but if it comes my way, I won't say no." Winning a French championship? On the other hand, he admits: wearing the French jersey for a season would be an absolute dream.

What is striking about Lorenzo is his lucidity.He observes the world of cycling today with an almost philosophical eye. He sees these young people who impose draconian diets on themselves, who analyze every piece of data, who seek perfection while forgetting the essential. Today, enthusiasts worry too much about diet and training. They forget that the most important thing is to have fun. You have to find a happy medium.

And Lorenzo knows how to cultivate pleasure.. When he feels mentally tired, he knows how to let go. A beer with friends, a good meal, a necessary break to come back better. He does not allow himself to be locked into a rigid discipline, because he knows that at the end of this route, what matters is not just the track record. It is personal fulfillment, the feeling of having done things the way he wanted.

The story continues

Lorenzo MagNien didn't choose the easy way out. He could have fit into a mold, followed the well-trodden path of a former professional's son. He preferred to build his own path, in his own way, finding a balance between work, passion and pleasure.He moves forward, without pressure, without rushing things. He lives cycling as he lives his life: with intensity, but without ever losing himself in obsession.

His story is that of a young man who learned to conjugate héritagand freedom, to trace one's own route without denying where he comes from. No matter where this route will lead him, one thing is certain: he will always ride with the same desire, the same inner fire that drove him, as a child, to dream in front of his father's dusty trophies.

And if one day he raises his arms under the tricolor jersey, we will know that this victory is not that of a name, but that of a man who never stopped believing in himself.

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