Seven women from the Madeleine Sport Détente (MSD) Chartres Cyclo club are taking part in the third edition of “All by bike”, a hike from Chartres that will take them to Toulouse.
“All by bike” is an initiative of the French cycling federation to promote women’s sport “.
“This ride shows that anyone can ride a recreational bike, including women and those of all ages and basic physical condition.”
Roland Thebault (President of MSD Chartres Cyclo)
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In France, in this sporting discipline, women are in the minority and rather poorly represented.. Nationally, women represent only 20% of the 120,000 dismissed. In the department these figures are even lower. There are 17% of women out of 707 licensees. MSD Chartres Cyclo says it is proud to count 19 women among its 71 licensees. This represents 27% of the workforce. Club president Roland Thebault is delighted with his figures, which are all the more encouraging as the club is preparing to welcome a new female recruit.
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The women of MSD Cyclo set off for “the Loir valley”
MSD Chartres cyclo has participated in all editions of “All by bike”
The MSD Chartres cyclo has been participating in the “All by bike” hike since its creation in 2012, when four women from the club had embarked on the adventure as far as Paris. Then, in 2016, during the second edition, six women from the Chartres club took part in the hike to Strasbourg.
“We have a group of women who were structured from Strasbourg in 2016. During this hike, they realized that they are capable of traveling alone, without men or accompanying car, but also that ‘they are able to cope with the vagaries of the course such as punctures and adjustments. They have also followed a training course in mechanics. “
Roland Thebault (president of MSD Chartres Cyclo)
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Since then, each year the group of women has grown stronger. “Each spring, they take a trip with the girls. It was the tour of Eure-et-Loir, then the Loir valley by bike and this year, the Chartres – Cabourg hike. “
The third edition, which was initially scheduled to take place in 2020, had to be postponed to September 2021 and is destined for the city of Toulouse. About ten women from the department are expected to participate, including seven women from MSD Chartres Cyclo.
The Madeleine sports relaxation association was in Paris-Brest-Paris
This year again, several thousand cyclists will start from all regions of France. For our Euréliennes, the trip will last 6 days. Each day, they will go through a stage. Today they have taken the direction of Salbris (Loir-et-Cher) where they will arrive after 137 km of effort. They will then go to La Châtre (Indre), then to Saint Léonard de Noblat (Haute-Vienne), Brive-la-Gaillarde (Corrèze), Sauzet (Drôme), Mondonville (Haute-Garonne), a few kilometers from Toulouse. These stages are on average about 120 kilometers. Participants will have to validate them using stamps issued in shops.
Extension to Luchon
Once in Toulouse, the MSD Chartres Cyclo does not intend to stop there and will continue its journey to Luchon (Haute-Garonne). For cyclo tourism enthusiasts, there is a card that offers cyclists departing from Paris to join an “arrow”, a town on the edge of France. The Randonné to Toulouse bringing them closer to these limits of the metropolitan territory, certain members of the club, men and women, will continue the effort to accomplish the Paris-Luchon arrow.
Upstream preparation, both sporting and theoretical
This trip to Toulouse requires a lot of training, the women of MSD Chartres Cyclo had to learn to face many constraints. The first constraint to overcome during the “All by bike” hike will be that of the unevenness, unusual in the surroundings of Chartres.
“There will still be regions that are more copious than others. In Beauce we are not used to height differences. “
Roland Thebault (president of MSD Chartres Cyclo)
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To remedy this difficulty, they often set off for a day, with the bikes in the trailer, to explore the Perche, the Gâtinais or even the Eure. Roland Thebault admits: “It’s difficult to go back to driving in Beauce when you come back from a trip. “
Madeleine Sport Détente (MSD) Chartres Cyclo – Mechanical course – MSD archive photo Chartres cyclo
The second constraint was that of autonomy. This is the reason why the women of the club had asked for mechanical training. “They learned how to change a wheel, manage a puncture, adjust the chain and the transmission,” explains Roland Thebault. The last difficulty that the participants have prepared for is endurance.
“You have to learn to manage yourself, you must not go into the red, because you have to be able to start again the next day. “
Claudine Azzini (participant in the hike.)
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The women of the MSD Chartres Cyclo have therefore set up specific training for the participants in “All by Bike”. Lhe spirit of the club, which favors conviviality and solidarity over competition, has enabled these women to develop their capacities, and today, to feel ready to begin the journey to Toulouse. Their credo, “go together, ride together, arrive together” is the pride of their president, Roland Thebault.
Julie houllier
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