At the call of the Vélocité association, cyclists paid tribute to the young man killed in Paris following an altercation.
Quentin Petit
He died, run over by a motorist, following an altercation at the cycle path intersection. Killed due to a collision. Victim of a climate of animosity which poses users of public roads as antagonists. It’s sometimes violent.
“I get attacked because I don’t drive fast enough. »
“There, we have reached a milestone. But even here, it is sometimes difficult to live together. » Frédéric Sabourin is the one who called for the rally. He is a member of the association of militant cyclists Vélocité. 8,500 km per year. Angoulême just by bike. “We blame stupid gestures. Especially with the increase in the number of cyclists. It disturbs motorists.”
Anne-Véronique confirms. She talks about “the dangerous developments on the Bordeaux road, the level crossing where things get tight regularly, because I’m not going fast enough on the rails! » She also says the Boulevard de la République where there is serious friction between the sidewalks and the median. So, regularly, “I get yelled at, insulted”. Report to the bike, “asshole, bitch!” “.
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There is Marc, sporty in the countryside, who sometimes squeezes his butt, and electric in the city, who feels the animosity building. There is Corinne Combret, pioneer of the association, who lives in Ruelle and works in Girac. “It’s at least twice a week that I get attacked because I don’t drive fast enough. » Didier intervenes: “It just happened to me in the Gambetta roundabout”. Hélène, who goes to work every day in Guez-de-Balzac by bike, is furious. “I’m scared. Being rubbed constantly! »
“There are people who don’t take up cycling for that,” comments Frédéric Sabourin. “Crossing the Barrouilhet crossroads by bike is hot. And it’s the same on country roads.” However, he concedes it. “It’s true that there are cyclists who do stupid things. Like motorists. Is that a reason to kill someone? »
He noted that there was “a before and an after covid. People have taken up cycling en masse. The first sign was when give-way became optional”…
Those who have no brain
As there is always worse, scooters have joined the game. And motorists complain about the space left to bicycles, “which do anything”, who burn the lights, who think they can do anything. Too demanding? Camille has just called for a minute of silence. He is a member of Vélocité. “I just met a guy from Paris who comes for the weekend. He says that here, it’s the Middle Ages, in terms of amenities.” But Camille senses the hostility. “We are made to feel like we don’t belong. »
“It’s just a reflection of society.” Christian spends his life on two wheels, from a road bike to a delivery man’s cargo bike. “I’m a salesperson. In a car, it’s the same. Me, I try to cohabit.” He still wants to believe that we can “turn the tide.” Except with people who don’t have brains.” Frédéric Sabourin hopes. “There is room for everyone.”
Bikers too
“They don’t pay attention to anything that isn’t a car.” Sébastien Videau, pillar of Angry Bikers, recognizes that bikers are attacked less than bikers. “But we are also victims of the behavior of motorists. Unfortunately, some of the problems are caused by bikers. These are a minority, I scold them. As there are cyclists who do anything. But it was more as a motorist that I saw them overtaking on the right, running red lights. On a motorbike, there was never a problem.” Except with motorists who forget the indicator or don’t know how to take roundabouts.
