Lomagne Challenge 2024-2025: the mountain bike event heads to the south of Gers

All in the saddle with Lomagne

Far from being reserved for “big thighs”, the Challenge de la Lomagne demonstrates panache by making itself accessible to all styles of practice.

Why only have eyes for “big thighs”? So called, the leaders of the rankings for women, men, young people, seniors, veterans… should they, alone, have our favor thanks to their presence on the three steps of the podium in each of the categories?

The spirit of “Lomagne” offers backpedaling compared to this ease of view usually reserved for those who pedal in the lead. Because, if it takes everything to make a world, the same goes for filling a Sunday peloton. This is one of the vocations (the first? The debate is open…) of the challenge.

Also read:
Lomagne MTB Challenge: Terrier and Hovasse win in Cologne

The practice of the Gers “green bike” is at this point part of the tradition “at home”. The initials VTT even accommodate all trends: Cycling… all weather, all temperatures, all trends, all tempos. For “leg-spinning” walks or “all the way to the right” outings on marked trails or in the undergrowth along “singles” like escape routes.

A “nature” activity for all audiences

From 15 to 40 km (and more if you have affinities and sharp legs), with friends, solo, in tandem, you can choose your hourly average, your altitude difference, even if it means “putting everything to the left” in fidelity to the saying of the occasion: “ Perched village, hill to climb…”.

Thus, mountain bikers from 7 to 77 years old are “on their toes” all year round, determined not to slow down their enthusiasm in this “nature” and general public activity. Accessible way to get into “healthy sport”, “family” practice, leisure or competition, we all get on our “MTB”. A Really Very Tempting Bike.

They are in the race to win…

Update on the top three of the 16 general classifications.

Benjamines: 1st Audrey Moulet (L’Isle-Jourdain); 2nd Alexandrine Tarroux (Condom). Benjamins : 1st Ernest Messyasz (Beaucaire); 2nd Mathys Lecocq (Beaucaire); 3rd Paulin Gèze (L’Isle-Jourdain).

Tiny girls: 1st Ilona Parisotto (Beaucaire); 2nd Zoe Pre. Tiny boys: 1st Amaury Quentier (Cologne); 2nd Thibo Tonneau (Beaucaire); 3rd Simon Duvivier (L’Isle-Jourdain).

Cadets: 1st Solène Orliac (Villeneuve, 31); 2nd Lou Boschet (Raid Bike, Auch); 3rd Chloé Briol-Fabre (L’Isle-Jourdain). Cadets : 1st Romain Cazaux (Gers Cycling Développement); 2nd Louis Franclet-Nardi (Condom); 3rd Antoine Sobolewksi (Brulhois-Agen).

Junior boys: 1st Simon Virgilio-Pignon (Beaucaire); 2nd Bixente Boy (Jurançon); 3rd Daniel Spotiswoode (L’Isle-Jourdain).

Female 1: 1st Annabelle Terrier (Beaucaire); 2nd Maylis Dupouy (L’Isle-Jourdain); 3rd Marjorie Contaut (Libourne). “Scratch” girls: 1st Annabelle Terrier (Beaucaire); 2nd Estelle Tailleur (Bourail); 3rd Maylis Dupouy (L’Isle-Jourdain). Women 2: 1st Isabelle Moulis (Lombez-Samatan); 2nd Estelle Tailleur (Bourail).

Master 1 : 1st Christophe Darbo (Team France Défense) ; 2nd Sébastien Labatut (Mas d’Agenais); 3rd Nicolas Solirène. Master 2 : 1er Henryck Sobinski (Culture vélo, Auch) ; 2nd Pierre Dessailys (Mirande) ; 3e Luc Idrac (Mauvezin).

Senior men 1 and “scratch”: 1st Nicolas Hovasse (Fleurance); 2nd Julien Gabriel (Fleurance); 3rd Damien Cordeiro (Angoulême). Senior men 2: 1st Paul Brézillon (Pujols, 47); 2nd Simon Mendousse (Raid Bike, Also) ; 3rd Benjamin Pérusin (Culture Vélo Auch).

Veterans: 1st Sylvain Tarroux (Condom) ; 2nd Denis Castagnet (Mas d’Agenais); 3rd Christophe Bareit (Mont-de-Marsan).

“We traced circuits that were less muddy than last year”

In Polastron, the Cyclosport Lombez-Samatan (CLS) ensured that all mountain bikers had fun this Sunday, January 12. Interview with the person responsible for the routes of this 3rd event.

Adrien Arrivets, you are licensed at CLS and have been responsible for laying out Sunday’s circuits. Why did your club (chaired by Bertrand Loubet) head, for the 2nd year in a row, to Polastron?

Although we are the club of Lombez and Samatan, we went 10 km further, as for the “Lomagne” 2023-2024, towards this town and its surroundings. Being from the village of Saint-Martin-Gimois, I organize a hike there during the local festival which allows me to test the “Lomagne” route. So, I was inspired by the interesting range of paths offered by this geographical sector.

What were your objectives in mapping out the routes?

We first wanted to offer something different, for example, Beaucaire hikes (rather technical) or Mirande (fairly rolling). And above all, count on less muddy passages than last year! We will then go towards Saramon, Saint-André and Montiron, towards hills and woods.

What course profiles have you finalized?

The main circuit is 28 km long for the adult competition and hiking, where you will have to count on 550 m of positive altitude difference (D +). Race by race, the cadets have 15 km and 300 m of D + on their program, while the juniors will go for 10 km and 200 of D + and, finally, the youngest will ride 8 km with 150 m of D +.

Also read:
Lomagne mountain bike challenge: the leaders confirm

Finally, on site, we suppose that it is the great mobilization for the CLS and the local population…

Indeed, we are doing everything we can to ensure that this goes well. In terms of welcoming participants, we have readjusted a few details after last season’s experience. Departures, arrivals and prize giving will now take place in the same place, in the village hall. On arrival, there will be something to wash your bike but, on the other hand, we do not have a sports facility to provide showers for competitors. Finally, the CLS thanks all the owners who let us pass through their land for “Lomagne” day.

And in relation to the environment, you want to send a message…

Quite. Many “private” ones allow us to ride “at their place”. To respect their spaces, we ask that there be no “repasse” after the “Lomagne”. Thank you all for respecting this commitment.