Tributes follow one another to salute the former cyclist from Besançon (Doubs), who died suddenly at the age of 50. BMX, mountain bike, cyclo-cross or road, Jérôme Chevallier was an all-terrain racer. He notably wore the jersey of the Amicale Cycliste Bisontine and CC Etupes.
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He escaped one last time. Without warning. Jérôme Chevallier suddenly disappeared at the age of 50, this Saturday January 18, 2025 in Besançon (Doubs), following an operation at the hospital. Tributes have multiplied since then, to salute the Franche-Comté runner who has long played at the highest level among amateurs.
Born on September 28, 1974 in Besançon, he started Cycling at the age of 8, and with BMX. He worked there for 12 yearss, signed a hundred victories and even won a French champion title. Then he switched to mountain biking and notably won a title of French marathon cross-country champion in 2008. But it is especially on the cyclo-cross circuits that he will take the wheel of the best. He will thus climb onto the third step of the podium in the French championship in 2007. behind two professional runners, Francis Mourey and John Gadret.
But we also see it shine on the road. And it was under the colors of CC Etupes, then the best French amateur club, that he made a name for himself in the national amateur peloton from 1999 to 2008. He won, among others, the Tour of New Caledonia in 2001, the Tour du Chablais in 2004, and the Tour de Corrèze in 2007.
-His former club has expressed its “tremendous sadness” on his social networks.“Che che was a hell of a runner, a strength, a charactercan we read on the club's Facebook page. Today, if he had arrived on the road earlier, he would be a pro.”
In Besançon too, we naturally salute this exceptional champion. “He was a very versatile runnerremembers Pascal Orlandi, the president of the friendly Cycliste Bisontine (ACB). He started with BMX, then moved on to mountain biking, cyclo-cross and finally the road. On all grounds, he was good, it's not given to everyone.” He remained at the club from 2009 to 2012. “He was not very expressive, very discreet, he was a fairly solitary runner who trained on his own but we could count on him, he was very involved“, help Pascal Orlandi.
The public will especially remember his famous skirmishes with Laurent Colombatto, his eternal rival, who ultimately became his teammate at the ACB.
“I don't remember once saying to myself that I was tired of riding, he confided to France 3 Franche-Comté in 2012. He was then 38 years old and was getting back in the saddle for a new and final adventure with the Ornans Cycling Club (Doubs), with the project of setting up a large mountain bike team. When I really don't feel in good shape, I prefer to cut it straight away, and I go home, that's all. It might sound weird, but I would train the same way even if I wasn't racing competitively. These sessions are part of my way of life. I need to feel my limits, to know that I can still drive at an average speed of over 40 km/h.“
