He has kept strong friendships in the community, like that of Jean-Yves Plaisance, who was the national coach for more than thirty years and who made a detour to his Théven district, in the summer of 2024, to come greet him. Although weakened health led him to hand over the organization a few years ago, Yves Guillerm continues to closely follow the news of cyclo-cross, a discipline in which the former state sailor will have dedicated a good part of his life, accompanied by his wife for administrative and financial tasks. “When you love, you don’t count.” A long-time runner, under the Vélo Sport Lesnevien jersey, he then supervised young people, in clubs and under the colors of the Brittany committee, whose runners he accompanied for thirty years throughout the territory, but also in Guadeloupe or in Ireland on international events.
“People couldn’t believe it”
Yves Guillerm was at the origin, with his brother Maurice, of the creation of the Kerlouan cyclo-cross, in 1979, the first course of which sailed between Théven and Ménéham. “At the start, as I was still running, my sister who ran La Chaumière wanted to organize a cyclo-cross.” Victim of a craving at the end of the race, he then let slip a victory that was waiting for him.
It's a magnificent circuit, because it is visible from everywhere for spectators.
But it is above all as an organizer that the former runner distinguished himself, carrying for a long time a Kerlouan cyclo-cross which has established itself, in its new Rudoloc site, as a reference in the sector, at the shadow of the giant Lanarvily. “We organized a Finistère championship in 2001, then the Brittany championship in 2003. People couldn’t believe it, we would have thought we were at a French championship.” The enthusiasm was so great that the proposal would not take long to be rejected by the federal authorities. “Jean Pitallier, the president of the federation, told me: you ask for it and we give it to you right away.”
-“Money was not a problem”
Due to a lack of sufficient support, Yves Guillerm did not take up the challenge, still maintaining an event mobilizing around sixty volunteers for the day and still displaying a quality field, attracted by the bonuses granted. “All the traders followed me, money was not a problem. We organized a kig-ha-farz in winter and a mussels and fries at the campsite in the summer.”
In 2015, the Kerlouan circuit will once again host a Brittany championship, won by Florian Le Corre, before Yves Guillerm, weakened by illness, hands over the torch. But while many events have failed, the latter is delighted to see the event he launched resist the wear and tear of time, on this very special site. “It’s a magnificent circuit, because it is visible from everywhere for the spectators.”
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