The U19 Team is dead, long live the U19 Team! On the still smoldering embers of the U19 Indre Fenioux structure, stopped at the end of the 2024 season after having boosted Indre cycling for three years, the Indre committee decided to continue to give the product a chance.
His name has not yet been confirmed. “The project is finalized but we want to try to open the structure to Cher to create cohesion between the two departments. We haven't decided yet because we want Marc Fleuret's agreement (president of the Department) for the name but it should have Berry in it”underlines Thomas Chartier, new secretary general of the Indre cycling committee and great instigator of the project with a certain Eric Hervouet. “Eric has demonstrated all his know-how at the head of U19 Indre Fenioux, he is also a member of the committee office, so it was normal and essential that he be at the heart of the project”he insists.
It would have been a shame for Indre to lose a structure like this
Thomas Chartier, general secretary of the Indre committee
The idea remains the same: to bring together in the same team the best juniors in the sector under the same jersey to confront them with the elite of the category. But with one major nuance compared to its predecessor: financial means. “The Fenioux U19 Team operated with an annual budget of €60,000, that of the committee will have a significantly lower budget”specifies Thomas Chartier, who does not necessarily see a disadvantage. “We will not do UCI races, just Federal ones, around ten in the year which we are going to target and to limit costs. » The first is already known, it will be the Classic Cœur de Brenne in Martizay on Saturday March 8, 2025.
A leader named Romuald Hervé
On the other hand, on the runners' side, there will be equipment (1). With a ready-made leader: Romuald Hervé (UC Châteauroux) who achieved the hat-trick in 2024, regional champion on the road, on the track and in the time trial. “He has the good genes, he is the second cousin of the former champion Pascal Hervé who has just left us. We are lucky to have him with us and we will build the Team around him”assure Thomas Chartier.
He will also be able to count, on occasion, on another big name, Hugo Boucher, French U17 road champion in 2023. “He joined AG2R but kept his license at AC Bas-Berry Issoudun. We should be able to use it on certain races. » Locomotives, but not only that. “The aim of the committee in taking over this Junior Team is also to seek renewal by taking riders who are perhaps not particularly leaders, but who can be good runners in the future at DN1 level”specifies Thomas Chartier, who hopes to bring together “a pool of around fifteen runners, if we have ten, that’s already good”.
A caring team
A team which will be led sportingly by Christian Guérin, head of the cycling school at UC Martizay and also of the road commission at the Indre committee, still chaired by Jean-Paul Moreau. “We will work collectively to supervise the structure alongside Christophe, with Eric Hervouet, me and also Denis Clément who returned to the committee”specifies the one who, at 38 years old, sees bigger things for cycling in Indre. “We have big projects with the new management team and it’s a necessity, he announces. Between 2024 and 2025, we lost 10% of licensees to barely reach 450 licensees. This is general, because there were 11,000 fewer across France, but we need to innovate to move forward. » And the Junior Team is a ready-made showcase.
(1) There are a total of 15 U19 runners in Indre this season. Eleven should join the junior team of the Indre committee: Maxime Fleury, Matéo Née, Milo Pouget, Louis Desbrais, Elyas Meuglier, Romuald Hervé, Martin Schmitt, Nicolas Chabirand, Pierre Chabirand, Hugo Boucher, Raphaël Couzinet.
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