Cycling. “I would like each club to have its referee”: Aurore Pecquery takes the head of the Somme committee

Aurore Pecquery, why did you become president of the Somme cycling committee?

I was its secretary during the previous mandate. Jacky Crépin, who was its president, wanted to introduce himself to the Hauts-de-France Committee and asked me if I was interested in succeeding him. I told him okay, but on the condition that he stays, because I work (editor’s note: like radio manipulation). We therefore exchanged our roles, since he is now secretary of the Somme Committee.

What are your priorities?

Being a national referee myself, I would like each club to have its own referee. We would also have to find other racing formats to attract more people. Trophies, for example, or several events on the same day for young people, challenges for older people. There are fewer races than before because of the many constraints that exist and when there are, the organizers are sometimes forced to cancel due to lack of a sufficient number of participants.

How many licensees does the Somme department have?

A little less than 400, for twenty-two clubs. We are the department at the Hauts-de-France Committee level where there are the fewest licensees.

How to fix it?

Through the French Cycling Federation, we have implemented “Savoir Rouler à Vélo” in schools. We worked a lot on this. We are trying to label mountain bike sites and we would like to have a BMX track in the Somme, because it is a sport that is popular and which is reassuring for parents in terms of safety. We are considering developing gravel as well.

Cycling brought France nine medals at the Paris Olympic Games. Did this have any positive consequences for the Somme Committee?

Not too much, no. Cycling is a dangerous sport. But there are plenty of avenues to explore to try to increase our number of licensees. Cyclo-cross has also taken off well this season, with quite a few participants in the four events organized so far.