The road season is about to come to an end, but we couldn't conclude it without talking about our loyal partners in the Bike Club Villefranche Beaujolais . After a busy winter marked by a transition in its graphic identity, the Rhone club's packs have delighted us throughout the year with beautiful emotions and many bouquets. Style is good, with the Watts it's even better! And to illustrate it all, we will take the wheel of one of the leaders of the team, the talented 2000 class climer puncher, Rémi Capron!
It is some, emotions we experienced with Rémi, through his victory at the opening of the season on the GP of Puyloubier, 5-star performances on class races. 2 but also bad luck with his broken collarbone on the Rhône Alpes Isère Tour... This first year in the VCVB pack could almost have been compared to an emotional roller coaster. In this individual sport that is cycling, we all know the importance of the collective, the opportunity to review its arrival within the team:
"My integration went perfectly. I am quite an introverted person, but the team was able to put me directly at ease whether it was with the staff or the riders even though I did not know many people when I arrived. In reality, the club is a real family, we feel that everyone takes things to heart so that it works well internally. There is a different atmosphere than in my previous teams. »
Go back, to better advance. When you are interested in his career, despite his young age, Rémi already has a nice background and great experiences on his cycling CV. By leaving the junior ranks, he directly did the right thing in the professional pelotons within two Swiss continental teams, IAM Excelsior and Akros - Excelsior - Thömus. A precious experience which allowed him to compete in the biggest races in the world in the U23 category. A very useful sports background for the future: “I have accumulated a lot of experience and maturity during these years which have served me well for the future ». Without abandoning another important element, useful in the life of a high level athlete and in his after career, studies! Since he also graduated from a bachelor's degree in marketing that he obtained in business school. 3 seasons later, a sporting and human maturation, the objective is now to regain this professional world, as he rightly mentions:
"Obviously the move to the pros is the goal of this season, but it's not an end in itself. If that were to happen, I would always like to keep that motivation and the desire to progress. The goal will be to win races, the philosophy will remain the same as an amateur. A stint with the pros has always been in the back of my mind, but it is sure that this year the idea has become a goal. »
And among amateurs, he showed this year that he was one of the big names, to the point of shining in many races in class 2, like the Circuit des Ardennes. He who is usually cut out more for mountainous courses, he discovered the talents of a punger. But also a good burst of speed as he demonstrated on the third stage by finishing second: "This result was a surprise to me, I did not imagine myself making such a place in such a tough race. I think it was a real psychological click for the rest of the season ». This great momentum was unfortunately stopped on the Rhône Alpes Isère Tour. As he made a sparkling start to the turn, he broke his collarbone on the final stage… A period that was finally quite fast with a nice medical and emotional support: “The club has been great with me during this time taking news on a daily basis, they have been of great psychological support. They did everything to make my return as fast as possible ».
On a collective level, we can also come back to the overall performances of the Vélo Club Villefranche Beaujolais package. Through its first team in N1 but also through the pool of talents among juniors (which should hatch on the national and international scene very soon). With more than 15 victories and fifty podiums for the big ones, a second place in the directvelo classification for the juniors, the 2023 year will have been excellent. If we were to be fickle, the icing on the cake will not have taken place, despite the historic third place in the team time clock, the podium of the Coupe de France escaped the VCVB: "The team has worked well overall, but these very high level races are played on details and there is often a lot of pressure, these situations have played tricks on us sometimes". From a more personal point of view, it is also time to take stock of this 2023 season for Rémi:
"I had set myself to win 5 races in the elite and it's done. In addition, some good results in CDF, in particular 2nd in the Tour du Gavaudan and a regularity at the top of the rankings until this famous fracture. With 11 podiums so far I can only say that my season is successful. In addition, I think I have managed to unite the team in important moments which is a great satisfaction from the moment when the team considers me as leader of the group.
Nowadays there is not really a small race, they are all hard to win and having a team together until the end is important. I would like to thank my teammates for their dedication during this season, they all contributed in one way or another to the results, as well as the staff and the partners of the club without whom we could not have such good seasons. »
The tone is set. The rest, we hope will be radious both for Rémi and for our partner team, which is used to propelling its talents to the next level. And thus be able to hang a bib and be an actor in the most beautiful races in the world which makes him want, such as the Giro, Liège-bastagne-Liège or the Tour of Lombardy...
Our partners are talented and they deserve to be highlighted!
Thanks to Rémi Capron Member of the Vélo Club Villefranche Beaujolais for the time granted and to the various photographers (DirectVelo, MyriamLvt, Noégie Morizet...) mentioned for the photo credits.
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