Lezignan-Corbieres – Claude Daumas: "Expand the lifeblood of the Lézignan Vélo-club"

How long have you been president of the cycling club?

I have shared the presidency for 10 years. For the past two years, it has been with Arnaud Chapelais”.

How many members does the association have?

We are 53 licensees, four more than last year, or 8% of the workforce. It should be noted that, despite the difficulties linked to the Covid, the club has continued to maintain itself and has even progressed. In two years, we had about ten more members, people who came to settle in the region or cyclists who rode alone. It’s a good point for us and the club’s age pyramid.

That’s to say ?

Our average age is 57 with younger licensees, many of whom come from the villages. In comparison, the average for our Federation is around 60 years old. On the other hand, we only have 4% of women (significantly lower than the average which is between 12 and 15%). Despite the slight aging of the club over the years, this result reveals a relative youth compared to other regional clubs.

What do you think this is due to?

Our way of practicing cycle tourism. We don’t do competitions like the Vélo sprint narbonnais, which attracts a younger audience and where we find women, but we do have a steady pace and we offer rich entertainment, as well as excursions on sunny days.

Can you detail?

From March to April we do bigger courses and more challenging circuits, which contributes to the appeal of our club. In 2022, we took eight cyclists around Corsica, with 600 km and nearly 10,000 cumulative meters of elevation gain. This year, our highlight is a stay in the Alps with three courses in Haute-Savoie and in the French-speaking regions of Switzerland (Valais and Vaud).

What are the other highlights?

The “Cave en cave” hike in autumn. Last year, it brought together 280 participants from all over the region, and even from France. We also organized the Festivalles de Lézignan hike with 132 participants on two adapted routes. An animation that we will renew this summer.

What are your year-round activities?

The basis is two outings per week, Thursday (afternoon in winter and morning in summer) and Sunday morning. On Thursdays, there are outings of around 70 km, which bring together 10 to 15 people. On Sundays, we are between 15 and 25 cyclists and we go out 52 weeks a year. Out of a workforce of 50 members, that’s half who ride every week.

What are the other animations?

Coffee points in winter, which are starting to function well again after the health crisis. Each club of the territory organizes in turn a meeting from November to March to animate the low season. This year, our club has relocated the coffee point to Albas to publicize “L’Atelier Vélo Corbières”, initiated by our secretary, René Nartet, for the recycling and renovation of bicycles. We will also take part in the Héraultaise, a timed amateur cycling race of around 100 km with 1,500 meters of elevation gain. Our club regularly participates in cycling events (read below).

Tell us about your team?

I am surrounded by committed volunteers, who don’t count their time and energy. Every Saturday evening, between 6 and 7 p.m., we hold a permanence to talk about the projects and take stock of the Sunday outing. Besides, it would be good if more members participated. Unfortunately, goodwill is scarce. The office is the linchpin of the club with a great dynamic, but we would like to expand the living forces to maintain this momentum.