Philippe Dalibard, cycling and Jean Floc’h…

How this son of a farmer from Mayenne became champion in France amateur then sports director for the team Jean-Floc’h? This is, among other things, what Philippe Vasseur, author-biographer from Pontivy, offers to tell us in a book that has just been released.

With a successful career, Philippe Dalibard had his golden hour on 26 July 1981 in Charleville-Mézières when he became the French amateur cycling champion. But it’s also inside Brittanycycling country if there ever was one, that he wants a new career as a race director.

“One Hell of a Guy”

Dalibard remembers his first meeting with Jean Floc’h in 1995, at Mi-Août Bretonne: “That same year, a brand new elite amateur team was created in Brittany, financed by Salaison’s Bernardpowerful agri-food group whose headquarters are in Locminé (Moréac actually, editor’s note), in Morbihan,” says the former master in the book. “While our team (CC Louison Bobet) begins its economic and sporting decline, the Bernard Sport team is already considered for its first season as one of the flagship clubs in the elite. Jean-François Rault is sporting director, but the big boss is Jean Floc’h, initiator and financier of the team as CEO of the Bernard group. We don’t know each other, but he comes straight to see me. ONE holy man ! A charisma, an almost hyperactive, not to say invasive, attitude that contrasts with the wisdom of Jean Bobet. He told me frankly: One of these days we will work together. »

A great adventure

While working for the company Tour de France, a year later the prophecy came true. He begins to collaborate with Locminé’s industrial team. First as Deputy Director then very quickly as team manager. He remembers this sentence from Jean Floc’h: “Be careful, you will have the right to make mistakes, but not too often! »

ONE fairytale ten years long and characterized by win and off fairytale to discover, just like the amazing life of this kid who achieved most of his dreams despite the obstacles, in this book that will fascinate all lovers of little queen and Brittany.

“Philippe Dalibard, downwind, headwind”, with Philippe Vasseur, Mémoiredition editions, €17. For sale at www.memoiredition.fr

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