Florent Brard
Encyclopedia
Florent Brard is a retired French
road bicycle racer. He won three national championships, including the professional road race. He became a professional in 1999 and stopped racing in November 2009 after not finding a place in a team.
region of France. He won the national youth pursuit championship in 1992 and 1993 and the junior pursuit in 1994. He tried professional racing as a stagiaire, or apprentice, with the Française des Jeux team in 1997, riding at the Élite 2 level. From there he moved next year as a full professional to Festina.
is an excellent school for progressing on the road. So I'm a fairly good rouleur and that's therefore the talent that I try to exploit to make an impression." That brought him his first win as a professional, the last stage of the Étoile de Bessèges
on 11 February 2001. He won alone after being in a breakaway group close to being caught by the main field after 120 km. He said: "It would have been just too stupid to miss the chance a kilometre from the finish. My legs hurt, I was cooked, but I gritted my teeth and threw my last force into the battle." He won the national time-trial championship later the same year and he won a stage in and led the Tour de l'Avenir
. He also won Paris–Bourges and GP-Cholet-Pays de la Loire.
He moved to Crédit Agricole for 2002, earning 30,500 euros a season but he was fired after starting the season poorly, then missing the middle following a fall which broke vertebrae finally being caught in a drugs test [See below.]. Only the small Marlux team in Belgium offered him a place for 2003. He said: "When I signed for them I wasn't at all happy because, when you come from big teams like Festina and Crédit d'Agricole, which have a prominent image, it's strange, I had the impression of going backwards in my career. I went there on tiptoe, not knowing what I was going to find, and then I felt fine."
In 2004, he stayed in Belgium with the Chocolade Jacques, team. He had tried to ride again with French teams "but their sponsor didn't want a doped rider."[See below.] He won the final stage of the Giro di Lucca and the second stage of Paris–Corrèze
In 2005, with Agritubel, he won Paris–Troyes, the Trophée Luc Leblanc and a stage at the Circuit de la Sarthe
.
In 2006, he moved to Caisse d'Epargne-Illes Balears, with whom he rode the Tour de France
after winning the national road championship
at Chantonnay
a week before the start. He said: "When you've been down at the bottom [See below] you appreciate the heights even more." He spent the rest of the year racing and training in his blue, white and red jersey. "You only have it until the following June," he said, so he wore it when he could.
He did not finish the Tour de France, falling during the penultimate stage.
. He said he had seen his doctor "n times" (pour la énième fois) and neither he nor the doctor thought of him as a racing cyclist, "only as a man broken everywhere who couldn't do anything because of all his sleepless nights." and was caught in a dope test in the Tour de l'Ain, which he finished an hour behind the winner. He was suspended for nine months by the Fédération Française de Cyclisme
. His sponsor, Crédit Agricole, fired him. He said:
He rode then for Belgian teams because, he said, Roger Legeay
, his former boss at Crédit Agricole, was president of AC2000. "He knew that I was in touch with Agritubel; he said to a meeting of AC2000, 'If a French team takes on a former dope-taker, we'll throw it out of the association.'"
, to profit from better weather for training than in the Loire valley around Tours and to improve his riding in the mountains.
2004
2005
2006
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
road bicycle racer. He won three national championships, including the professional road race. He became a professional in 1999 and stopped racing in November 2009 after not finding a place in a team.
Childhood
Florent Brard was born into a cycling family. His father bought two copies of cycling magazines, one to read and the other to save, untouched.Early career
Florent Brard raced as an amateur as a member of the Cercle Paul-Bert in the ToursTours
Tours is a city in central France, the capital of the Indre-et-Loire department.It is located on the lower reaches of the river Loire, between Orléans and the Atlantic coast. Touraine, the region around Tours, is known for its wines, the alleged perfection of its local spoken French, and for the...
region of France. He won the national youth pursuit championship in 1992 and 1993 and the junior pursuit in 1994. He tried professional racing as a stagiaire, or apprentice, with the Française des Jeux team in 1997, riding at the Élite 2 level. From there he moved next year as a full professional to Festina.
Professional career
Brard showed from his youth that he had talent for long, lone efforts and for riding a large gear for long periods. He said: "I've ridden a lot on the track during the course of my career. The pursuitPursuit
Pursuit may refer to:In aircraft:*Rans S-11 Pursuit, lifting body style light aircraft designIn cars:*Pontiac G5, formerly called Pontiac PursuitIn film and television:*Pursuit , a 1950s anthology...
is an excellent school for progressing on the road. So I'm a fairly good rouleur and that's therefore the talent that I try to exploit to make an impression." That brought him his first win as a professional, the last stage of the Étoile de Bessèges
Étoile de Bessèges
The Étoile de Bessèges is an early-season five-day road bicycle racing stage race held annually in Southern France, around Bessèges. Since 2005, it has been organised as a 2.1 event on the UCI Europe Tour and features as one of the first stage races of the European season.-Palmarès:...
on 11 February 2001. He won alone after being in a breakaway group close to being caught by the main field after 120 km. He said: "It would have been just too stupid to miss the chance a kilometre from the finish. My legs hurt, I was cooked, but I gritted my teeth and threw my last force into the battle." He won the national time-trial championship later the same year and he won a stage in and led the Tour de l'Avenir
Tour de l'Avenir
Tour de l'Avenir is a French road bicycle racing stage race, which started in 1961 as a race similar to the Tour de France and over much of the same course but for amateurs and for semi-professionals known as independents. Riders competed in national teams...
. He also won Paris–Bourges and GP-Cholet-Pays de la Loire.
He moved to Crédit Agricole for 2002, earning 30,500 euros a season but he was fired after starting the season poorly, then missing the middle following a fall which broke vertebrae finally being caught in a drugs test [See below.]. Only the small Marlux team in Belgium offered him a place for 2003. He said: "When I signed for them I wasn't at all happy because, when you come from big teams like Festina and Crédit d'Agricole, which have a prominent image, it's strange, I had the impression of going backwards in my career. I went there on tiptoe, not knowing what I was going to find, and then I felt fine."
In 2004, he stayed in Belgium with the Chocolade Jacques, team. He had tried to ride again with French teams "but their sponsor didn't want a doped rider."[See below.] He won the final stage of the Giro di Lucca and the second stage of Paris–Corrèze
In 2005, with Agritubel, he won Paris–Troyes, the Trophée Luc Leblanc and a stage at the Circuit de la Sarthe
Circuit de la Sarthe (cycling)
The Circuit de la Sarthe-Pays de la Loire is an early-season short road bicycle racing stage race held annually in Sarthe, Pays de la Loire, France. Since 2005, it has been organised as a 2.1 event on the UCI Europe Tour....
.
In 2006, he moved to Caisse d'Epargne-Illes Balears, with whom he rode the Tour de France
2006 Tour de France
The 2006 Tour de France was the 93rd Tour de France, taking place from July 1 to July 23, 2006. It was won by Óscar Pereiro following the disqualification of apparent winner Floyd Landis....
after winning the national road championship
2006 National Cycling Championships
Most of the 2006 national road cycling championships took place in June, although there were a few exceptions such as the Australian and American championships which take place in January and September respectively.-Jerseys:...
at Chantonnay
Chantonnay
Chantonnay is a commune in the Vendée department in the Pays de la Loire region in western France.-Geography:The Lay River flows southwestward through the commune and forms part of its eastern and southern borders.-References:*...
a week before the start. He said: "When you've been down at the bottom [See below] you appreciate the heights even more." He spent the rest of the year racing and training in his blue, white and red jersey. "You only have it until the following June," he said, so he wore it when he could.
He did not finish the Tour de France, falling during the penultimate stage.
Doping
Florent Brard was prescribed corticoid to recover from a crash in the Grand Prix du Midi LibreGrand Prix du Midi Libre
The Grand Prix du Midi Libre was a multiple-stage cycling course in the south of France. The race, named after the newspaper that organized it, was first organized in 1949 and was an important preparation courses for the Tour de France...
. He said he had seen his doctor "n times" (pour la énième fois) and neither he nor the doctor thought of him as a racing cyclist, "only as a man broken everywhere who couldn't do anything because of all his sleepless nights." and was caught in a dope test in the Tour de l'Ain, which he finished an hour behind the winner. He was suspended for nine months by the Fédération Française de Cyclisme
Fédération Française de Cyclisme
The French Cycling Federation or FFC is the national governing body of cycle racing in France.The FFC is a member of the UCI and the UEC...
. His sponsor, Crédit Agricole, fired him. He said:
I think it's fair to say that that long period allowed me to change the way I looked at life. Until then, for me, the professionals were gods. Now, when I see a sportsman, I see the man. The status of champion isn't enough. A champion can be a good guy as much as a bad one.
He rode then for Belgian teams because, he said, Roger Legeay
Roger Legeay
Roger Legeay is a French former professional racing cyclist and the manager of Crédit Agricole cycling team. Legeay had managed the Peugeot cycling team in its last year of existence in 1986, before it was reinvented as Z-Peugeot. The team was renamed GAN in 1994 under new sponsorship and once...
, his former boss at Crédit Agricole, was president of AC2000. "He knew that I was in touch with Agritubel; he said to a meeting of AC2000, 'If a French team takes on a former dope-taker, we'll throw it out of the association.'"
Personal life
Brard is married to Nathalie, with whom he has two daughters. In 2006 they moved to Serres-Castet, near the PyreneesPyrenees
The Pyrenees is a range of mountains in southwest Europe that forms a natural border between France and Spain...
, to profit from better weather for training than in the Loire valley around Tours and to improve his riding in the mountains.
Palmares
2001- time trial champion (in Argenton-sur-CreuseArgenton-sur-CreuseArgenton-sur-Creuse is a commune in the Indre department in central France. It lies on the Creuse River, 19 m. SSW of Châteauroux, close to the A20 motorway.-History:...
) - Paris–Bourges
- GP Cholet
- EnBW GP (with Cristophe Moreau)
- Joseph Voegeli Memorial (with Christophe MoreauChristophe MoreauChristophe Moreau is a French former professional road racing cyclist. For many years Moreau was the primary French contender for the general classification in the Tour de France: he finished in the top 12 in the GC five times and finished the race as best Frenchman in 2000, 2003, 2004 and 2005...
) - Étoile de BessègesÉtoile de BessègesThe Étoile de Bessèges is an early-season five-day road bicycle racing stage race held annually in Southern France, around Bessèges. Since 2005, it has been organised as a 2.1 event on the UCI Europe Tour and features as one of the first stage races of the European season.-Palmarès:...
- 1 stage - Tour de France2001 Tour de FranceThe 2001 Tour de France was particularly difficult, having contained a 67-km long team time trial, two individual time trials and five mountain-top finishes on consecutive days, the second of which being the Chamrousse special category climb time trial. Thus, all the high-mountain stages were...
- 100th- 5th, prologue
-
Youth Classification leader (Prologue-stage 1, stage 3-4)
2004
- Paris–Corrèze - 1 stage (2004)
- Giro della Provincia di LuccaGiro della Provincia di LuccaThe Giro della Provincia di Lucca is a professional road bicycle race held annually in Province of Lucca, Italy. Since 2005, the race has been organized as a 1.1 event on the UCI Europe Tour, previously being a stage race. It wasn't held in 2007 and the future of the race is uncertain.-Winners:...
- 1 stage (2004)
2005
- Trophée Luc Leblanc
- Paris–TroyesParis–TroyesParis–Troyes is an annual single-day road bicycle race in France between Paris and Troyes. First held in 1959, since 2005 it has been a 1.2 event on the UCI Europe Tour.-List of winners:...
- Circuit Cycliste de la Sarthe - 1 stage
- Paris–Roubaix - 7th
2006
- road champion (in ChantonnayChantonnayChantonnay is a commune in the Vendée department in the Pays de la Loire region in western France.-Geography:The Lay River flows southwestward through the commune and forms part of its eastern and southern borders.-References:*...
)