Originally from Capdenac-Gare, residing in Fontainebleau, this employee at the SNCF loves to take up challenges as a little queen. To blow out his 50 candles, he will strike a blow with the crossing from east to west of the United States, from June 12 to July 25, with his colleague Eric Delubac.
From Bray-Dunes, in the Pas-de-Calais (from the border marker with Belgium), to reach the Puig de Coma Negra, located in the Pyrénées-Orientales, at an altitude of 1,500 meters, in the town of Lamanère (border point with Spain) in September 2017 (1,416 kilometres). Departure from Pointe de Corsen (Finistère) and arrival in Lauterbourg (Bas-Rhin) on the border with Germany, on the Rhine, in September 2018 (1,316 kilometers). From Hendaye to Menton, via Andorra, in September 2019 (1,286 kilometers). From Fontainebleau to Tarifa, in August 2021 (2,074 kilometres).
Stéphane Cazottes is not at his first cycling challenge but there, it is clear that he has taken a step forward. He is going to put the big gear! To celebrate his 50th birthday (he blew out the candles last year, on October 1), he will drive from Boston to San Diego. Thirty-eight days on the front of the saddle, from June 12 to July 25, with 5,100 kilometers on the program (130 terminals per day on average, equipped with five kilos of luggage, tools and spare business), from the Atlantic in the Pacific. “It’s the right time to make this crazy dream come true“, he smiles.
Born in Figeac, Stéphane Cazottes grew up in Capdenac-Gare (where his parents still live). Footballer for fourteen years under the colors of Capdenac, before joining Triathlon 12. He has, in particular, five Ironmans on his list: two in Germany, one in South Africa, one in Australia and that of Embrun (05). He didn’t forget:I played it on August 15, 1999 and I got married two days later in London… It was too fair the next day!“. He married a South African and two children were born of this union.
As he imagines “one day compete in the 100 kilometers of Millau“, the one who took up residence in Fontainebleau, after having worked for a year in South Africa, two years in Australia and a few months in Las Vegas in the United States, therefore left the round ball in the locker room to devote himself to cycling with original experiences.”Connecting the extreme points is fun!“, confirms the Capdenacois, an employee of SNCF Réseau. He continues: “We launched the idea in September and the file is well put together since everything is booked (flights, accommodation, etc.), for a total budget of €4,000 per person. All that remains is to fine-tune the training“.
After his many solo crossings, Stéphane Cazottes decided to “share the effort“. Not in tandem but in duo.”It’s to reassure my mother!“, he laughs. He will therefore give life to this project “Accross USA 2022” in the company of Eric Delubac, a 58-year-old work colleague who is watering his retirement. Living in Ollioules, in the Var, member of the Six-Fours triathlon club, “great cycling enthusiast and competitor“, he does not hide that he is”super excited, impatient, even if the total mileage is a bit of a concern“. To give themselves courage, they quote in chorus Tom McNab: “It’s always the rhythm that kills, never the distance!”. If they say so…