In Saint-Gilles-Croix-de-Vie, Vendée (85)
Summer is already here, the first tourists too. This seaside resort of 8,000 inhabitants is starting to come alive. The restaurants are full. The carnival attracts the first curious. 10:30 p.m., night has partially fallen on this small town in Vendée. The boats are lined up. On the port, a small crowd forms. Some applause flies. In the middle of this audience, a young woman on a bicycle… without a saddle. Emma Louineau, French trial champion – a sport similar to mountain biking which consists of overcoming obstacles – gives a demonstration.
On the program: ascents and descents on wooden boxes, obstacle jumping but also maintenance on a wheel at the edge of the water. Before the highlight of the show. The trials specialist asks for a volunteer in the audience. A few shy hands go up. Children are the most willing. The young woman chooses a young boy from the audience – with the parents’ consent – and asks him to lie on his back. This young Vendée is now having fun jumping over this young guinea pig under the eyes of an astonished and admiring audience.
“I’ve been doing this for three years,” explains Emma Louineau, breathless but smiling after a two-hour performance. I’ve never had any issues.” For several seasons, this 19-year-old student has been performing several demonstrations when her schedule allows. Sometimes once a week, sometimes once a month. In competition or in training from March to October, the young woman likes to perform in front of an audience when she returns to her land. To discover his sport but not only. “When I’m in Vendée, I do demonstrations for a fairly simple purpose: to discover my sport but above all to finance my season, easily admits Emma Louineau. It helps me pay for my trips, my equipment… Everything that a sports season can entail. I have my little sign explaining who I am and what I do. People can put a coin to contribute to my sports project. I make discover my sport which is not very well known. It makes me happy and my sport needs that vision. That kills two birds with one stone.”
An evening like this can bring in between 50 and 100 euros for the young woman. A meager contribution that will help this psychology student to pay for her travel but also her accommodation for the next French championships. Direction Jeumont, in the North, for a weekend of competition (July 13 to 16). “I’m putting my title on the line,” says Emma Louineau, who will start with qualifying this Friday, before a possible final the next day. A bit stressful event but we will see what it will give.
After two hours of demonstration under the eyes of a hundred passers-by in total, the young cyclist packs up to “avoid making mistakes”. Knowing when to stop at the right time to avoid injury. His fan club is still there. A dozen relatives came to encourage the young woman, who can perform thanks to a municipal decree. “I do this legally (laughs), explains the occupational psychology student. In three years, I’ve never had a problem. I think it makes the city lively between the carnival and the night market.”
Demonstrations that allow this third-year student to find her balance between cycling and psycho. To rest, you will have to wait a little. This year, a big season is looming. A title to defend at the French championships this weekend, before flying to Glasgow, Scotland, in early August. Emma Louineau will be part of the French delegation for the next World Cycling Championships. Then, a few days of rest and new demonstrations in Saint-Gilles-Croix-de-Vie, before returning to the school benches and the Center for Resources, Expertise and Sports Performance (CREPS) in Nantes to begin his final year of a bachelor’s degree in psychology.
