September 2020 – World Championships

On the start line of the World Championships, looking up at the starting banner, I had one thought go through my mind – ‘I hate this sport. Get his race done and that’s me done.’

Not the normal thing you think at the beginning of a World Championship where you are the favourite to take the Rainbow Jersey. But the problem is that I didn’t care about cycling anymore. Hate was a strong word, and maybe the wrong one to think of when I wanted to describe my feelings. It was more a case of me falling out of love with the sport.

Looking back over the last few years, the problem comes from first all being an up-and-coming Stage Racer whilst also being French… That means I was instantly called ‘the next Bernard Hinault’ or ‘a future Laurent Fignon’. Add into that doping allegations, a chequered past with the press and media and the fact I distanced myself from many French teams, it had all taken its toll on me. I had had enough really. There was no fun in racing anymore.

I suppose the best way of explaining myself is going back to the start, where it all began. I’ll tell you the story of my cycling love affair.

tsmoha wrote:
Nice to see another quality writer back! Will surely try to follow. Nice intro already. Good luck with your story!

Ian Butler wrote:
Awesome beginning and awesome to see you back with a potentially great story!

I was born Nicolas Jacques Moreau in Grenoble, France. On the edge of the Alps, with the mountains being my playground on the bike. My attraction to the cycling came in my early teens, when my friends and I watched the Dauphiné Libéré go by at the roadside on the local roads. Seeing the riders tackling the climbs with ease was a huge inspiration, you can't help but watch in awe.

When I was old enough, I joined my local team - Grenoble Métropole Cyclisme 38. Racing was good, and I was able to hone my skills on the climbs of the Alpine mountains. From that the results began to come...

Firstly, it was just the one-day races where I excelled, being able to attack when others were struggling and putting my all into taking the win. The multi-day events needed some working on. My efforts on one stage would take it out of me the next, but my Directeur Sportif told me that it would come with age.

In late 2014, when just aged 19, I took my first victory in a local stage race. A 4-day race, the key stages came on the second and final day, where the mountains, and a climb of the Galiber, would play their part. I rode tactically, picking my moments to take time out of my rivals and won by over 2 minutes in the end.

It was at that point, I started to get noticed...

sutty68 wrote:
Great to see you back in the story section mate, Good Luck

jandal7 wrote:
PCM 15 story section is booming really good to see you back, and already two very exciting posts

Mresuperstar wrote:
Title caught my attention. Interesting start. Best of luck.

DiCyc wrote:
Great to see you back in story writing! Good luck

Tamijo wrote:
Great start n good luck, Im following

Kiserlovski01 wrote:
Ian and you back in the Story section? This must be storywriting heaven, good luck with this one

Selwink wrote:
Great to see you back in the story writing section as well

Ian Butler wrote:
Where is the next update? It feels too long

I wanted another season with the amateurs before I stepped up to a more professional level. Cofidis, Bretagne–Séché and Europcar all showed a keen interest in my progression, and Bretagne even offer me a place on the team as a Stagaire from August.

However, the problem was the press latching onto what I was doing and the links to these big French teams. It was soon that the links to former greats, Grand Tour winners and multiple stage winners started. Hinault, Fignon, Viranque... the list was endless. Even my namesake (and no relation by the way) Christophe Moreau was mentioned. It was at this point I had my first run in with the local press.

After one race in late June, I was being asked about my future, my decisions for the 2016 season, the usual sort of stuff really. The first few questions went well - my future looked bright, lots of offers on the table and it looked good turning professional. The reporter was nice and happy. Then I was asked who my hero was growing up as a cyclist.

I could tell that the journalist was fishing for a rider I had been compared to... sadly, I never saw those riders as heroes. I answered honestly 'Il Pirata! The great Marco Pantani.' The look on his face was priceless! 'But what about a French rider? Not Richard Viranque?' he asked. 'He was a good rider sure' I replied 'but he never hit the same heights as Marco, did he?'.

The next day, the interview was published and I was shown as a man who never liked French cycling when I was younger and as someone who thought the riders during that time had accomplished nothing in their careers. They mentioned nothing to do with Pantani, or even repeated when I said I thought Viranque was a good rider... My 'never hit the same heights' comment was twisted completely.

The interview would have some implications for me in the races that followed. Some riders ignored me, others called me names and hailed abuse at me. It was not a pleasure atmosphere to be around.

To make it worse, the interview had had some implications with some future employers, especially the French ones.