Poitou: an 88-year-old cyclist talks about his passion

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France 3 Poitou-Charente: C. Blondiaux, S. Bourin, G. Labrousse – France 3

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Raymond David is not a cyclist like the others. At 88, he does two 80-kilometre outings a week and designs his own bicycles.

To Ayron (Vienna)Raymond David enjoys the good weather with his friends, on his bike. The day’s outing is 80 kilometers long, a ritual for this 88-year-old retiree. He fell in love with cycling at the age of 45. Since then, he has traveled the roads of Poitou-Charentes twice a week. Raymond David is the dean of the band, his comrades are admiring. Five years ago, a serious bicycle accident forced him to quit. He then did only one idea in mind : pedal again.

More than a pleasure: it’s a necessity. “I’m fine on my bike. The day I’m going to do without it, it will be a bad sign I think”explains the main interested party. Raymond is not just a cyclist, he also builds his own bikes. In his workshop, he becomes a creator of all kinds of bicycles. New, he only buys the wheels, the rest c‘is of 100% home made. Raymond has already built 11.


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