Our champions

Juliette Labous
Road cycling

Juliette Labous

2020 Winner of the Time-Trial Race at the French Championship

“The varied terrain of Besançon and its surroundings is a big advantage because it can adapt to any type of training with the flat river banks along the Doubs, the forts of Besançon with the medium-slope hills and Northern Besançon to prepare for the classics with the valleys. You can also train on more mountainous routes when you head to the Plateau! Traffic is also relatively calm and the EuroVelo cycling route allows for a safe ride!”

Nao Monchois-portrait
Climbing

Nao Monchois

Nao is a climber who started out at the Besançon Entre Temps Climbing Club; he was French junior champion in 2016 and is a member of the French team. He regularly takes part in World Cup competitions. He is currently training in order to qualify for the 2024 Paris Olympics and Paralympics.

“I live in Besançon and in less than five minutes I can be outdoors as if I was in the countryside.

Besançon is the perfect place to train.”

Lucie Granier
Handball

Lucie Granier

Silver Medallist at the World Championships with the French Team

“What I like about Besançon is that everything is close by: I finish my training at Palais des Sports and I can be in the town center or at University within 5 minutes!”

Justine Mathieux
Triathlon

Justine Mathieux

Triathlon - 2020 Silver Medallist of the French Championship in the long-distance category. Silver Medallist in the 2021 Ironman competition in Majorca

“Born and raised in the Greater Besançon Area, my region provides me with the perfect playground to swim, run and ride.”

Grégoire Romain
Road cycling

Romain Grégoire

Twice French champion, European champion, vice World champion

“My team - Groupama-FDJ - has its headquarters and center for performance research in Besançon. It is ideal to prepare for my 2022 competitions such as Tour de l’Avenir or Liège-Bastogne-Liège Espoir. In the meantime, I stay in shape with Cyclo-Cross in winter. What with the track at the Michel Vautrot facility at La Malcombe and the Chailluz woods, there is a lot on offer...”

Jérémy Rencurel
BMX

Jérémy Rencurel

Jeremy took part in the 2016 Rio Olympics in BMX racing and has now joined the Besançon BMX club. He is hoping to represent France in the 2024 Paris Olympics and Paralympics.

“The new BMX track in Besançon is unbelievable; it is very fast and also very challenging. It is also in a beautiful setting.”

Gwendoline Matos
Handball

Gwendoline Matos

Goalball, Paralympic discipline for the blind and visually-impaired

“Every Tuesday afternoon, I train in a facility in Besançon. I have classes at noon with my coworkers and regular mental and physical preparation. I also go to the gym once a week. Participating in the 2024 Paris Paralympic Games would be the culmination of all those years working, an athlete’s dream and being proud to play for my country!”

Line Burquier
MTB XCO

Line Burquier

2021 Cross-Country Cycling Junior World Champion

“What I like about training in Besançon is that we are close to everything. 5 minutes outside of town and you are in the woods and the nearby hills. At the Montboucons facility, we have a mountain bike track which is technical, fast and exhaustive, a gym and a dojo right under the apartments.”

Our ambassadors

LudovicMouchet
Triathlon

Ludovic Mouchet

Ludovic is passionate about sport and is involved as both as an athlete and a voluntary manager. He is a technical representative and referee for the French Triathlon Federation. Thanks to him and David Travadon, Besançon has hosted the only French leg of the World Para-Triathlon Cup since 2013; this counts as a qualifying event for the Paralympic Games. The 9th edition of this international event will take place on June 11th - 12th in Osselle, which is a Games Preparation Center for triathlon and para-triathlon.
tervel
Handball

Raphaëlle TERVEL

Raphaelle is a handball player who started out at ESBF, the Besançon Ladies’ Handball Club; she has taken part in four Olympics (2000, 2004, 2008, 2012). She was world champion, three time European champion and after a brilliant international career, has come back to ESBF as coach, qualifying the team for the European Cup.
Eric Monnin
Olympic games

Eric Monnin

Vice President for Olympic Studies, senior lecturer at the Sports Science Department, University of Franche Comté, he is also the director of the first and only French University Olympic Studies and Research Center (CEROU). In 2012 in London, the President of the IOC, Jacques Rogge, awarded him the Pierre de Coubertin medal. For the 32nd Olympic Games in Tokyo, he was invited to carry the Olympic flame in Greece.
Nao Monchois-portrait
Climbing

Nao Monchois

Nao is a climber who started out at the Besançon Entre Temps Climbing Club; he was French junior champion in 2016 and is a member of the French team. He regularly takes part in World Cup competitions. He is currently training in order to qualify for the 2024 Paris Olympics and Paralympics.

“I live in Besançon and in less than five minutes I can be outdoors as if I was in the countryside.

Besançon is the perfect place to train.”

Jérémy Rencurel
BMX

Jérémy Rencurel

Jeremy took part in the 2016 Rio Olympics in BMX racing and has now joined the Besançon BMX club. He is hoping to represent France in the 2024 Paris Olympics and Paralympics.

“The new BMX track in Besançon is unbelievable; it is very fast and also very challenging. It is also in a beautiful setting.”

matam
Weightlifting

David Matam

A Besançon weightlifter, then president of the “La Française” Besançon club. He has represented France in the Olympics 3 times, as an athlete (2004, 2008, 2012) and since 2016 has been part of the French national coaching staff.
grappe
Road cycling

Fred Grappe

Director of Performance in the professional Groupama-FDJ cycle team, lecturer and researcher in sports science at the University of Franche-Comté. He set up the Groupama-FDJ performance center for its professional team and European reserve team.