Melvyn Jégou aka Melvynator is the most successful French rider so far and most certainly a Top 10 rider.
Born in Auray, in the Morbihan department, he is the son of fisherman Yann Jégou and nurse Gwelaouen Madeg. His childhood was perfectly normal, as his parents were not rich, but lived a pretty good life. He would go with his cousins to the Côte Sauvage, a littoral beach in the Morbihan, where his interest in sports began. They used to surf there and Melvyn started to develop a passion for it. That’s where he learned how to master the wind, what would be his main strength along his entire career.
At age 16, Jégou was expelled from his high school for getting into a fight with various classmates. His parents were extremely disappointed and they sent him to a boarding school in Brest. However, his bond with his cousins was very strong and he would ride the 169 km from hi...
Read moreMelvyn Jégou aka Melvynator is the most successful French rider so far and most certainly a Top 10 rider.
Born in Auray, in the Morbihan department, he is the son of fisherman Yann Jégou and nurse Gwelaouen Madeg. His childhood was perfectly normal, as his parents were not rich, but lived a pretty good life. He would go with his cousins to the Côte Sauvage, a littoral beach in the Morbihan, where his interest in sports began. They used to surf there and Melvyn started to develop a passion for it. That’s where he learned how to master the wind, what would be his main strength along his entire career.
At age 16, Jégou was expelled from his high school for getting into a fight with various classmates. His parents were extremely disappointed and they sent him to a boarding school in Brest. However, his bond with his cousins was very strong and he would ride the 169 km from his school to the family home in Auray just to surf with them. Every week he would ride his bike to surf. His free time was very reduced and controlled by the school (Internat Jules Ferry). He joined one of the city’s cycling academies, professional cycling team Drapeau Noir’s campus in Brest. His results were astonishing and his potential as a baroudeur was so amazing he was given a scholarship to ride with the academy. Melvyn was reluctant at first, but he accepted, since he would have more free time than in the boarding school.
The next five years were nothing but success for the young rider, as he was one of the academy’s best prospects, with team manager Delion giving him a professional offer when he finished his studies in economics. He moved to Paris with his parents (who had forgiven him) and started his career in the top OCM circuit: the Division 1. His rookie season was nothing out of common, as he worked as a windbreaker for his leaders. Sophomore season was the same, as he only got one podium.
Season 3 was revelation season for the Frenchman, as he started his season with a surprise win in Rouen – Paris. He then participated in the Essex Tour, where he won the YC and finished 2nd behind the invincible Sir Sandro Montelbano. Those results were his introduction to the international public, revealing to the world his particular style: elite riding when in the flat, with his legs being able to out beat breakaways when he lead the peloton, or vice versa, beating whole teams in the front of the peloton while in the break. His robotic style and explosive breaks made him become a fan favourite, while the French public gave him the nickname Melvynator, because of his always serious face and the fact that he never removed his sunglasses or opened his shirt. Later that year he had another nice victory, as he won the fifth stage of the most prestigious race of all OCM, the Germany Tour. He went on to finish the tour not only 2nd in the Sprint Classification but 7th in the General Classification, after gaining back enough time on hills and time trials to get himself on the top 10.
Season 26 was his most successful year with 8 wins and 20 results, all in top division. He even accomplished an almost impossible task, winning the Germany Tour, a tour usually reserved for climbers, as a "flatroader". The task had already been accomplished by sprinter JJ Dussel, but Melvyn´s victory was different. He did this in a different way, not being a prolific stage winner. Drapeau Noir made Melvynator try to gain some time in every TT, hilly or sprint stage, finishing on the podium 7 times. Then, Jégou limited the losses on climbing stages with the help of his team. He would win the Germany Tour General Classification, Sprint Classification and Youth Classification, being the only rider to do so in the same edition.
Jégou won also 4 sprint one-day races and a windy TT in the Vuelta during the season, finishing it as the number one rider in the world and contributing to making Drapeau Noir number one as well.
The rest of his career was marked with success, as he would win the Helsinki GP twice, the Vuelta´s SC and the Essex tour’s GC. He would repeat his triumph in the Germany Tour in a completely different environment 6 seasons after his first victory there, becoming part of the selected club of multiple time GT winners.
Then he was transferred to team johny2, at age 33, winning a few low division races with the Dutch team. He would return to Drapeau Noir, working as windbreaker and breakaway chaser for his teammates, as his prime had already passed (and what a prime). During all this time, he also participated 70 times to the french national team! He ended his career on Season 40, winning everyone of his last races as captain in the lowest division of OCM during Drapeau Noir’s break from the main circuit.
Melvyn now works as consultant for Delion and the OCM Magazine. Every season he pays homage to his parents who died when he won his second GT, giving them flowers in his natal city of Auray (which has a statue of him downtown). Melvynator is certainly the best baroudeur of all time and in the conversation of best rider in history.
Palmares:
101 results – 34 wins.
6 jerseys – 2 trophies (all in Division 1).
Career resume (written in french by team manager Delion):
http://www.cyclingsimulator.com/?page=Press%20Release&team=Drapeau%20Noir&article=13134
France