The Tour de Vendée marked the end of the careers of two emblematic riders who have been part of the French peloton over the past decade.
Lorrenzo, a career at full speed
A fast finisher in the professional peloton since 2015, “Lolo” is a rider highly respected by his peers. The Réunion-born rider began his journey at the highest level in Vendée, in La Roche-sur-Yon — and that is no coincidence: he attended the CREF there before continuing his development in Nantes, where he truly made his breakthrough, and later riding for several French teams.
Over the years, the sprinter built an impressive palmarès, with stage wins in Gabon, Poitou-Charentes and Limousin, an overall victory at the Tour de Bretagne, as well as the 2015 edition of La Roue Tourangelle with FDJ, which remains one of the finest successes of his career.
In recent years, he had moved away from his role as a sprinter to become a lead-out man. A role he embraced with passion, working tirelessly in support of his leader, Jason Tesson.
Fabien, the model teammate
With a second place at La Roue Tourangelle in 2017 as his best result, Fabien Grellier’s palmarès may not be as extensive as Lorrenzo’s, but that is not where his importance lies. Fabien’s role was fundamental to a team striving for success. A road captain, always devoted to the collective, he was a valuable reference point for his teammates.
Fabien’s journey is that of a young rider from Vendée who dreamed of racing the Tour de France. Aizenay-born, he climbed through the ranks of a development system built to nurture riders and pass on the values of cycling in Vendée.
From the CREF in La Roche-sur-Yon to Vendée U, before joining Direct Énergie in 2016, Fabien built a career deeply rooted in where he came from. Ten seasons later, after dedicating more than half of his life to Jean-René Bernaudeau’s team, he hangs up the bike that has accompanied him throughout all these years — and helped shape the person he is today. Fabien Grellier: the very definition of loyalty.
Lorrenzo, Fabien, thank you.
