Philippe Garcia CC 609
Dear friends,
Philippe has set off on his bike towards other celestial clouds… He must have taken paths leading to eternal mountains, like the mule tracks he used to follow on his hunts for cols.
He forgot to bring his camera, but there’s no doubt he’ll be dazzled by all the wonders he’s about to discover.
He went to join all his friends – cyclists, walkers and photographers – who had set off before him and who were going to give him a Mexican wave when he arrived.
May he rest in peace after all those years of physical and mental suffering caused by his illnesses. He had become so frail in recent years that it was heartbreaking to see him.
Take care. Enjoy life!
Love to you all,
Anne Coponet-Garcia
After many, many years of illness and physical and emotional suffering, our friend Philippe Garcia (membership no. 609) has passed away at the age of 74. A member of the Groupe Cyclotouriste Rouennais, Philippe was an exceptional cycle tourist and a great lover of mountain cycling; naturally, he had joined the Cent Cols club. The Alpine arc from Vienne to Menton held no secrets for him, nor did the Pyrenees, and he undertook numerous trips abroad. A keen photographer, his pictures often graced the front cover of the federation’s magazine *Cyclotourisme*, not to mention his website *Le Pignon Voyageur*.
A renowned writer, winner of the 1999 Charles Antonin Prize for his account of the Venice–Thonon cycle race entitled *Le Roux et le Combaluzier*. This remarkable work, comprising text and photographs, appeared in the excellent book published by the FFCT, *Le guidon et la plume*; and it was, in fact, one of his photographs (a landscape of the Dolomites) that graced the cover of this book, which compiled the work of the prize-winners over a decade.
His Christian funeral will take place at Saint-Pierre Church in Déville-lès-Rouen on Tuesday 18 August 2026 at 10.00 am. His ashes will be scattered in the Aravis mountains, near the Sainte-Anne chapel.
Our friend is now travelling along the roads of eternity, and he is bound to meet Micheline and Pierre at a crossroads.
Our hearts go out to Anne, her children and grandchildren; the centcolist community extends its condolences and expresses its gratitude for all the wonderful things Philippe brought to our lives as cycle tourists.
Best regards to you all. Guy Cambéssèdes (cc no. 1420).
Français
English (UK)
Italiano
Deutsch
Español
Nederlands (België)
It’s very sad – Philippe was a great cycle tourist!
Good luck, Anne, and my respect for everything you’ve done for him over all these years.
Daniel Beaujoin
CC 0396
I am very sad to hear of Philippe’s passing; I would like to offer my sincere condolences to his wife Anne, his children, grandchildren, the family and, in particular, to François Coponet!
I didn’t know him personally, but I really enjoyed his photographs, his writing and, above all, his website, which was exceptionally beautiful! I have two very specific memories of Philippe:
The first time was in the 1990s, during the «Randos Rêves» slide show in Amiens; Philippe had cycled all the way from Rouen to attend the screening…
The second was in Périgueux, at the FFCT’s Annual General Meeting, when Philippe was awarded the Federation’s gold medal – a deeply moving moment for him and the audience…
Kind regards,
Jean-Marc Lefèvre CC3331
Dear Philippe, I never met you, but the mere fact that you were a member of the 100 colli club makes you an extraordinary person. I’m sure you’re now climbing every step of the celestial vault.
Rest in peace.
Marco Grigolato
CC 6108
I would like to offer my deepest condolences to his family.
There is no doubt that a true legend of cycle touring has passed away.
I would like to offer my deepest condolences to his family.
My deepest sympathies to Philippe and all his loved ones, from a fellow writer on the editorial team of *Cyclotourisme* who shared the same views on cycling and the same love of the countryside… With kind regards
We first met Philippe in the 1980s at the FFCT cycle-camping gatherings held over Ascension Day. The last few times we met were at the Whitsun gathering in 2016, and then at the national meeting of the Amis du Randonneur in 2019. Our sincere condolences and best wishes to Anne and her whole family.
Our deepest condolences. We wish his loved ones strength.
CC3715
I am deeply saddened to hear of Philippe’s death!
He was a friend I always looked forward to seeing again at our meetings in Paris at the FFCT headquarters.
These meetings were devoted to the judging of the national photography competition, for which I was then responsible, with Philippe serving as one of the judges.
A keen photographer, he would put together numerous near-professional slideshows following his travels, such as the one on American national parks.
Despite his illness, he continued to take part in a wide variety of cycle touring events, aided by his electric tricycle.
Philippe was, and will undoubtedly remain, a leading figure in our little world of cycle touring!
I would like to offer my deepest condolences to Anne and her family.
Jean-Jacques Laffitte
CC No. 604
I had the honour of knowing this great man, a man of strong convictions, with his inimitable style.
As the great Jacques sang, «of course we had our storms», but that was because Philippe knew how to stand up for the causes he believed to be just and would see his ideas through to the end.
A great man has left us – a superb photographer, a gifted writer and a remarkable champion of cycle touring.
We’re going to miss him.
My deepest condolences to his wife, family and friends.
Daniel Fiant