Christian Gérard
The Cévennes are crying
Christian! Are you there? No answer!
In the Rue des Pâquerettes in Alès, these little white flowers are bowing their heads. The sky is sad...
He's probably off for a bike ride, as usual!
No! Christian Gérard, our friend, is no more!
Tired for several days, on Wednesday 23 November he really wasn't feeling well and was advised to go to hospital in Alès. In addition to the pain, he was diagnosed as positive for COVID and the following night, Christian died, aged 84.
I'd known him well for a very long time; born in 1938, he was 8 weeks older than me. We met in the 1970s, when he joined the GMC (Groupe Montagnard Cévenol). Calm, discreet, methodical, good advice, everyone liked him. He rarely talked about his professional life (as a chemistry teacher). And even less about his private life!
A genuine cycle-tourist, he was a member of the Club des Cent Cols (N°3185), where he often wore the jersey and climbed nearly 1,000 passes; he was also a loyal member of the Amis du Randonneur.
He was a lover of the rebellious, wild but gentle mountains of Aubrac and the Cévennes, a land of chestnut trees, ferns, heather and broom. I'll never forget our annual get-togethers at Chasseradès, and before the frog legs and calf's head, we'll miss Christian.
He tiptoed off with his usual discretion; hello friend, your cycling friends won't forget you.
Français
English (UK)
Italiano
Deutsch
Español
Nederlands (België)