Nearly three hundred people marched, dressed in blue, on Saturday, November 16 in Limoges to pay tribute to the “man in blue,” a septuagenarian cyclist fatally hit by a car last week. An emblematic figure of the city, Jean-Marc Chatard, 74, had been walking the roads of the department for years, dressed in his overalls and rubber boots.
On November 8, the former bricklayer and farmer died from his injuries after being hit by a car on a local road he used to take to return home.
“His overalls, his rubber boots and, above all, his bicycle were his daily companions. He was a unique and loved person in Limoges, although he was never fully aware of it. “His simplicity, his smile were part of the soul of our city.”declared his great-niece Mathilde Lavergne.
“Cruel lack” of facilities
In 2020, a bakery decorated its Three Kings pancakes with a bean with his image. A website that listed good addresses also bore his nickname. After his death, the façade of Limoges town hall turns blue at night.
Attending the call of the Véli-Vélo association, the participants regretted the “cruel foul” Facilities for cyclists. “Although cycle paths have emerged in Limoges, some remain impassable”lament Richard and Jacques, without giving their last name.
The death of Jean-Marc Chatard, following that of a cyclist hit by an SUV driver on October 15 in Paris, has shed light on the sometimes conflictive coexistence between bicycles and cars.
