Meet Thibaut Baronian.
Top tier French trail runner Thibaut Baronian joins the community. Backed by a long list of podium finishes on the international trail scene and a deep connection to the mountains, Thibaut talks to us about how he found his sport, what drives him forward and the role that cycling plays in his professional and personal life.
Thibaut Baronian is a high-level professional French trail runner known for his consistency, his resilience, and his deep connection to the mountains.With a background in physiotherapy and a long list of podium finishes on the international trail scene, he brings together performance and purpose. Following an injury, he began spending more and more time on the bike, discovering new ways to train, explore, and stay connected to the outdoors.
Can you give us a few words of introduction?
I've been a lover of the outdoors since I was a child, and sport has always been part of my life. I grew up in a small country village in Haute Savoie, where I spent many years on cross-country skis (up to the France Junior team) after playing 10 years of football and having spent a few years at the Vélo Club d'Annemasse. I passed my physiotherapy diploma in Besançon, where I lived for 16 years. In parallel with my studies, I joined the Salomon running team in 2011. I practiced physiotherapy in Besançon and in the sports world (staff of the France Ski Team) until 2018 before devoting myself fully to trail running. I recently returned to my roots,moving back to Haute Savoie!
What brought you to trail running in the first place?
I have always loved running, from a very young age with my Dad. I was 3 years old when I went running with him around the stadium! And then when I was a high-level skier, running was an integral part of our summer preparation. After I stopped skiing, I started running again to get some fresh air while revising for my medical exams. Then I met some people from Besançon who made me want to get more involved in this sport. A year later, I did my first races in the Salomon jersey. I didn't know at the time what was waiting for me, and I never thought it would become my profession!
You have a great track record in trail running – France champion, international podiums... What are the experiences that have marked you the most so far?
I live to experience emotions, to share these slices of life with everyone close to me. Every race is a memory. Every moment, every new experience, whether in the race or in training, feeds this memory box a little more. I obviously have a lot of moments that have marked me, in difficult moments, as well as in moments of glory. I think back to my hypothermia at the Skyrunning World Championships, my third place in Zegama, my arrival at the CCC 2021, the thrills of the 22 hours of the UTMB, but also to a lot of projects and madness shared with friends (like my two projects in Cape Verde)It's really a rich sport that pushes us to live exempt moments, certainly ephemeral, like everything that happens in life, but which engraves these emotions and memories in the heart. That's really why I'm racing today.
You're currently injured, and doing a lot of cycling. What does cycling bring you and has it always been part of your sporting life?
Yes, it's always been a big part of my life, since I was a kid just having fun in the neighborhood, then a few years of competitions around 15-16 years old before fully integrating it into my preparations as a skier and a runner. It allows you to cross train, to work in relief and therefore "relieve" the stress on the joints. It's both complementary to work on endurance or strength but also a good way to stay in shape when you're injured! It is often said that "a cyclist is an injured runner" in our industry! It's a sport that I enjoy enormously, and I would have liked, in another life, to make it my profession!
Do you find similar sensations in cycling and trail running?
It's difficult to compare the two. I think that in ultra cycling, we find some of the challenges found in ultra running, especially the management of fatigue, sleep, equipment and nutrition (even if eating on the bike is really a gift compared to eating while running!) Cycling makes it easier for me to travel thanks to the many kilometers and landscapes traveled, but it does not give me the same feeling of freedom and disconnection as running alone along alpine ridges!
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You spend a lot of time outdoors – in the mountains, in nature...what does the outdoors mean to you?
It's the connection with nature and the reconnection to oneself. These are real moments of meditation, of inner reflection, of self-discovery. The effect of nature and effort on our bodies and minds is truly amazing. For me, it is essential to my life, and a magical therapy in the most difficult moments. I also feel like I'm finding answers to life's questions when I spend hours outside, as if everything is becoming clearer, more obvious.
Do you have a personal recommendation for our community?
If you don't know the Haute-Maurienne, I strongly advise you to go and discover this wild paradise, in the Savoyard Alps. An incredible spot for lovers of Trail, road biking and mountain biking! I fell in love with the Grand Méan Glacier & Lake a long time ago!
What attracted you to becoming part of the Café du Cycliste family?
Human values, class mixed with product performance and brand diversity. It is also important for me to have a good feeling with the team, that our values and projects connect. And of course, the French touch!
What would you like to share through this collaboration?
Simply my passion for cycling, trail running and everything that revolves around it. To make the community want to go outside, to set up projects, to push people to spend hours on the roads and trails!
Finally, what projects or objectives are in sight for you over the next few months?
My plans for this year have been shaken up quite a bit because of a chronic foot injury since the UTMB. So I have decided in the coming weeks to devote myself fully to my recovery, to take the time to heal body and mind before coming back, stronger I hope. I'm hopeful that I'll be able to return to competition in the autumn and in the meantime, I should be spending a lot of time on my Lapierre.
