HUGO DRECHOU.

Lives in: the Pyrenees-Orientales
Racing debut: 16 years old

Hugo Drechou raced to a second place in the French national XCO mountain bike championship and represented his country at the European Games. He achieved some impressive results in his first season in gravel in 2024.

How did you first start cycling?
When I was sixteen I had friends who did mountain biking in a club and who encouraged me to come and ride with them. Two months later they motivated me to enter a race with them and since that day cycling has been at the centre of my life!

What’s your first important memory of cycling?
During my very first race, I arrived at the finish at the same time as my two friends, and we decided to raise our arms all together. Except that I was in the middle, with both hands full: I lost my balance and I dragged one of them down... a beautiful finish turned into a collective fall!

Why did you choose gravel?
After 14 years of competition at the highest level in Olympic mountain biking, and two years in marathon mountain biking, I had the opportunity to switch to gravel last year. I told myself that, at thirty-three years old, it could breathe new life into my cycling and show me new formats, new destinations and new opponents!

What’s your biggest challenge in 2025?
Looking at the Life Time Grand Prix calendar, I saw one race in particular that motivated me: Leadville 100. A hundred miles of mountain biking at an altitude of 3,000 metres is a double challenge that I’m incredibly drawn to – both the event and the training required!

How do you prepare for a gravel race?
The first thing is hearing my alarm go, because that means it’s race day and that’s what I love most in the world. I like to put on motivating music on race mornings and feel the tension rise. For the rest, I go with how I feel.

What advice would you give to someone just starting out in gravel?
Make the right choice of tyres to avoid punctures, because in my experience that can quickly ruin a ride. In gravel, you shouldn't think so much about weight or efficiency, but rather safety and comfort. This is perhaps what I would have liked to have been told at the beginning of last season.

Why Café du Cycliste?
A young, stylish French company, with incredible product quality and also B Corp certified... it brings together everything that is important to me.

“As long as I hear the dirt beneath my tires, I’m happy.”