No need to cycle in Illiers-Combray (Eure-et-Loir) to reach the summits!
On the hundred-meter loop, it is the pumping effect of the arms and legs that allows
riders
to gain speed.
The pump track is the new paradise for lovers of all kinds of pirouettes for BMX riders, mountain bikers, rollerbladers and scooters and even balance bikes for the youngest.
Bumps and turns follow one another at full speed for maximum sensations.
In the small town of character known and revered by the readers of Marcel Proust who go there on pilgrimage, the infrastructure stands out.
A campaign promise assures the mayor.
“It’s aimed at young people.
We already had a city stadium, but this equipment completes the leisure offer,” rejoices Bernard Puyenchet.
After three years of negotiations, the municipality bought a former hangar from an agricultural cooperative, located on SNCF land to build the track.
The loop is three meters wide and one hundred meters long and offers ten bumps to practitioners.
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The village Marcel Proust did not skimp on the means to create this pump track.
Nearly 150,000 euros (50% regional, departmental and private partner subsidies) were invested to redevelop the old hangar and create the tarmac runway.
“We initially imagined a simpler solution with a dirt track.
But the specialists strongly advised us, for the equipment to be durable, to use a bitumen track,” remarks the elected official.
Half of the track is built in the old SCAEL building, which provides shelter for users in the event of rain.
Attract new young people to the community
Located a stone's throw from the school and college, the Illiers-Combray pump track should delight students.
“It offers a new place for leisure.
I also hope that a club can be created and that the pump track attracts new young people to the town,” the mayor is already dreaming.
These facilities are still rare in Eure-et-Loir with only one other track referenced in Dreux and one being created in Arcisses which is due to open at the end of spring.
Riders can also practice BMX in Chartres and Nogent-le-Roi in the department.
Access to users will remain free in Illiers-Combray.
Helmet, knee pads and gloves are widely recommended.
A video surveillance camera will help preserve the equipment, the mayor hopes.
The new track will make its grand debut this Saturday, February 17, 2024 (2 p.m.) with an inauguration in the presence of Breton specialist, Ewen Gicqueau who will give a freestyle demonstration and offer introductory sessions.
Enough to give rise to new vocations!
Practical:
Pump track - 6 avenue du Général de Gaulle, 28 196 Illiers-Combray