April

Even with some grasp of French it can be difficult to find out what is happening in sport near you. Media coverage can be limited and one can stumble upon events as or after they have taken place. A good example was the Herault Marathon of a couple of years ago, once quite a prestigious race that ran on a course from Pézenas in a loop past St Thibéry and other villages, the runners would be played through the squares by local bands. An attempt to revive the race did not attract a lot of publicity. The field was small and when the contestants came home there was only a sprinkling of people to greet them in Pézenas on a Sunday morning; shame.

The recent 10kms road race in Béziers fared better and 490 athletes took part. The Moroccan Rachid Boulahdid won the contest in a time of 31 minutes in difficult windy conditions. There was more media awareness but still perhaps not enough. He was using the race as preparation for the Paris marathon. Many other runners were there just to prove something to themselves. Chapeau to all those who took part. Local triathlete, Caroline Lopez won the women’s race in 35'43. She was disappointed by her time but with some ferocious headwinds it was not unexpected.

The only surprise in the keenly awaited rugby XV Aude derby between Racing Narbonne and Carcassonne was the score. The visitors from Carcassonne were crushed 56-10. Very unusual in these encounters where local pride usually keeps the score fairly close. Great news for Racing who have a very good chance in the playoff spots. No one is going to catch Lyon but Narbonne must fancy its chances against sides like La Rochelle or Agen. For Carcassonne however the possibility of relegation is looming. They need to hit some form and catch up with Boug-en Bresse. As expected Béziers are liable to finish in a safe midtable place.

We get asked about sources of information on sport. Departmental websites are quite good and tourist offices can also be helpful for activities for guests during the summer. People have asked me about petanque since it is a sport which is accessible to the retired person. Why not try your local club. Ambiance can vary a great deal however. There is no easy answer. You just have to be pushy. Actually joining the club by paying the 20 euro or so fee is helpful. The problem is that some locals assume that a northern foreigner cannot grasp the game. In actual fact there are a good number of étrangers who play regularly in the region. Don’t forget that some locals regard people from Paris or Lille as foreigners too. I will try to give some basic information about the game next month in time for the summer season.

We mentioned the good form of L'Avenir Bleu et Blanc, a local rugby XV. They came up trumps by winning the Trophée Lacans with a fine 18-8 win against St. Jean de Vedas. Well done to the side from 3 village in the Capestang area.