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Raymond Mayeur
55
Rêves
Belgium
34
1989
164
5

In August 1993, Raymond Mayeur died while riding his bike. Raymond was one of the pioneers
of the challenge. When he died he had cycled 164 BIGs and this number lives on to remember
him as it is the amount of BIGs one has to cycle to reach BIG level 5. He is the father of
Etienne who reached as 1^st BIG member 1,000 BIGs and hence fulfilled the promise
to his father to reach 1,000 BIGs as the 1^st member.

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Sergio Gasparorocca
 
Milano
Italy
126
1999
169
5

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Rafael Riesgo
37
Gijon [Asturias]
Spain
143
2000
11
Welcome

It's life, but it's always terrible to learn. One of us just died. One of the first Spanish
members in our challenge, living in Gijon, and fond of the Asturian mountains, Rafael Riesgo,
has left. Rafael died at 37 last Saturday after a quick illness. We'll think to him each time
that we'll climb his dear Asturian climbs.

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Dany Dupire
 
 
Belgium
1028
2008
14
Welcome

In a group that includes more members, the sad news unfortunately often also exist. We just learned that our member, Dany Dupire, registered in March 2008 and BIG capita Maison Saint-Gérard Belgium, died 3 months later (28 June 2008) on his bike. It is always sad to hear such news in people who share our passion. Our thoughts go out to him in the slopes Namur he enjoyed. He joins the firmament of other cyclogrimpeurs members that we do not forget. All our thoughts to them all.

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Michel Nau
 
Couzeix
France
184
2002
62
2

The review of the "Cent Cols Club" alarmed us with the announcement of the disparition of Michel Nau. The Couzeix Club in France, of which Michel was a long time president, informed us when we inquired that in October 2007, our 184^th member left us. Sad news like each time that one of us reaches his last top with all his souvenirs in his luggage. Michel reached BIG2 level with 62 BIGs in France, Spain, Switzerland and Italy.

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Piero Rota
70
Candia Lomellina [PV]
Italy
320
2004
109
3

Our large friend Piero Rota was a man passionate about cycloclimbing and a formidable friend.
He was the UIC webmaster, part of the newsletter team as Italian translator for 4 years and part
of the BIG Committee for Italy for many years. Thanks Piero for all your support and friendship.

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Marie-Claude Herouard
70
Le Havre
France
1976
2009
24
Welcome

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Bernard Grevink
57
Dieren
The Netherlands
1753
2008
66
2

Last week we received the sad news that Bernard Grevink, the Dutch BIG member nr 1753, on
Sunday, May 9 became unwell while cycling and died on the spot. Bernard was BIG member
since 2009, but was for decades a cyclist who liked to bike in the mountains. Bernard
joined the BIG day on March 21^st in Velp and cycled with the group to Posbank and
Italiaanseweg to celebrate the 25^th anniversary of the BIG. During the funeral service on
Saturday, May 15, Richard van Ameijden remembered Bernard in his speech. He mentioned
some prominent cycling experiences with Bernard. Bernard was 57 years. We wish family and
(cycling) friends strength with this unexpected loss.

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Germain Geenens
62
Ronse
Belgium
37
1990
230
5

Very sad news. A Belgian pioneer of the challenge BIG, our nr 37, Germain Geenens (B),
230 BIGs, 62 years old, has left us yesterday evening (april 2010) for the eternity.
He was a pioneer, he was also the official Belgium manager of the Cent Cols Club.
Living in Ronse (Renaix), he was a fantastic cyclist and cycloclimber, with more the
appearance of Petit-Breton than Mario Cippolini, a very strong "randonneur", very kind
man with the sense of the responsibility. We will miss him but we'll think about him
during our climbs. Thank you, Germain, for what you've done in your life for us. Very
sad we are...

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Jacques Franck
82
Neupré
Belgium
158
2001
251
6

We'll miss you, Jacques Franck. We'll miss you so much !

For the B.I.G Challenge, your both names with Jules Dejace, always or so often together
climbing with an advanced age, all the best or most beautiful climbs in Europe, were quite
unforgettable. Now, since a few days, Jules (Dejace) is alone to follow this way.

Yes, sad news, Jack Franck died with an heart attack last week. He was one of the symbol of
the longevity thanks to sport and particularly cycling. In the civil life, he was a doctor
in medicine and above all a kind man, always ready to include an association helping people.

In Rotheux, his club organized since a long time the Jacques Franck Tour (before named
Redoutable with the passage on the slopes of the côte de la Redoute). Every year, with
this event, we'll remember this great cycloclimber and B.I.G's symbol. Help us from there up
to follow our way here just like you did before your accident, Jacques. We'll miss you deeply!

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Patrick Plaine
57
Montendre
France
47
1992
424
8

He was long inside our Top 10, long our French BIG-member in the general classification,
with more than 400 BIGs. He was above all a long long travel rider, globe-trotter. He
tried one year to reach 50.000 km a year and he was very near to succeed. He created the
"Centrionales" in France. A friend of him told that one day after 200km non stop cycling,
he suggested to have a small break and that Patrick answered: "Now already?" He was an
adventurer and a mystic person, someone very special but plenty of humanity and thirsty
of knowledge all over the world.

On his bike, yesterday, 27^th of November 2012, 70 years old, a tractor hurt him
and spent him to follow his ride and his climbs in the sky. We have lost an Indian prince
of cycling...

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Jürgen Reckhaus
51
Bad Wiessee
Germany
2064
2009
405
8

Today I received a mail from the family of Jürgen Reckhaus (2064), that totally
unexpected Jürgen has passed away last week at the age of 51.

Way too young of course for such an active and enthusiastic cycling man! Jürgen was
present at the annual BIG meeting of 2010 in the Lake & Peak Districts in the UK. A quiet,
friendly man. Strong too!

He enjoyed the BIG meeting that much that he joined again on Corse in 2011. He teamed up
with Rob Bosdijk and together they enjoyed cycling the BIGs on Corse and the friendship
with the rest of the members. I vividly recall when we drove from Port de Centuri via the
winding D35 that clings to the rockface high above the Mediterranean sea to Nonza. When we
stopped briefly to enjoy the view Jürgen said with glittering eyes: "Das war eine tolle strecke!"
(That was an awesome stretch!).

Jürgen was a very active and enthusiastic BIG member. He had 405 BIG claims and with
his 2^nd Iron BIG (Kesselbergstraße) he became our 100^th Godfather. It's truly sad that he has
passed away but he will always be there in the hearts of other BIG members who knew him.

Thanks Jürgen for the good times we spent together!

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Gérard Decrouy
67
Zürich
Switzerland
120
1999
227
8

He passed away last sunday... on the road, just like his friend and similar cycletourist
Patrick Plaine. His name was Gérard Decrouy, hit by a large car near Vienna where he
decided to live retreated, after a long professional and civil life in Switzerland.

Gérard was our nr 120, the 2^nd swiss member ever subscribed, just after our
wellknown Ard Oostra. He climbed 227 BIGs and is currently still in the top100 of our
general classement with a 97^th place.

Gérard was a real cycletourist. When I offered him the place of Swiss manager, in a
long mail, he answered me that he doesn't like really too much the cyclesport idea and that
he preferred the travel without fighting spirit, but always with respect with the other
practices and that in this way, he didn't wish to become a delegate, being a little away of
the sport events.

In the same mail, he told me his fabulous discovery of the "Guidon du Bouquet" thank to the
BIG and told me to follow the way of this organisation, useful for many people, but just a
little far of his own real way to cycle. He also asked me to respect the names used for
Switzerland according to the amount of people in each language: German, then French and
finally Italian when we wrote Svizzera in a first place in our review.

Our sport is always somewhere dangerous, even more in the trafic of the cities. At the age
of 66, Gérard met Patrick in the globe-trotters'saloon of the cycling paradise.

We'll have thoughts for you, very often Gérard.

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Paul Liard

Mûrs-Erigné
France
2982
2010
56
1

Paul Liard died from cardiac arrest on his bike on February 19th 2014. He joined BIG when his friend Rémi Furon pointed him to our dear challenge. So sad that Paul was a member for only 4 years and that now he passed away. Too soon...too soon. Together with Rémi Furon we will remember him.