At 74, Doctor Yves Yau has lived several lives, including one devoured by a passion for cycling. Career of this ophthalmologist who is now the referent doctor for the French Cycling Federation.
There are encounters that change a life. This circumstance occurred in the summer of 1976 for Yves Yau, an ophthalmologist based in Valenciennes (59) and thirty years old at that time. “It was terribly hot that summer. At the time, the leisure practice of cycling was embryonic, but we saw a renaissance of cycling at that time – a bit like today – which until then had been seen more as a sport or a way to go. at workremembers the doctor. I met people with whom we went out on bicycles. I liked it a lot, but they stopped in the winter.” To continue this occupation which he had always “kept in a corner of the head” since he had followed the Tour de France with his father in his youth, he took the plunge by joining a cycling club near his home.
From then on, Doctor Yves Yau practiced more and more regularly. But the turning point came in the summer of 1981.”federal week [internationale de cyclotourisme] met not far from my other home, in Ariègehe recalls. There were almost 3,000 cyclists, that really impressed me at the time! When I saw them practicing hikes, without times or rankings, I thought that was what I liked.”
Time for yourself and others
The ophthalmologist then enrolled in various clubs in his department and practiced throughout his career as a doctor. Between operations and consultations, Yves Yau found an outlet in the little queen. “At first, traveling 100 km seemed fabulous to us! he smiled. When we wanted to do it, we planned to join our wives at a specific place for a picnic. When we got there we were starving but there was no one there because we were in the wrong location!” A passion that has constantly pushed him to travel ever longer distances. Today, the doctor has to his credit: 7 Paris-Brest-Paris (1,200 km race which takes place every four years, Editor’s note) as well as the crossing of America from North to South and numerous trips by Europe, but also two femur fractures while mountain biking.
In the 2000s, Yves Yau decided to retire for “to be able to do something else”. There, a friend offers him to take care of top athletes. “Not a lot of doctors wanted to deal with that, so we were a lot of retirees,” he explains. There, he takes care of the Valenciennes women’s volleyball team and also provides a medical presence during meetings of the AS Denain-Voltaire basketball club. At the same time as these commitments, the retired ophthalmologist returns to school and follows training in sports medicine and biology for two years. “I wanted to be in on it! In this training, there were about ten of us for the North region and Normandyhe assures. It was intellectually very stimulating. We saw cardiology, traumatology, how the effort is distributed, etc.. We didn’t study that in medicine because there athletes are not sick! There, it was more about prevention and management of accidents, knowing how to orient people well, what can wait or not, not doing all-out examinations but above all psychology. We often deal with young people away from home, sometimes foreigners and afraid of injury.” An experience he decided to cut short after a few years. “To be a good sports doctor, you have to practice the discipline yourselfhe admits. I didn’t understand everything the athletes told me and my discussions with the coaches were difficult because I only looked at the medical point of view. Then with the bike, the federation was too much.“
Cycling Federation
While Yves Yau was a member of the Federation’s medical commission, colleagues offered him the great adventure of his life: leaving Beijing (China) to cycle to London (United Kingdom) in 5 months for the 2012 Olympics.”It was itchy but it felt longhe recalls. My wife gave me her agreement by saying to me: ‘Go for it otherwise you will regret it all your life.’” From this crossing of the continent, the retiree remembers the multiple ordeals worthy of a modern epic. “I didn’t want to spend my time in the logistics car so I also cycled but it was very hard: there were falls, people got sick and you had to take care of 90 people while riding! he exclaims. Once there, we had to take X-rays or blood tests in Chinese hospitals where we did not understand each other!” These difficulties have forged the group and 8 years after this adventure, he continues to see this group of cyclists.
“People often ask me what I like about cycling, it’s hard to sayhe acknowledges. The pleasure of creating your own movement, of covering distances while chatting with family, friends, club people. The pleasure of crossing a pass and the sometimes exhilarating feeling of speed that brings physical well-being, but also the friendliness of the cycling environment.” However, despite his eagerness to pedal, the work of time seems to slow him down today. After eight years as the federation’s referent doctor, Doctor Yves Yau wishes to pass on the baton. “You don’t have to get stuck,” assures the 74-year-old doctor who intends to continue to move freely on a bicycle.
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