<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s a dream come true. It\u2019s going to feel strange. I\u2019ll get that little shiver at the start,\u201d Girard said when he joined the French Continental team, beginning a three-year professional career.<\/p>\n
A first professional victory after a remarkable comeback<\/p>\n
Girard’s first professional victory came in June 2024, when he won the fourth stage of the Tour du Maroc from Essaouira to Marrakech. The circumstances of that victory remained particularly memorable for J\u00e9r\u00f4me Pulidori, his manager at Nice M\u00e9tropole throughout Girard\u2019s three professional seasons.<\/p>\n
\u201cTwo days earlier, he had crashed and he could have abandoned. But he had a temperament that always pushed him forward and made him generous in his effort. He had recovered and went off alone for 80 kilometers. Impressive,\u201d Pulidori recalled<\/a>.In February 2025, he won the best climber classification at the Tour de la Provence<\/a> and also finished 17th overall at the Etoile de Bess\u00e8ges<\/a>. Those performances came during his final season at Nice, as he looked to take another step in his career.<\/p>\n \u201cDuring his three professional seasons at Nice M\u00e9tropole, he was always performing well, he deserved everything he achieved on the bike. He was a passionate rider and very popular with his teammates,\u201d Pulidori said.<\/p>\n Nice ultimately did not retain Girard for 2026, and he stopped racing at the highest level during the winter after being unable to find a project that suited him.<\/p>\n Remembered by friends and teammates<\/p>\n Girard nevertheless remained closely connected to cycling. He settled in Port-Fr\u00e9jus and continued riding with friends from Team Est\u00e9rel C\u00f4te d\u2019Azur, for whom he was licensed as an amateur this year.<\/p>\n \u201cHe still had that hunger and wanted to enjoy himself. He had real qualities and deserved to have a great career,\u201d said Brice Feillu, the former professional climber and 2009 Tour de France stage winner.<\/p>\n Feillu, who is from Vend\u00f4me in the Loir-et-Cher region like Girard, was 16 years older and had known him since he was a child. The two later became regular riding companions in the Var. \u201cI used to ride the \u2018Gentlemen\u2019 first with his father and then I rode them with him,\u201d Feillu recalled. He was also the person who introduced Girard to the management of Nice M\u00e9tropole three years earlier.<\/p>\n The two men remained in regular contact after Girard left professional cycling. Girard had begun a new professional path, obtaining a qualification to work as a tourism boat captain, while continuing to ride his bike.<\/p>\n CyclingUpToDate would like to extend its condolences to friends and family of Damien Girard. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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