Along with his immersive mission to usher in a new era of cycling success for Hong Kong, Herve Dagorne has been playing a small part in sustaining the abundance of marine life that inhabits the city’s coastline.
A two-time Olympian, Dagorne’s life has been inextricably linked with cycling since he watched on television as Alain Bondue, the idol who would become his close friend, claimed individual pursuit silver at the 1980 Moscow Games.
But the Frenchman’s enduring love for being on two wheels is rivalled by a passion for scuba diving.
“I’ve only been three or four times in the past six months, but every time it was to carry out reef checks, then report back to the government,” said Dagorne, who is a member of Living Seas Hong Kong, a not-for-profit organisation dedicated to local marine protection.
Members of the Hong Kong squad in Roubaix’s Velodrome Andre-Petrieux last year. Photo: Handout
“Around 25 per cent of the marine life off China’s coast is concentrated in Hong Kong. It is amazing.