Nice, April 29th – Loïc Marcille and Tom Mollaret, two students and fans of OGC Nice, successfully completed the challenge they set themselves after the semi-final of the League Cup: to cycle from Paris to Nice in one week, regardless of the outcome of the Aiglons in the final played at the Stade de France on April 22nd.
Leaving Paris on Sunday, April 23rd, the two young supporters arrived at the Charles Ehrmann Sports Park (OGC Nice training center) on Saturday, April 29th in the late afternoon after more than 950 kilometers full of adventures and mixed fortunes.
Montargis (45), Nevers (58), Vichy (03), Givors (69), Grenoble (38), and Digne-les-Bains (04) were the stopover cities on this somewhat crazy challenge. As if the Nice players’ defeat in the League Cup final wasn’t a big enough blow to Loïc and Tom’s morale, the weather conditions they encountered on the road to “Nissa la Bella” did not spare them either: a lot of rain and headwind for the first part of the journey; cold, rain, and sometimes hail in the second part. But it would have taken more than that to dampen the determination of the two young Niçois, clearly resolved to show their attachment and passion for OGC Nice. Throughout the week, parents, friends, and supporters were able to follow their progress via a website created with makeshift means for the occasion and updated daily (www.eraantibes.org/iclo).
It all started after the semi-final won on the field of AS Monaco by Frédéric Antonetti’s protégés. “During the match, I was in a sports marketing class at my university in Quebec. Discreetly behind my computer screen, I was trying to follow the game and my father was giving me commentary via instant messaging. As soon as the final whistle blew, he jokingly said he’d walk from Paris to Nice if we won the final… I replied that I’d cycle back!” That’s how Loïc got involved in this adventure. Tom heard about this challenge through the club’s supporters’ forum on the Internet and did not hesitate for a moment to join him, having never cycled from Paris to Nice before.
Loïc Marcille is one of the founding members of the SECIOUN MONTREAL, a group of Niçois supporters exiled in Quebec, who traveled back and forth to attend the League Cup final at Stade de France. Having just graduated from the Montpellier Business School, he is pursuing an MBA in Marketing at Laval University (CAN) with professors globally recognized for their expertise, particularly in sports marketing. In the short term, he plans to interest the directors of a French football club (perhaps Nice…) in his thesis on loyalty and brand equity management and the practical application of his findings. At the dawn of an unprecedented evolution in sports marketing management, he hopes not to have to offer his services to NHL hockey players after his studies end in April 2007.
Tom Mollaret is a student in International Trade at Nice and wishes to become a journalist afterward. This desire to change paths characterizes his ambition to talk about amateur sports projects but especially to highlight those making the news. Hoping to perhaps enter the DUT Information – Communication at Cannes or Tours, he wants to expand his experience in this field through internships or jobs as a freelance journalist in local or regional newsrooms.
Now, these two staunch GYM supporters share a common dream: to give the kickoff at an official OGC Nice match!