Stage-town: for the 2nd time
Town: Ille-et-Vilaine (35)
Population: 4,600 (Mévennais and Mévennaises)
Personalities: Louison Bobet, Jean Bobet, Francis Pipelin, Frédéric Guesdon (cyclists). Théodore Botrel (composer).
Specialities: Pancakes, far breton, kouign amann, sablés bretons. Cider, bouchinot (liqueur).
Sport: US Saint-Méen-Saint Onen (football), Sporting club du Pays Mevennais (all sports), Cyclo Club Mévennais, Vélo Club Mévennais, Entente Athlétique du Pays de Brocéliande (athletics)
Festivals: Mômes d'automne Festival, Le Grand soufflet Festival (Rennes and department). Country festival.
Economy: local shops. Stopover village. Agriculture.
Label: Terre de Jeux 2024
Websites/social networks: www.stmeen.fr / destination-broceliande.com / stmeen-montauban.fr
Saint-Méen-le-Grand and Cycling
It is, of course, the home of three-time Tour winner Louison Bobet, to whom a museum is dedicated (see below). His brother Jean was also born in Saint-Méen, as were Francis Pipelin and Frédéric Guesdon, all of whom deserve their place in the history of Breton cycling. Jean Bobet may not have had his brother's record of achievements and influence, but he did win Paris-Nice in 1955 before embarking on a successful career as a sports journalist. His books on cycling, including En selle and Demain on roule (In the Saddle and Tomorrow We Ride), are classics of cycling literature. He also won the Sport Literature Prize in 2003 for a book on Octave Lapize. Jean Bobet passed away in 2002. Francis Pipelin, a contemporary of the Bobet brothers, competed in four consecutive Tours de France between 1957 and 1960 and won the Grand Prix du Midi-Libre in 1958. As for Frédéric Guesdon, still present in the pelotons as sports director of the Groupama-FDJ team, he is the last Frenchman to have won Paris-Roubaix in 1997 and added Paris-Tours 2006 to his list of victories for good measure. In 2006, the town hosted the start of a stage won by Sylvain Calzati in Lorient.
Louison Bobet
Although cycling in Brittany had already made its mark before the war with riders such as Lucien Petit-Breton, Paul Le Drogo and Léon Le Calvez, it was with Jean Robic and above all Louison Bobet, the first winner of three consecutive Tours de France, that Brittany became the land of choice for cycling in France. Before the advent of Bernard Hinault, Bobet was the main Breton champion in this line. His rivalry with Jean Robic was later overshadowed by that between Jacques Anquetil and Raymond Poulidor, but the winner of the 1947 Tour and the winner of the 1953 to 1955 editions hated each other. Robic called his rival "Louisette Bonbon", a nickname that appealed to the peloton, who were quick to describe the son of a baker from Saint-Méen as a "crybaby". It is true that Louison Bobet and his suffering have given the Tour de France some of its most beautiful and pious images. Described as "hyper-nervous" by his brother Jean, throughout his career his health was delicate, his impetuosity played tricks on him, and numerous mechanical incidents broke his momentum. Handicapped by numerous saddle injuries, to the point where he had to undergo life-saving surgery at the end of 1955, he had the intelligence to identify these shortcomings and correct them. He drew inspiration from the training methods of Fausto Coppi, who was his closest friend and rival, and took on a regular doctor and trainer, Raymond Le Bert, who knew how to soothe his aches and pains. Already a talented amateur, he revealed himself in his first Tour de France, the one that Robic won in 1947, when he rode for René Vietto. In 1948, he won two stages and wore the Yellow Jersey for more than a week but fell victim to Gino Bartali's banderillas and failed to finish on the podium. The legendary Alfredo Binda, who was in charge of the Italian team at the time, said that under his watch, this impulsive young Frenchman would have won the race. It would take him another five years. Health problems (boils, indurations, angina) multiplied, and although he was patient and won Milan-San Remo and the Tour of Lombardy in 1951, the Tour and the Giro seemed to elude him. Everything returned to normal in 1953 when, still suffering from eternal saddle soreness, he finally won the race after a great battle with his compatriots and rivals Jean Robic and Jean Malléjac. If this victory was a liberation, 1954 was the year of consecration. It was again on the ascent of the Izoard that Louison Bobet secured his victory and silenced his two closest rivals, Gilbert Bauvin and Switzerland's Ferdi Kübler. Less than a month later, he became world champion in Solingen, Germany. With time, the Breton learned to stall, to calculate and to strike the right blow: it was with this tactic that he managed to hold off Charly Gaul and Jean Brankart in the 1955 edition. At the Parc des Princes, he took a lap of honour with Belgian Philippe Thys, the only three-time winner before him. The decline began with his operation in 1955. Louison Bobet still scored some resounding victories, including a sprint victory in Paris-Roubaix in 1956 ahead of Rik Van Steenbergen, but his form was too inconsistent. Although he failed by a whisker to win the Giro d'Italia in 1957 against Gastone Nencini, he gave up the 1956 and 1957 editions of the Tour de France. In 1958, he again attacked on the Izoard, as in his heyday, but only finished seventh and first Frenchman. His last Tour, in 1959, he finished at the top of the Iseran, which he insisted on climbing to the end. A mackintosh was slung over his shoulders and Gino Bartali, now a follower, collected his bike. The race said farewell to one of its finest heroes. A road accident at the end of 1961 put a definitive end to his career. Louison Bobet launched the thalassotherapy craze in Quiberon and then opened another establishment in Biarritz, where he died of cancer in 1983.
Sights
Saint-Méen Abbey
Construction: 11th to 18th centuries.
Style: ROMANESQUE.
History: according to hagiography, an abbey was built around 600 by Mewen (Méen). The abbey was totally destroyed by Charlemagne and rebuilt for the first time in 816 by Helogar, Bishop of Saint-Malo. Damaged again, it was rebuilt in the 13th and 14th centuries. In the 17th century, a conflict arose between the monks and the bishop of Saint-Malo, who had to use public force to drive them out. Saint-Méen then became the minor seminary of the diocese of Saint-Malo until the French Revolution. Major works were undertaken in the 18th century, until the Revolution, when it was declared national property, but remained a seminary until 1905.
Characteristics: the current building, a composite structure, is in the form of a Latin cross with a very prominent transept, with a chapel adjoining the south side of the nave at the junction with the transept (Saint-Vincent chapel). The nave has a side aisle to the north. The present choir, to the west, is located under the tower. It is slightly off-centre. The orientation of the building has been reversed, with the present nave being the former monastic choir. The nave and transept are covered with timber framing. The choir and Saint-Vincent chapel are rib-vaulted.
Listed as: historical monument in 1930.
Louison-Bobet-Bicycle Museum
Tous à vélo avec Louison Bobet pays tribute to the three-time Tour winner and tells his story. The museum tour is divided into seven fun and interactive stages: "sense of effort", "taste for excellence", "popular fervour", "champion among the greats", "a family story", "thirst for freedom" and "reconversion". Jean-Paul Ollivier's film Histoire d'un champion is also shown. The museum also features moving testimonials from Louison's family, and it is also possible to follow the V6 green route from Saint-Méen-le-Grand using a simulator before tackling the real thing.
Town Hall
Saint-Méen-le-Grand town hall dates back to 1933 and is remarkable for its architecture. It was inspired by the town halls in Gouda (Netherlands) and Vichy and stands out for its bell tower. Alongside the town hall, on the right-hand side, a staff sculpture depicts Mercury, the god of travellers, a reminder that this building was once a coaching inn.
V6 Brittany Green Way
From Carhaix to Saint-Méen-le-Grand, from the edge of the Monts d’Arrée to the Argoat, the Voie 6 Bretagne runs for the most part on a converted railway line. Charming villages appear with every pedal stroke. Surrounded by forested hills, Lake Guerlédan stretches for 12 km, offering a relaxing and refreshing break before reaching the village where Louison Bobet was born.
Pond at Porte Juhel
Lake Porte Juhel is adjacent to the municipal campsite. It is 800m from the town centre. This pretty watering hole has a lovely green area where you can recharge your batteries, go for a walk or go fishing. In June and July 2023, the pond was redesigned, with sandblasting of the path around the pond, the installation of wooden picnic tables, a barbecue, two covered walkways and a fishing pontoon.
Forest of Broceliande
The Paimpont forest, known as the Brecilian forest until the 15th century, is often identified with Broceliande, the mythical enchanted forest of Arthurian legend. It is located around Paimpont, with Saint-Méen on its northern edge. With a surface area of 9,000 hectares, it is part of a larger forest massif that covers the neighbouring departments of Morbihan (with the Coëtquidan camp), with a total surface area of around 13,500 ha.
From a tourism point of view, the Paimpont forest has benefited from its association with the imaginary forest of Broceliande, which was first mentioned in the mid-19th century and in which many of the episodes in the novels of the Round Table and the Arthurian legend are set. The idea of the existence of a great central forest in the heart of Armorique was born in the mind of Arthur de La Borderie in 1861, for whom the forest "extended in length from the place of the present town of Montfort to that of Rostrenen or thereabouts".
Drink
Cider
The origins of cider go back to ancient times, when it was known as "apple wine". But it wasn't until the invention of the cider press in the 12th century that cider-making really took off. Its paternity is claimed by the Normans, the Basques and Asturians (who call it Sidra) and the Bretons (who call it Chistr). However, the origin of this "apple wine" is not clearly identified. It remains at the heart of the rivalry between Normandy and Brittany, as does possession of Mont-Saint-Michel. The first traces of apple-based drinks date back to Antiquity. Chekar for the Hebrews or sikera for the Greeks, drinks made from fermented juice, were consumed around the Mediterranean. Greek geographer Strabo describes the abundance of apple and pear trees in Gaul (France) and mentions a drink made from pieces of apple soaked in boiling water and honey from the Basque region. In Gallo-Roman times, Basque sailors used cider to combat scurvy. During their expeditions, they introduced this drink to the Normans and Bretons they met at sea.
Today, cider production has diversified while adhering to high quality standards in order to regain its letters of nobility. Regulated production processes and the choice of top-quality apple varieties and environment-friendly growing methods ensure that consumers enjoy an exceptional product.
Around Saint-Méen, the Cidrerie du Pays de Brocéliande and the Cidrerie de la Vallée du Mel keep this Breton tradition alive.
