Share the post "Steve Chainel: a battered, radiant, and unfiltered champion"
He welcomed us as he speaks: directly, with a genuine smile and raw energy. Thanks to Anthony Colas, we entered Steve Chainel’s world. That day, it was no longer just about juicy anecdotes or savory comments. He unfolded an entire life for us: a modest childhood, struggles, victories, intimate wounds, unwavering friendships, humor as a shield, and the freedom he loudly claims. This portrait is that of an atypical champion, battered and radiant, who never cheated, neither on the bike nor in life.
By Jeff Tatard – Photos: All rights reserved
We knew his cheeky voice as an Eurosport consultant, his irresistible duo with Jacky Durand, his punchlines that make purists and those who have never pedaled for more than ten minutes laugh equally. We had discovered his naturalness in the Netflix series Tour de France: Unchained. But what he shared with us that day was much more than a sports testimony: it was an entire life, full of scars and laughter, told unfiltered. Through his words, sometimes tender, sometimes harsh, we find the portrait of an atypical rider, a man who never pretended. A raw, intelligent, and moving story, which resembles Steve.
Modest Roots
« I came to cycling purely by chance », Steve begins with his usual frankness. No embellished story, no fabricated storytelling: simply a seven-year-old kid overflowing with energy who is taken to a cycling school in Saint-Etienne-les-Remiremont. « My father told me to try. I finished third in my first race. And I caught the bug immediately. »
The family setting is laid out: painter father, nanny mother, not a penny saved. « We weren’t rolling in money. At home, it was rather expected that I would play soccer. No one in my family cycled. » But the child got hooked, and the passion became obvious.
He quickly learned to tinker with nothing. « I was the only one with a bike without gears, a single-speed that the club had lent me. The other kids already had toe clips, I was on flat pedals. But that didn’t stop me from having a blast. » His father patched up tires for cyclo-cross races. With his two sisters and his brother, he grew up in a sibling group where values were simple: equitable sharing, solidarity. « If we give 1000 to you, we give 1000 to your brother, 1000 to your sister. So you had to learn to fend for yourself. » This modest childhood forged an indelible trait: resourcefulness as a driving force, and the desire to prove that with little, one can achieve a lot.
The Cyclo-cross Revelation
The love for cyclo-cross did not come from a calculated choice but from an encounter. In 1993, Steve was ten years old. A few kilometers from his home, a party was organized to celebrate Dominique Arnould’s world title, the new world champion. « I asked him for an autograph. For me, he was a star, my role model. And then I told myself: that’s what I want to do. »
From that day on, cycling took on a particular color. Not road cycling, too sanitized, too cold. But cross: a visceral, intense discipline, where effort knows no respite. « It was full throttle from start to finish. There was technique, running, bike handling. Everything I loved. » And there was the atmosphere. « Cross is very French, very informal. You meet everyone, you warm up at the edge of the field. It has nothing to do with road cycling where everything is structured, locked down. »
Years of Struggle and Pressure
Talented but fragile, Steve quickly learned that cycling is a sport of patience and pain. In 2006, he moved up from the U23 ranks and finished 4th in the elite world championship, behind Erwin Vervecken, Bart Wellens, and Francis Mourey. A huge performance, but one that became a burden. « Everyone expected me to confirm it. To become French champion to validate that place. » But he couldn’t handle the pressure. « I was afraid of what others thought, afraid of doing badly. I choked on every French championship. »
Years passed, opportunities slipped away. Steve won races, sometimes shone on the road — Paris-Roubaix, Tour of Flanders, Milan-San Remo — but the national cyclo-cross title eluded him again and again.
2018: Crowned Amidst Chaos
It would take twelve years for the curse to be broken. On January 14, 2018, in Quelneuc, Steve finally won the elite French champion title. But the context was terrible. « I was in the middle of a divorce. I saw my children one week out of two. I was at rock bottom. » This pain paradoxically became his liberation. « I didn’t give a damn about what others thought. I was relaxed. And that’s how I won. »
No relentless training, no obsession. Just a man drained, but liberated. « It was a mix of deliverance and sadness. I would have liked to experience that moment under different conditions. But my parents were there, my children too. That was worth everything. »
Friendships, Loves, Children
His career is also a story of encounters. Julien Belgy, Francis Mourey, John Gadret… « They are true friends. Guys with whom I built indelible memories. » And then there was Lucie, a great champion herself. Steve met her at 17. Together, they shared their youth, their podiums, their struggles, and family life. « It was incredible to experience that as a duo. We pushed each other to be better. » Their story ended in 2017, but their children are already taking over. « My son is doing great in cyclo-cross. I’m proud, but most of all I want him to have fun. Genetics are good, but they’re not enough. » His daughter, meanwhile, excels in athletics. « I would give my life for them. Their happiness comes first. »
Humor as Armor
The public knows Steve for his humor. A witty remark, a joke at just the right moment. But behind the clown hides a survival mechanism. « It’s my way of relieving pressure. I’ve always hated conflicts. »
He recounts struggles that became funny. Like the 2013 Milan-San Remo, neutralized by snow: « I wanted to play the union leader. In hindsight, I was just a real little jerk. » Or the cult passage through Moncuq, live on Eurosport: « I had prepared all my jokes. We had a huge laugh. » He gets this humor from his family. « My father was always telling jokes. And my grandfather, who was disabled, used to tell me: Steve, you’re lucky, you can walk. When you grow up with that, you put everything into perspective. »
TV Reconversion and the Duo with Jacky
When his career ended, Steve didn’t plan to become a consultant. But Patrick Chassé offered him a test. Then Eurosport called him. The duo with Jacky Durand was born almost by accident. « I had always been a fan of Jacky. And from the first race together, it was as if we had known each other for twenty years. » Their complicity works because it’s natural. « Jacky brings the experience, I bring the freshness. And we never pretend to agree. » The public loves it, social media ignites. The consultant was born.
The Netflix Effect
In 2023, the series Tour de France: Unchained propelled Steve into another dimension. « I’m more known as a TV consultant and “the Netflix guy” than as a former champion. » He discovered a new audience: younger, broader, sometimes completely unfamiliar with cycling. « Some people come up to me saying: you were so strong on Netflix. Even though I appear for 20 seconds per episode! » He takes this notoriety with perspective. « In sports, an athlete is forgotten three months after retirement. Thanks to TV and Netflix, I remain visible. »
Epilogue: Pride and Scars
Today, Steve looks at his journey with lucidity. « I sometimes did the bare minimum. I could have worked harder, gone further. But I have no regrets. » He also mentions the team he created, with passion but without protection. « I lost a lot there, money, mental energy. I gave without counting, sometimes only to be disappointed. » But he concludes with serenity. « I am proud of my children, proud of my partner, proud of who I have become. I know where I come from. And I have learned to be at peace with that. »
Then he utters a sentence that sums it all up: « I hate pretension. But I have to say it: I’m not just anyone. I have a journey, scars, successes. And above all, I have an enormous privilege: to wake up every morning, see my children, laugh, and tell myself that the rest is secondary. »
Steve Chainel is a battered trajectory: tinkering, doubts, immense joys, and memorable laughs. A rider who never wanted to take himself too seriously. And who, through this unique blend of sincerity and humor, has managed to reach an audience far wider than just cycling enthusiasts. This story is that of an atypical champion, who has become a familiar voice, a beloved face. And if his style had to be summarized in three words, he has already done it himself: pertinent, funny, and a bit naive. Simply Steve.
Share the post "Steve Chainel: a battered, radiant, and unfiltered champion"
