Lyne Bessette and Geneviève Jeanson doc to premiere Friday

On Friday at Vélo Café in Magog, Que, you can watch a new documentary about Geneviève Jeanson and Lyne Bessette. Retrouvailles sur les chemins de garnotte, or Reunions on gravel roads provides a poignant look back at the lives of Lyne Bessette and Geneviève Jeanson. Using archival documents, photos, and testimonials, it chronicles their joyful and challenging experiences, both professionally and personally.

A look back, and ahead

The highlight is their reconciliation during their participation in the GBC 500 in the south of France, a gruelling and beautiful 500 km gravel bike challenge. Through stunning footage and heartfelt testimonials, Lyne and Geneviève share their story, careers, rivalry, reasons for reconciliation, and future plans. According to the producers, there are moments of joy, pain, and their resilience in the face of adversity throughout the journey that unveils the true essence of their evolving relationship.

For Jeanson and Bessette, much has changed over the past 15 years. Both enjoyed successful careers and even rode on the national team together, but they were never friends. They often sparred both on and off the bike, a rivalry that was widely reported in the media.

Jeanson left the sport in 2006 under a cloud of doping rumours and eventually confessed to using EPO, receiving a two-year suspension. She made her return to cycling in 2022, racing gravel with the Floyd’s of Leadville team. During this time, she and Bessette started chatting and eventually met at a race in Quebec. Since then, the two have become good friends, and their long-running feud has ended.

The screening is an opportunity to see the doc on the big screen before its official broadcast on RDS next fall. You will also have the chance to chat with the producers, organizers, and participants on site.

When: Friday, June 28, 7:15 PM
Where: Vélo Café in Magog
Address: 1690 Chem. de la Rivière-aux-Cerises, Magog, QC, J1X 3W3

You can check out a teaser trailer below.