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J350 - Friday, October 1: Verbeau - Saint-Etienne

77.10km  – 9H11’   
Altitude : 457m
The stage for October 16:  Montargis - Fontainebleau (the itinerary will be posted online later)
Finish October 17 at l’INSEP – Avenue de Tremblay, 75012 Paris
There will be no stage between cities
Serge will enter l’INSEP around 9:00 a.m. and will run on the track in the INSEP until 11:06 a.m.  He will be accompanied by everyone who wishes to run these last two hours of the Around the European Union Footrace, and celebrate the 365 days of the race.

We made a hop from Roanne to Verbeau to shorten the number of kilometers in the stage, and then Serge started a new day, accompanied by Franck, who came expressly from Saint-Etienne to run the stage.  He will stop at Veauche.
The terrain is slightly hilly but the fog keeps us from enjoying the scenery.  The crew can only hear the Loire, which runs below us.  We are in the ancient province of Forez and we are passing by Saint-Galmier, where Badoit water comes from.  If the first part of the route is quiet, the second is not, due to stops at schools along the way.  Christophe of the Union Financière de France arranged for Serge to see children in CE1 and CM2 grades (7 and 10 year olds respectively) at the Marcel Pagnol School at Veauche and the Glycines school.  There was time to take a good bath of youth and energy, with drawings, flags and encouragement.
At La Fouillouse, Pascal and the runner’s association, « La Petite FoulĂ©e, » are waiting for Serge to lead him to the Cèdres School, where the entire school is waiting, except for two classes that are already at the Henri Lux Stadium at Saint Etienne to ask questions that they have prepared with their teachers, Mireille and Jean-Paul.  The children also want to tell him a story which comes straight from their imagination.  Here it is:
It is Saturday, October 17, 2009.  Serge Girard is a secret agent who has just finished his mission in Japan.
His code name is:  O’N Serge.  He has a beard, is bald and wears red running shoes and sun glasses.  He lives in Paris, the capital of France.
C’était le président de la République se dit Serge, il faut que j’aille à l’Elysée… mais le 17 octobre ça veut dire : MAINTENANT !!!!!!
O’N Serge is asleep in bed when all of a sudden the telephone rings: Bip Bip Bip.  He gets up, picks up the phone and hears:
“Hello, O’N Serge, I have a new mission for you, come to my secret office on October r 17, 2009 so I can give you information about this mission”


O’N Serge gets dressed fast.  He puts on his red running shoes and leaves discreetly for the ElysĂ©e, running through the Paris streets.  He reaches the ElysĂ©e.  He tells the Republican Guard that the president wishes to see him and is waiting in his office.  The guard accompanies him to the president’s office.  Serge thanks him and knocks on the door.  The president opens the door and takes him into his office:
“Hello, I congratulate you for having successfully accomplished your last mission”.
“Thank you but you called me for a new search”.
“Yes, here is a book that will help you to accomplish your mission!”
O’N Serge takes the book.  He thanks the president.  He opens the book and begins to read the first line: “ONCE UPON A TIME….”
All of a sudden a cloud of smoke fills the room and as if by magic, Serge Girard disappears into the book….”
What fertile imagination!
We had a visit from SĂ©verine, who accompanied Serge when he crossed the USA and Australia.  This doesn’t make us feel young.  She now lives in Grenoble with her partner and her two children but still found the time to come here, the place where she grew up.
Our thanks go to Franck and all the Saint-Etienne chapter of the CJD which was responsible for the gathering at the magnificent Henri Lux Athletic Stadium and which included: the Handisport Club of Saint Etienne; the Heart and Health Club; the Sorbiers Hubert Reeves School; Driss Maazouzi, bronze medalist in 2001 and gold medalist in 2003 in the 1,500 meter race at the World Gymnastics Championships; Eric Legat, 100 km runner, who came in 9th at the last World Championships in Belgium.   It was a moment of sharing between runners from different backgrounds and with children who are always happy and dynamic.

Town : Saint-Etienne (Loire)

GPS : N 45.46’29.6° E 004.38’78.8°