Walter Bénéteau (28 July 1972 – 10 December 2022) was a French professional

cyclist Cycling, also, when on a two-wheeled bicycle, called bicycling or biking, is the use of cycles for transport, recreation, exercise or sport. People engaged in cycling are referred to as "cyclists", "bicyclists", or "bikers". Apart from two ...

. He raced in every

Tour de France The Tour de France () is an annual men's multiple-stage bicycle race primarily held in France, while also occasionally passing through nearby countries. Like the other Grand Tours (the Giro d'Italia and the Vuelta a España), it consists ...

from 2000 until 2006.

Career

Stage 1 of the

2006 Tour de France The 2006 Tour de France was the 93rd edition of the Tour de France, one of cycling's Grand Tours. It took place between the 1st and the 23rd of July. It was won by Óscar Pereiro following the disqualification of Floyd Landis. Due to the Unite ...

started with a seven-man break-away with Bénéteau being the last man caught with 7km to go after spending 177km out in front. During Stage 6 Bénéteau was hit in the face by Spaniard

David de la Fuente David de la Fuente Rasilla (born 4 May 1981 in Reinosa, Cantabria) is a Spanish professional road bicycle racer, who currently rides for UCI Continental team . De la Fuente led the mountains classification of the 2006 Tour de France for a numbe ...

causing his glasses and helmet to go flying. Then in Stage 9 Bénéteau was part of an initial 3-man break-away, caught with only 10km to the finish line. During this stage he won all three intermediate sprint points, moving him to 23rd in the

Points classification The points classification is a secondary award category in road bicycle racing. Points are given for high finishes and, in some cases, for winning sprints at certain places along the route, most often called ''intermediate sprints''. The points cl ...

. Bénéteau's final

Grand Tour The Grand Tour was the principally 17th- to early 19th-century custom of a traditional trip through Europe, with Italy as a key destination, undertaken by upper-class young European men of sufficient means and rank (typically accompanied by a tuto ...

was the

2006 Vuelta a España The 2006 Vuelta a España was held from 26 August to 17 September 2006, and was the 61st edition of the race. It consisted of 21 stages covering a total of , and was won by Alexander Vinokourov of the cycling team. The Points classification in th ...

; he finished first in the main peloton bunch sprint in stage 11, 15 minutes down on winner

Egoi Martínez Egoi Martínez de Esteban (born 15 May 1978 in Etxarri-Aranatz, Navarre) is a Spanish former professional road bicycle racer, who competed as a professional between 2001 and 2013. In his first Tour de France, Martínez finished 41st overall at ...

. He finished 83rd overall in his final Grand Tour. Bénéteau announced he would retire after his contract ended with .

Death

Bénéteau died on 10 December 2022 in a hotel room in

Bali Bali () is a province of Indonesia and the westernmost of the Lesser Sunda Islands. East of Java and west of Lombok, the province includes the island of Bali and a few smaller neighbouring islands, notably Nusa Penida, Nusa Lembongan, and Nu ...

, Indonesia. The circumstances of his death have not yet been released by local authorities.Les Herbiers. Walter Bénéteau, un cycliste au grand cœur s'en est allé

Major results

Sources: ;1996 : 3rd

Tro-Bro Léon Tro-Bro Léon ( en, Tour of Léon, french: Tour du Léon) is a professional cycle road race held in Finistère, Brittany. The event was first run in 1984 as an amateur race before becoming a professional race since 2000. The race was established ...

;1997 : 1st

Tour du Finistère Tour du Finistère is a single-day road bicycle race held annually in April around the city of Quimper, France. Since 2005, the race is organized as a 1.1 event on the UCI Europe Tour, also being part of the Coupe de France de cyclisme sur route ...

;1999 : 7th

Tour du Doubs The Tour du Doubs is a single-day road bicycle race, currently held annually in September in the region of Doubs, France. Since 2005, the race is organized as a 1.1 event on the UCI Europe Tour and since 2010 it is part of the French Road Cycli ...

;2000 : 1st

Châteauroux Classic The Châteauroux Classic de l'Indre Trophée Fenioux was a single-day road bicycle race held annually in August in the region of Indre, France, starting and finishing in Châteauroux. It was created in 2004 and since 2005 the race had been organi ...

: 1st

Boucles de l'Aulne Boucles de l'Aulne is a single-day road bicycle race held annually in May or June around Châteaulin, in the region of Brittany, France. Since 2006, the race is organized as a 1.1 event on the UCI Europe Tour. It was previously known as Grand Pri ...

: 3rd

GP Ouest-France The Bretagne Classic, also called Bretagne Classic Ouest–France, is an elite cycling classic held annually in late summer around the Breton village of Plouay in western France. The race was originally named Grand–Prix de Plouay and, from 19 ...

: 3rd

Trophée des Grimpeurs The Trophée des Grimpeurs, called Polymultipliée until 1970, was a single-day road bicycle race held annually in August in the region of Val-d'Oise, France, between Argenteuil and Sannois. Between 1980 and 2002 it was a criterium. Since 2005, th ...

: 10th

Tour de Berne Tour de Berne is an elite professional road bicycle racing event held in Berne, Switzerland with races for men and women. Men's event The men's event began in 1920 and has previously been a UCI 1.2 rated event on the UCI Europe Tour. Women's ...

;2001 : 2nd Road race, National Road Championships ;2002 : 2nd

Tour de Vendée Tour of Vendée is a single-day road bicycle race held annually in October (Previously May) in the region of Vendée, France, finishing in a circuit inside La Roche-sur-Yon town. From 2005 until 2009, the race was organized as a 1.1 event on the ...

: 2nd

: 8th

;2003 : 1st

: 3rd

La Poly Normande The Polynormande is a single-day road bicycle race held annually in August in the region of Normandy, France. Between 1980 and 2002 it was a criterium. Since 2003, the race is organized as a 1.1 event on the UCI Europe Tour, also being part of t ...

: 8th Overall

Tour du Limousin Tour du Limousin is a 4-day road bicycle race held annually in Limousin, France. It was first held in 1968 and since 2005 it has been organised as a 2.1 event on the UCI Europe Tour. In 2011 it was upgraded to an 2.HC The UCI 1.HC and UCI 2.HC ar ...

: 8th

Grand Prix d'Ouverture La Marseillaise Grand Prix Cycliste La Marseillaise, formerly known as the Grand Prix d'Ouverture La Marseillaise, is a single-day road bicycle race held annually in February around the city of Marseille, France. Since 2005, the race is organized as a 1.1 event ...

: 8th

Grand Prix de Wallonie The Grand Prix de Wallonie is an annual road bicycle race held annually in Wallonia Wallonia (; french: Wallonie ), or ; nl, Wallonië ; wa, Waloneye or officially the Walloon Region (french: link=no, Région wallonne),; nl, link=no, ...

: 9th

;2004 : 9th Road race, National Road Championships ;2005 : 3rd Bordeaux-Caudéran ;2006 : 2nd

: 4th

Grand Tour general classification results timeline

Sources:

References

External links

* 1972 births 2022 deaths Sportspeople from Vendée French male cyclists Tour de Guadeloupe winners Cyclists from Pays de la Loire {{France-cycling-bio-1970s-stub