HURRAH FOR OUR 3rd SUPERBIG FINISHER : DOMINIQUE JACQUEMIN

16-07-2018

After Etienne Mayeur and Eric Lucas, a few years before, a third man among our pioneers ended his long and amazing travel inside our superlist. Dominique Jacquemin, just reached the incredible score of 1000. With an "S", that means that he became a "superbig finisher" with 5 times 10 bigs in all the other continents. We can see that already in the 80's, he claimed some bigs and even already eastern ones. Fidel and passionated, he spent practically all his holidays to evolute in this challenge, with more of the time, all his family. His name is an honour for us in our Pantheon. Congratulations to him and above all, RESPECT !

1) Your score is 1000. What are your feelings ?

The day of my last big and the days after, I was fully happy. First of all for the magnificent day that we lived together with 7 friends for my 1000th climb in the Gerbier de Jonc.

A feeling of satisfaction and relief too ! Because, with the years, the health felt something worse and I was more often wounded.

Another feeling is a bad feeling. The one to seem lost, like a retreated person, askin oneself what to do with his days.


2) Why and how did you begin biking?

Like all the children, by riding my bike in my quarter, in Nieuwpoort.


3)Why and how did you begin the BIG ? Which one among the 3 criteria (media, sport, tourism) seems to be the most attractive for you ?

I was a globe-trotter with luggages on the bike. Then, one day, I met Pierre Schillewaert who puieshed me to fill the BIEG (50 climbs at this time) and it began.

4) The fact to bike with your brother, was it like a motor ?

We often travelled together and it was great ! That's Alain who put me again on the seat of a bike when I was 24 ! 


5) When did you say to yourself : "I will reach the score of 1000"?

Those last years, I was really not sure to get it. I was more quiet when I succeeded the Nivolet. But we can never say it's done before it's done.

Just like my brother Alain (988 bigs) who sacrified his holidays this year to be near our mother who needs help. I would like to thank him because without this fact, he would ended as a third in the podium.


6) Did some events in your life modify your score evolution in the BIGCycling world ?

My girl-friends, my wives, and my children with whom I climbed again BIGs that I already did. But it was funny !


7) What are the countries when you met the greatest difficulties to bike ?

Andalucia, because it's so hot and also some roads are now motorways, forbidden for cyclists, like in Cadix. Also the entrances in Ukriane and Romania many years ago were not easy. 


8) What are the most fantastic landscapes that you met?

Iceland, Anatoly, french Alps.


9) Did you often say : "I bike at the place where professional racers ride" or "where other members rode too"

 

No, because as a pionnieer, I rode the first one there like Eric, Etienne, Alain.

 


10)Was there a comptetion with the other ones near 1000 ?

Unfortunately, the last events are a proof that it exists and I'm very sorry with that !


11) What are your greatest relational souvenirs in the BIG ?

My long travels with Alain, Etienne or José

(Domi, my wife, is out of competion ;-))


12) What are your worst souvenirs ?

The recent events of this month of july with the pressure on the shoulders of my friend François to decrease his score


13) The several languages used in the BIGCycling world : is this an advantage or a problem ?

It's an advantage, but for me, not very strong in languages, it was a real problem.


14) Did you get the feeling to share the same passion as the other members of the association ?

Yes, with those who like the jbike-ourneys, to travel with the bike.


15) Why did you become president during 2 years anf afterwards and still one time now, editor of the BIG review ?

I wished that the BIEG staid alive. And for the review, I likes with the old material, to write on old machines and to scotch images on them. It seems empiric but it was very warm and friendly. Now, it needs more technology.


16) What do you think of the parallel challenges (ironbigs, Natachas) ?

I didn't like the Natachas because I'm afraid that members satisfied themselves by climbing in their own country only. 375 Natacahs in Germany, it's a life programm and then, why to go to see elsewhere. But now, that I reached the score of 1000, the idea to get some Natachas calls me.


17)Among the 1000, what are the 3 most difficult climbs that you biked ? 

 Obviously the Angliru.

The Plan de Coroners is very difficult in the last kilometers. With 30 years less, it would have been easier ;-)

And the tthird one is Las Canadas during a travel with Etienne and Alain. They can talk about it ;-)


18) The persons in your surronding, what do they thing about your Graal quest ?

My mother is happ that it's finished, because she is frightened for me during my downhill.

My wife after singing "I'm delivered" asks herself in which saus she will be eaten the coming years.

One of my sons ask himself if Daddy and Grand-daddy will still bike during the holidays in the coming years.


19) Have you something to regret about all those climbing years ?

Not to believe in the passage to 1000 ! One year later, with the superlist and the new website, the amount of members increased fantastically.


20) How do you see your biling future now?

The Natachas, to discover and show climbs in deserted regions like Galicia now, modify a few of my bigs out of Europe. 


21)What do you want to give as a asuggestion to the members who begin now and wants to reach the Graal ?

Difficult to say. I began with the idea to climb 50 tops, then 100, then 500, then finally 1000. Not the same than to see the score of 1000 in the beginning. My suggestion ? To taste fully all the climbs and all the ladscapes of every countries. To taste every moment in the climbs.

 
22) Can you sum up the BIG in one sentence ?

The BIG is a cycletouring and cyclesport adventure of a whole life that will open you the doors of the world. 


25-12-2018 - CALENDAR 2019
27-11-2018 - CHANGES IN THE BIG WEBSITE PART 2
12-11-2018 - CONTRIBUTION 2019
07-11-2018 - OUR SECOND SUPER IRONBIG JUST ARRIVED
28-10-2018 - ALREADY SOME DATES IN 2019
28-10-2018 - YOUR TEXTS FOR THE 2019 REVIEW
01-10-2018 - 5 FINISHERS NOW !!!!
01-10-2018 - ALAIN JACQUEMIN IS ... A FINISHER
14-09-2018 - HOW TO DECLARE OUT OF EUROPE
02-09-2018 - CELEBRATE KEVIN SPEED
29-08-2018 - 07.10.2018 MEETING IN EUPEN (B-D)
17-08-2018 - NOW YOU CAN ORDER, PAY & RECEIVE THE NEW CLOTHES
04-08-2018 - OUR NEW CLOTHES JUST ARRIVED
02-08-2018 - BE CAREFUL : HARDANGERVIDDA TEMPORARILY UNAVAILABLE
16-07-2018 - HURRAH FOR OUR 3rd SUPERBIG FINISHER : DOMINIQUE JACQUEMIN
04-07-2018 - WE LOVED YOU JULES
29-06-2018 - Natacha Deutschland ist online!
27-06-2018 - AFTER 6 MONTHS IN 2018, HOW DO OUR 6 PRIORITIES WORK ?
20-05-2018 - CHANGES IN THE BIG WEBSITE
11-05-2018 - LAST NEWS ABOUT OUR CLASSEMENTS
06-05-2018 - SUMMARY OF THE DUTCH MEETING 2018
05-05-2018 - GIRO IN ISRAEL WITH OUR HIGHER-AILLEURS
17-04-2018 - NEW DYNAMIC MAPS FOR THE NATIONAL CHALLENGES
15-04-2018 - AMAURY PREILLON IS OUR NEW COMMUNICATION MANAGER
21-03-2018 - DUTCH CROSSROAD 2018: 10 BIGs IN 1 WEEKEND !
24-02-2018 - HIGHER-AILLEURS MOUNT IGMAN
23-02-2018 - ANNUAL MEETING BIG 2018 PORTUGAL
17-02-2018 - BIG DECISIONS 2018
15-02-2018 - IMPROVED MAP FUNCTION
15-02-2018 - RESULTS OF THE VOTES
31-01-2018 - OFFICIAL ELECTRONIC VOTE 2018
29-01-2018 - POSITIVE GENERAL ASSEMBLY