Contact

37-39 rue Boissière
75016 Paris
France

Phone : 01 41 40 99 80

GaultMillau © 2025 All rights reserved

Thomas Boudat, an Olympic runner on the wine trail

Thomas Boudat, an Olympic runner on the wine trail

Morgane Mizzon | 7/17/24, 5:56 PM
Disable your adblocker

On August 3, 2024, Thomas Boudat will get on his bike to represent France at the Paris Olympics. At the end of the competition, the French cyclist, already a multi-titled international rider, will take a 360° turn to become a winemaker at his family's Bordeaux estate.

Vineyards and cycling, two fields that might seem far apart. Yet Thomas Boudat knows a thing or two about both. His maternal grandfather, a rider in the 1954 Tour de France and owner of the Boudat-Cigana estate, bequeathed him both passions. This August, Thomas will represent France in two track cycling events before swapping the bike for the tractor.

A serious medal hopeful at the Paris Olympics

Thomas Boudat took part in his first cycling competitions when he was just four years old: "My grandfather (cf. Joseph Cigano, Tour de France 1954 rider) put me on a bike when I could barely walk," he recounts. So it was only natural that he joined the Veloclub Sud Gironde, before earning his first selection for the French national team at the age of 16.
The determined and passionate young man went on to become a professional road cyclist. A multiple French champion, he was world omnium champion in 2014, competed in the Tour de France twice, and came 5thᵉ in the 2016 Rio Olympics. A record of achievements to dream about, but that doesn't stop him from wanting to put an end to competition.

What could be more beautiful for a French sportsman than to end a career at the Paris Olympics? "Participating in the Olympics is exceptional in itself, but then in France? You never see anything like it again," he explains. It's a competition the athlete can only dream of, but one that doesn't distract him from his goal: to return to the family estate after the competition: "I want to get back to a normal life close to my family, to let my parents withdraw a little and take over," he confides.

On August 10, he will have to take on a completely different role. That of Benjamin Thomas, his team-mate in the 50 km American race: I'm pinning most of my hopes on this event," he says, " I've made a lot of international podiums on the American, so I think we've got a great card to play.


DR

From cycling to vineyards, in a single pedal stroke

While the cyclist remains focused on the competition ahead, he already knows what he won't miss about life as a top-level sportsman: "I'm looking forward to not having to watch my food and wine consumption so closely. It's one of the most difficult parts of my daily life. I'm an epicurean, and I want to be able to enjoy good things with my loved ones".

When he returns to the family vineyard, Thomas will be in charge of production, while his brother will be in charge of sales and his sister of administration. It's a way for the cyclist to keep in touch with nature, which is so dear to him. The Gironde sportsman sees a close link between his career as an athlete and the one that awaits him: "They're two fairly similar professions, both difficult jobs. On a bike, as in the vineyard, you have to get up early in the morning to earn a living. You have to show resilience and self-sacrifice. Both jobs are intrinsically linked to nature too," he explains. When asked about the athletic qualities that will serve him well at the Boudat-Cigana vineyards, Thomas has an idea: "The quest for perfection, to make the best weather as well as the best wines, I think that's essential".

So what bottle do you open to celebrate a medal when you're a sportsman and soon-to-be winemaker? Answer: L'Intégrale du Château Fernon, "At home, we only open it for the big moments. It's a red Graves that we try to work like the grands crus," explains Thomas Boudat. May l'Intégrale flow freely on August 10!

  • Events: August 5, 6 and 7 (qualifying, ½ final, final) for the team pursuit; August 10 for the American-style race.
  • A few places are still available for these events on the Olympic resale platform: www.tickets.paris2024.org
  • Vignobles Boudat-Cigana, Château de Viaut, 33410

 

Disable your adblocker

These news might interest you

Les chefs font leur rentrée : 7 nouveaux projets à découvrir
News & Events
Les chefs font leur rentrée : 7 nouveaux projets à découvrir
La période estivale se termine et la rentrée pointe le bout de son nez. Transmission de restaurants, fin de travaux, nouveau nom… Les chefs font aussi leur retour, avec de nombreux changements à venir.
Sofitel Le Scribe Paris Opéra, vitrine de l’art de vivre à la parisienne
Hotels & Bed & Breakfast
Sofitel Le Scribe Paris Opéra, vitrine de l’art de vivre à la parisienne
Chaque mois, Gault&Millau vous plonge dans l’histoire d’un grand palace parisien. En août, direction le Scribe Paris Opéra, incarnation du chic haussmannien et de l’appartement parisien rêvé.
Les restaurants chinois en France sélectionnés par Gault&Millau
News & Events
Les restaurants chinois en France sélectionnés par Gault&Millau
La gastronomie chinoise se fait une belle place en France grâce à quelques adresses remarquables. Voici notre sélection des meilleurs restaurants chinois à découvrir.
Ces ouvertures de restaurants à ne pas manquer à la rentrée
News & Events
Ces ouvertures de restaurants à ne pas manquer à la rentrée
Entre ouvertures très attendues et nouveaux concepts originaux, tour d’horizon de nouvelles tables qui feront de la rentrée un moment gourmand… et surtout plus agréable à passer !
L’après-été : comment la filière viticole s’adapte aux vendanges précoces ?
News & Events
L’après-été : comment la filière viticole s’adapte aux vendanges précoces ?
Traditionnellement, les vendanges se font au début de l’automne, entre fin septembre et fin octobre. Mais, à l’instar des mirabelles ou du blé, il semblerait que les récoltes de la filière viticole se voient avancer de quelques jours, voire semaines…
10 hôtels facilement accessibles sans voiture
Hotels & Bed & Breakfast
10 hôtels facilement accessibles sans voiture
Ces hôtels et maisons d’hôtes ont un point commun : ils sont tous accessibles en train, et nul besoin de voiture sur place ! Une autre idée du voyage, plus douce et sans embouteillage.
Become Partners