"I'M LIVING MY CHILDHOOD DREAM AT 40": BARNABÉ MOULIN, OSTEOPATH BETWEEN PONTIVY AND ASTANA
Barnabé Moulin, osteopath, shares his time between his practice in Pontivy and the Astana team. In this interview, he tells us how a chance encounter allowed him to fulfill his childhood dream.
The chance encounter that changed his life
— How did you go from your osteopathy practice in Pontivy to joining the medical staff of the Astana team?
"Last year, as a cycling enthusiast, I went to watch a stage of the Vuelta a España. By chance, I was there when Warren Barguil, the rider linked to Lanester, had a fall. I gave him a hand, and it reached the ears of the Astana team's osteopath, who is one of my former teachers. He contacted me and offered me the opportunity to work with him."
The detail that changed everything
Warren Barguil's fall at the 2013 Vuelta a España was the turning point. Barnabé, who was there as a spectator, did not hesitate to help. The next day, Barguil won the stage. The rest is history.
40 days a year alongside the stars
— Have you been at all the major events since then?
"I work 40 days a year with Astana. I treat the riders every night, after the stages of major world races like Milan-San Remo, Paris-Nice, Liège-Bastogne-Liège, the Tour of the Basque Country, and the Giro. I wasn't supposed to be at the Tour de France, but the team atmosphere is so good that I went to hand out supplies and cheer on the riders, and also to assist Vincenzo Nibali after his victory on Hautacam."
The 2014 Tour de France was special for Barnabé. Although he was not officially part of the staff, he didn't want to miss the opportunity to experience Nibali's victory from the inside.
"I'm living a waking dream"
— Are you living a waking dream?
"I'm living my childhood dream at 40. I rub shoulders with the greatest, like Vinokourov, Olympic champion and general manager of the team. In fact, the other day I went for a bike ride with him. I've also experienced exceptional moments with them, like Fabio Aru's victories at the Giro and Nibali's at Hautacam. Not to mention his title of 2014 Tour winner, last Sunday. I wasn't there, but I was cheering them on."
Poland, Plouay, and Vuelta a España
— And now?
"I'm leaving for the Tour de Pologne in a few days. Then I'll follow the team to Plouay, before continuing with the Vuelta a España."
A packed schedule that Barnabé approaches with enthusiasm. Each race is a new opportunity to learn, to help, and to continue fulfilling that dream that began when he was a child, watching the Tour on television.
"Being an osteopath in professional cycling is not just a job. It's a way of life. And I wouldn't trade it for anything."
A dream at 40, an example for everyone
Barnabé Moulin's story is that of someone who did not let his dream die. At 40, when many consider it too late to change direction, he showed that passion and opportunity can meet at any time.
His practice in Pontivy remains his anchor. The place he returns to after each race, where he treats anonymous patients and shares his experience. "My practice helps me keep my feet on the ground," he often repeats.
And perhaps that is the key to his success: the humility not to forget where he comes from, combined with the ambition to keep growing.
