Christophe Leveque
Encyclopedia
Christophe Lévêque is a French professional "Mid/Current School" Bicycle Motocross (BMX)
racer whose prime competitive years were from 1990-2003. His nicknames are "C"-Dog with "C" referring to the first letter of his given name; and "The Flying Frenchman" for his technical skill on the track and his nationality.
Started racing: 1987 at 14 years of age. He went to see a friend race one week. Christophe liked what he saw and raced a week later. He won.
Sanctioning body:
First race result: First Place in 14 novice.
First win (local):
First sponsor:
First national win:
Turned Professional: December 1990
First Professional race result (France/Europe):
First Professional race result (US):
First Professional win (France/Europe):
First Professional win (US): In "A" pro at the ABA Fallnationals in Yorba Linda, California
on October 27, 1991.
First Junior Pro* win (France/Europe):
First Junior Pro* win (US): See "First Professional win (US)"
First Senior Pro** race result (France/Europe):
First Senior Pro** race result (US): Eighth (last) in "All Pros" (formerly "A" Pro) at the NBL Christmas Classic nationals in Columbus, Ohio
on December 26, 1991 (Day 1).
First Senior Pro win (France/Europe):
First Senior Pro win (US): At the non-sanctioned charity Fifth Annual Race Against Drugs at the Desert Hot Springs BMX track in Palm Springs, California
. His competition included Eric Carter
, Jamie Staff, Todd Corbitt and Todd Blaser in the main.
Retired: Mid 2005 due to accumulated injuries, particularly a broken heel suffered in March 2004 that refused to respond to therapy. The ABA Silver Dollar National in Reno, Nevada
on January 9, 2005 was his last "AA" pro race. He came in fourth place.
Height & weight at height of his career (1995–2006): Ht:5'10" Wt:190 lbs.
Association Francaise de Bicrossing (AFdB)
La Fédération Française de Bicrossing (FFB)
Fédération Française de Cyclisme (FFC)
National Bicycle Association (NBA)
National Bicycle League (NBL)
American Bicycle Association (ABA)
United States Bicycle Motocross Association (USBA)
International Bicycle Motocross Federation (IBMXF)*
Fédération Internationale Amateur de Cyclisme (FIAC)*
Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI)*
La Fédération Française de Bicrossing (FFB)
Fédération Française de Cyclisme (FFC)
National Bicycle Association
(NBA)
National Bicycle League
(NBL)
American Bicycle Association
(ABA)
United States Bicycle Motocross Association
(USBA)
International Bicycle Motocross Federation (IBMXF)*
Fédération Internationale Amateur de Cyclisme (FIAC)*
Union Cycliste Internationale
(UCI)†*
Independent Invitationals and Pro Series Championships
Minicycle/BMX Action & Super BMX:
Bicycle Motocross Action & Go:
BMX Plus!:
Bicross Magazine & Bicross & Skate (French publication):
Snap BMX Magazine & Transworld BMX:
Moto Mag:
ABA Action, American BMXer, BMXer (The official ABA membership publication under two name changes):
Bicycles Today & BMX Today (The official NBL membership publication under a name change):
BMX
Bicycle motocross or BMX refers to the sport in which the main goal is extreme racing on bicycles in motocross style on tracks with inline start and expressive obstacles, and it is also the term that refers to the bicycle itself that is designed for dirt and motocross cycling.- History :BMX started...
racer whose prime competitive years were from 1990-2003. His nicknames are "C"-Dog with "C" referring to the first letter of his given name; and "The Flying Frenchman" for his technical skill on the track and his nationality.
Racing career milestones
----Started racing: 1987 at 14 years of age. He went to see a friend race one week. Christophe liked what he saw and raced a week later. He won.
Sanctioning body:
First race result: First Place in 14 novice.
First win (local):
First sponsor:
First national win:
Turned Professional: December 1990
First Professional race result (France/Europe):
First Professional race result (US):
First Professional win (France/Europe):
First Professional win (US): In "A" pro at the ABA Fallnationals in Yorba Linda, California
Yorba Linda, California
Yorba Linda is a suburban city in northeastern Orange County, California, approximately northeast of Downtown Santa Ana, and southeast of Downtown Los Angeles....
on October 27, 1991.
First Junior Pro* win (France/Europe):
First Junior Pro* win (US): See "First Professional win (US)"
First Senior Pro** race result (France/Europe):
First Senior Pro** race result (US): Eighth (last) in "All Pros" (formerly "A" Pro) at the NBL Christmas Classic nationals in Columbus, Ohio
Columbus, Ohio
Columbus is the capital of and the largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio. The broader metropolitan area encompasses several counties and is the third largest in Ohio behind those of Cleveland and Cincinnati. Columbus is the third largest city in the American Midwest, and the fifteenth largest city...
on December 26, 1991 (Day 1).
First Senior Pro win (France/Europe):
First Senior Pro win (US): At the non-sanctioned charity Fifth Annual Race Against Drugs at the Desert Hot Springs BMX track in Palm Springs, California
Palm Springs, California
Palm Springs is a desert city in Riverside County, California, within the Coachella Valley. It is located approximately 37 miles east of San Bernardino, 111 miles east of Los Angeles and 136 miles northeast of San Diego...
. His competition included Eric Carter
Eric Carter
Eric Robert Carter is a former American professional "Old/Mid School" Bicycle Motocross racer whose prime competitive years were from 1983 to 1998...
, Jamie Staff, Todd Corbitt and Todd Blaser in the main.
Retired: Mid 2005 due to accumulated injuries, particularly a broken heel suffered in March 2004 that refused to respond to therapy. The ABA Silver Dollar National in Reno, Nevada
Reno, Nevada
Reno is the county seat of Washoe County, Nevada, United States. The city has a population of about 220,500 and is the most populous Nevada city outside of the Las Vegas metropolitan area...
on January 9, 2005 was his last "AA" pro race. He came in fourth place.
Height & weight at height of his career (1995–2006): Ht:5'10" Wt:190 lbs.
Amateur
- MCS (Moto Cross Specialties) Bicycle Specialties (European Division): April 1990-August 1990
- Sunn/Chipie BMX August 1990-December 1996. Lévêque would turn pro with this sponsor.
Professional
- Sunn/Chipie BMX: August 1990-December 1996
- Sunn/Nike: January 1997-August 1998
- Specialized Bicycle Components, Inc.: August 1998-2000
- Specialized/Mountain Dew: 2000-December 2001
- GT Bicycles/Speed Stick: January 2002-December 2005
- US Pro Bikes/Free Agent: January 2006-
Amateur
- 11 times French Champion
Association Francaise de Bicrossing (AFdB)
La Fédération Française de Bicrossing (FFB)
Fédération Française de Cyclisme (FFC)
- 1994 Superclass and Supercruiser Champion of France
National Bicycle Association (NBA)
- None
National Bicycle League (NBL)
- None
American Bicycle Association (ABA)
- None
United States Bicycle Motocross Association (USBA)
- None
International Bicycle Motocross Federation (IBMXF)*
- 1989 15 Expert European Challenge Cup VI Champion
- 1990 17 Expert & 16-17 Cruiser World Champion.
Fédération Internationale Amateur de Cyclisme (FIAC)*
- None
Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI)*
Professional
Association Francaise de Bicrossing (AFdB)La Fédération Française de Bicrossing (FFB)
Fédération Française de Cyclisme (FFC)
- 1991, 1992 French Supercross National No.1
National Bicycle Association
National Bicycle Association
The National Bicycle Association , later known as the National Bicycle Motocross Association was an United States based Bicycle Motocross sports sanctioning body originally based in Soledad, California that was created by Ernie Alexander in 1973 and ceased operations as an independent body in 1981...
(NBA)
- None
National Bicycle League
National Bicycle League
The National Bicycle League is a United States based Bicycle Motocross sports sanctioning body originally based in Deerfield Beach, Florida but after several moves it was based in Hilliard, Ohio...
(NBL)
- 1997 Pro Class Grandnational Champion
- 1997, 1998 National No.1 Pro
- 1998 Pro Open Series Champion*
American Bicycle Association
American Bicycle Association
The American Bicycle Association is a United States-based Bicycle Motocross sports governing body in Gilbert, Arizona created by Merl Mennenga and Gene Roden in 1977. It is the largest sanctioning body in the United States concerning BMX. It has tracks in Canada and Mexico as well as in the USA...
(ABA)
- 1991 "A" Pro Grandnational Champion
- 1995 "AA" Pro Grandnational Champion
- 1998 National No.1 Pro
- 1999 "AA" Pro US Gold Cup Central Champion
- 1999 "AA" Pro Grandnational Champion
- 1999 National No.1 Pro
United States Bicycle Motocross Association
United States Bicycle Motocross Association
The United States Bicycle Association was a short lived Bicycle Motocross national sanctioning body based in Tempe, Arizona. It was founded in March 1984 by five former members of the American Bicycle Association : Rich Mann, Dave Cook, Geoff Sims, Steve Schaefer and Rod Keeling, who became the...
(USBA)
- None
International Bicycle Motocross Federation (IBMXF)*
- 1991 Superclass 24" European Challenge Cup VIII Champion
- 1991 Superclass 24" European Champion
- 1991 Superclass 20" World Champion
- 1992 Superclass 20" & 24" European Challenge Cup IX Champion
- 1992 Superclass 20" Silver Medal World Champion
- 1993 Superclass 24" European Challenge Cup X Champion**
- 1993 Superclass 20" & 24" European Champion
- 1993 Superclass 24" World Champion
- 1994 Superclass 20" European Champion
- 1995 Superclass 20" World Champion
Fédération Internationale Amateur de Cyclisme (FIAC)*
- None
Union Cycliste Internationale
Union Cycliste Internationale
Union Cycliste Internationale is the world governing body for sports cycling and oversees international competitive cycling events. The UCI is based in Aigle, Switzerland....
(UCI)†*
- 1995 Elite Men World Cup Champion
- 1997, 1998, 1999, 2001 Elite Cruiser World Champion
Independent Invitationals and Pro Series Championships
Notable accolades
- Won the 2001 ABA Golden Crank award for Pro of the Year.
- During one of his bouts of injury he started an international BMX distribution company, US Pro Bikes in 2003.
Significant injuries
- Broke wrist riding for recreation at Sheep Hills on or around January 5, 1995. He flew back home to France to have surgery on his wrist. He raced a few large events in France before returning to the United States. He was back racing at the ABA Winternationals in Scottsdale, ArizonaScottsdale, ArizonaScottsdale is a city in the eastern part of Maricopa County, Arizona, United States, adjacent to Phoenix. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, as of 2010 the population of the city was 217,385...
on March 18, 1995. - Injured shoulder at the NBL Summer Nationals in South Park, Pennsylvania on July 20, 1996 He slipped his pedals coming out of the first turn over a jump that was at the turn's exit, flying over the handlebars and slamming his arm and shoulder into the dirt. He was scheduled to be laid up six weeks, but he was determined to make the NBL grands exactly six weeks later. This was not to be since he ended up missing both the UCI World Championships and the NBL Grandnational.
- Hurt back at the ABA Fall Nationals in Perris, CaliforniaPerris, CaliforniaPerris is a city in Riverside County, California, USA. At the 2010 census, the city population was 68,386, up from 36,189 at the 2000 census. The city is named in honor of Fred T. Perris, chief engineer of the California Southern Railroad...
in late October 1998. He was laid up for five months. - Separated his shoulder in a crash during the third AA pro main of the ABA Grandnational in Tulsa, OklahomaTulsa, OklahomaTulsa is the second-largest city in the state of Oklahoma and 46th-largest city in the United States. With a population of 391,906 as of the 2010 census, it is the principal municipality of the Tulsa Metropolitan Area, a region with 937,478 residents in the MSA and 988,454 in the CSA. Tulsa's...
on November 28, 1999. - Hurt his back at the NBL Easter Classic National in Sarasota, FloridaSarasota, FloridaSarasota is a city located in Sarasota County on the southwestern coast of the U.S. state of Florida. It is south of the Tampa Bay Area and north of Fort Myers...
on Friday, March 29, 2002. After a few weeks attempting to rest it on his own, he flew back to his native France for treatment. He was at first confident of a relatively quick recovery; instead it led to several back surgeries to repair and then eventually replace a ruptured disc. He was out for the entire season. He returned to racing in mid-2003. - Broke foot at a no-clips race in France in early October 2003. He was laid up until the 2003 ABA Grand Nationals.
- Broke foot, shattering his heel in March 2004. Was laid up for eight months, due in part to complications in the healing process, until the ABA Grand Nationals on November 23, 2004. This would ultimately prove to be a career-ending injury due to its refusal to respond to physical therapy.
BMX press magazine interviews and articles
- "Double Interview: Christophe Leveque & Brian Foster" BMX Plus! April 1996 Vol.19 No.4 pg.66 two separate non-interactive interviews with the pros Foster and Lévêque.
- "The New NBL #1 Pro Speaks" BMX Plus! December 1997 Vol.20 No.12 pg.42 Mini Interview of the 1997 NBL pro No.1 Lévêque.
- "Inside the Pro's Bikes" BMX Plus! July 1998 Vol.21 No.7 pg.93 Article about the racing machines of Lévêque and John PurseJohn PurseJohn Eric Purse is a former American professional "Mid School" Bicycle Motocross racer...
. - "Specialized Signs Chris Lévêque" BMX Plus! January 1999 Vol.22 No.1 pg.92
- "The Pro Upset of the Year...Christophe Leveque: ABA & NBL #1 Pro." BMX Plus! March 1999 Vol.22 No.3 pg.28
- "The French Invasion" Snap BMX Magazine May 1999 Vol.6 Iss.3 No.31 pg.40 Joint interview with fellow countryman and racer Thomas AllierThomas AllierThomas Allier is a French professional "Mid/Current School" Bicycle Motocross racer whose prime competitive years were from 1993-2006. Allier was a member of the French Olympic BMX Team participating in the debut of BMX racing at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China...
. - "Q&A: If you could race one race over again, which would it be?" Snap BMX Magazine December 1999 Vol.6 Iss.10 No.38 pg.42 Single question interview asked of Lévêque and four other professional racers including Randy StumpfhauserRandy StumpfhauserRandall Richard Stumpfhauser is an American professional "Mid School" Bicycle Motocross racer whose prime competitive years are from 1998 to the present...
, Michelle Cairns, Neal Wood, and Jamie LillyJamie LillyJamie Nicole Lilly was a professional American "Mid School" Bicycle Motocross racer whose prime competitive years were from 1987 to 2004...
. - "Christophe Leveque" Snap BMX Magazine January 2000 Vol.7 Iss.1 No.39 poster back
- "Interview: Christophe Leveque" Transworld BMX April 2003 Vol.10 Iss.4 No.78 pg.50
- "The Flying Frenchman Calls It A Day" BMX World December 2005/January 2006 Vol.1 No.1 pg.7(Premier Issue)
BMX magazine covers
----Minicycle/BMX Action & Super BMX:
- None
Bicycle Motocross Action & Go:
- None
BMX Plus!:
- March 1991 Vol.14 No.3 in virtual tie in inside of Brian Foster in middle and Dave Cullinan (4) in foreground outside.
- November 1991 Vol.14 No.11
Bicross Magazine & Bicross & Skate (French publication):
Snap BMX Magazine & Transworld BMX:
- Snap March/April 1996 Vol.3 Iss.2 No.9 (15) in first place ahead of John PurseJohn PurseJohn Eric Purse is a former American professional "Mid School" Bicycle Motocross racer...
(8) in second and Neal Wood (23) in third. - Snap BMX Magazine May 2001 Vol.8 Iss.5 No.55 This was the last issue of Snap before it transformed into Transworld BMX.
Moto Mag:
- None
ABA Action, American BMXer, BMXer (The official ABA membership publication under two name changes):
Bicycles Today & BMX Today (The official NBL membership publication under a name change):