Over a year has passed since the tragic death of Stéphane Calafel during a cycling event in Morocco, prompting an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the assistance he received. His family has raised concerns regarding the organization of the event and the information relayed to them following his fall.
On September 14, 2025, the 56-year-old Frenchman was participating in the BikingMan Morocco, a grueling 1,000-kilometer race meant to be completed autonomously over five days. Approximately sixty kilometers into the race, he fell on a trail in the Atlas Mountains. An article in _Le Parisien_ on October 4 revisited the critical hours that followed the accident.
A Moroccan passerby discovered him unconscious below the path around 11:30 AM. A fellow competitor placed him in the recovery position and activated his emergency beacon. An ambulance nearby quickly transported him to a hospital in Marrakech.
However, the family's concerns primarily revolve around what transpired afterwards. According to reports, no member of the event's organizing team accompanied Stéphane to the Arrazi Hospital, which is affiliated with the Mohammed VI University Hospital. His wife, Carole, who remained in Var, had received reassuring updates about his evacuation and the facility where he was being treated.
It was ultimately a bystander of Moroccan origin, referred to as Samy in the article, who spontaneously approached the injured cyclist. Samy recounted that a doctor informed him of the urgent need for surgery due to a head injury, providing him with a prescription to purchase medical supplies in town. He procured the necessary items from a pharmacy, advancing €250 in the process.
Family Learns of Stéphane's Death Upon Arrival
After delivering the supplies to the hospital, Samy left, only to discover the next day that Stéphane had passed away. He expressed his belief that the organization had abandoned the cyclist and the necessary assistance.
Meanwhile, Carole was preparing to travel to Marrakech with their two children. The attending physician, based in France, had communicated with the surgeon and assured her that an operation was planned. Upon arriving in Marrakech on Monday morning, the family was directed to the morgue.
Since then, Carole has been trying to piece together the timeline of events. She suspects that the organization was aware of Stéphane's death as early as Sunday evening without informing her. The report from _Le Parisien_ also noted a suspicious alteration in the time stated on the death certificate. Despite multiple requests, she claims to have received no medical documentation, and with no autopsy conducted, she remains unaware of the exact cause of death.
In December, she filed a complaint with the Paris prosecutor's office, which was subsequently forwarded to the Grasse prosecutor's office. The investigation has been assigned to the gendarmes of Mougins. According to the daily publication, Axel Carion, the head of BikingMan, was interviewed on September 9, and the security post manager was also summoned for questioning.
When approached by _Le Parisien_, Axel Carion and the attending physician declined to comment due to the ongoing investigation. Mutuaide, involved in the insurance chain, stated that its services covered medical expenses and repatriation. Carole is now seeking clarity on the decisions made after the accident, the timing of these decisions, and the individuals responsible for them.
As reported by bladi.net.
