French Cyclist’s Death in Morocco Prompts Investigation Into Whether He Was Abandoned
More than a year after Stéphane Calafel died during a cycling race in Morocco, an investigation into failure to assist a person in danger is seeking to establish what happened when he was being treated. His family has questioned the race organizers and the information they received after his fall.
On September 14, 2025, the 56-year-old Frenchman was taking part in the BikingMan Maroc, a 1,000-kilometer race to be completed unsupported over five days. He fell on a track in the Atlas Mountains, after riding about 60 kilometers. Le Parisien looks back on October 4 at the hours following the accident.
A Moroccan passerby found him unconscious below the trail at around 11:30 a.m. Another competitor placed him in the recovery position and activated his emergency beacon. An ambulance nearby then quickly took him to Marrakech.
His family’s main questions concern what happened next. According to the newspaper, no one from the organizing team accompanied Stéphane to Arrazi Hospital, which is affiliated with Mohammed VI University Hospital. His wife Carole, who had remained in Var, had nevertheless received reassuring information about his evacuation and the hospital where he was being treated.
In the end, a spectator of Moroccan origin went to the injured cyclist of his own accord. Identified as Samy in the article, he says a doctor told him that Stéphane needed urgent surgery for a head injury. She gave him a prescription so he could buy medical supplies in town. He found a pharmacy and paid 250 euros upfront.
His family learns of his death when they arrive
Samy took the supplies back to the hospital and then left. He did not learn of Stéphane’s death until the next day. He believes the cyclist was abandoned by the organizers and the support team.
Meanwhile, Carole was preparing to travel with their two children. The assistance doctor, based in France, had told her he had spoken with the surgeon and that an operation was planned. When the family arrived in Marrakech on Monday morning, they were taken to the morgue.
Since then, Carole has been trying to piece together the timeline. She suspects the organizers knew of the death as early as Sunday evening but did not tell her. Le Parisien also reports an apparent change to the time recorded on the death certificate. Despite her requests, she says she has not received any medical records. As no autopsy was performed, she does not know the precise cause of death.
Her complaint, filed with the Paris prosecutor’s office in December, was forwarded to the Grasse prosecutor’s office. The investigation was entrusted to gendarmes in Mougins. According to the newspaper, Axel Carion, head of BikingMan, was interviewed on September 9; the head of the security post was also summoned.
Contacted by Le Parisien, Axel Carion and the assistance doctor declined to comment because of the investigation. Mutuaide, which was involved in the insurance process, says its coverage included medical expenses and repatriation. Carole is now seeking to find out what decisions were made after the accident, when they were made and who was responsible.
