Hi All,

I am chasing some information on a Jerome Cataloin (or may Catalion) a french biker who died in Russia on 27 August 1994. He died about 60kms from the town of Svobodny in the Amur Oblast. At the time he was riding a KLR650, from what I can understand crossing the Zilov gap. He or his brother may have raced Dakar at some stage. The photo below is of a memorial placed at the crash site I believe by an American Rider.

Sorry for the sketchy information, just a bit of background information on this. When we broke down in Russia earlier this year, we were taken to stay with a biker and his wife, Sergi and Olga Antonov. Sergei was able purchase Jerome's bike and restore it. He hopes one day to complete the trip Jerome started. I am looking for some information so that we can better understand the story, even the name of the person who placed the memorial.

Thanks,

Craig

Craig, I find that your initiative is really touching. He's family may appreciate it a lot, it cannot be easy to lose a son/brother in far Siberia. So, living in a French speaking country, I'll try to google and help.

Considering that Russians write Western names exactly as they sound in their alphabet (=Jerom Cateluan) and your clue about being French (very French 1st name), I'd say originally the name was "Jérôme Cateloin" (or "Catélouin(e)"/"Catailoin(e)", but these other options don't seem to exist).

According to a French site focused on genealogy I found -which takes the data from the French National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies, so a pretty solvable source- "Cateloin" is a very uncommon surname in France. Actually only 5 people with that family name were born from 1966 to 1990 and all from northern France and Paris area. I know nothing about these genealogy things (not interested at all), but I guess the logical conclusion is that he was one of this 5 and that they were/are all members of the same family. So, if you contact them, they may know of him. You may look for other Cateloin people who appear on line, as one who seems to work in a French University...

The site: CATELOIN : popularité du nom CATELOIN, généalogie des CATELOIN

Good luck with the research.

Esteban

Thanks estebangc I appreciate it. My googling hadn't been that fruitful. I am quite interested in understanding the story. We kinda got ourselves a little involved in the story, hearing what Sergei wanted to do actually led us to give him my 950 so he could repair it and sell to go towards his own dream trip.

The guys from Svobodny are going to France next year to try to find his family, hopefully we can meet up with them when they do.

They had a pile of documents, mostly in French and Russian though.

My hope was to find either the guy who placed the plaque or someone who the knew the story. I would like if the story can go to its conclusion with Sergei finishing the trip that was started 18 years ago.

Here is a little background from this site:ДОРОГА НА ВОСТОК
Sorry, it's in Russian but I'm at work and can't spend much time on this right now. It sounds like he was a reporter Paris Match and the American was his friend (unnamed). Jerome's name comes up quite a bit when googled in Russian, but I have not had time to sort through it all.

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И вечером за кружечкой пива рассказал про того самого француза, Жерома Кателуана, разбившегося здесь 10 лет назад... Летом 1994 года ехал себе французский журналист – из журнала «Пари Мач» (вроде) – по России на небольшом эндурике «Кавасаки». Ехал в Японию к своему другу – американцу, снимал видео, писал заметки... Они с тем американцем собирались сделать фильм о России... Жером своим ходом прошёл федералку, точнее её отсутствие (а сделать это 10 лет назад – это просто героический подвиг))). И после Шимановска, где началось некое подобие асфальта, разогнался до приличной скорости, видимо устав тащиться по бездорожью. Перед самым Свободным дорога делает зигзаг - 90º налево и тут же 90º направо... Там вылететь с дороги – как два пальца об асфальт... А он, как шёл по прямой, так со всего маху и воткнулся в бок КАМАЗу(((. Приехал его друг американец, отправил тело во Францию - родителям, а на том месте поставил памятник... Мотик Жерома забрала местная администрация с целью продажи его с аукциона, надеясь обогатиться на этом несказанно... Но всеми правдами и неправдами Сереге удалось забрать его «для нужд мотосекции». Говорит, что аппарат просто узлом был завязан... Но Сергей его восстановил и даже съездил на нём в Якутию. Теперь мечтает доехать на нём до Франции и передать его родителям Жерома... У них, кстати было два сына, и оба разбились на мотоциклах...
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I'd be up for helping with this trip.

[EDIT: I've looked at most of the other references to Jerome found by google, but all of them seem to just quote his epitath.

Hats off

Motoreiter, you brought it to another level with your Russian knowledge!

Google translate:

And in the evening for a glass of told me about the very Frenchman Jerome Kateluana crashed here 10 years ago ... In summer 1994, a French journalist was driving himself - from the magazine 'Paris Much "(sort of) - in Russia in a small endurike" Kawasaki ". Went to Japan with his friend - an American, shot the video, writing notes ... They are so going to make an American movie about Russia ... Jerome was federalku its course, or rather its absence (and to make it 10 years ago - it's just a heroic feat))). And after Szymanowski, where he began a kind of asphalt, speeding up to a decent speed, probably trudge on the road. Just prior to the open road makes a zigzag - 90 º to the left and then 90 º to the right ... Fly there from the road - as two fingers on the asphalt ... And he is going in a straight line, as with all the fluff and stuck to the side KAMAZ (((. Came his friend American, sent the body to France - the parents, and the place to put a monument ... Motik Jerome took the local administration in order to sell it at an auction, hoping to get rich on this incredibly ... But crook Seryoga managed to take it "to the needs of motosektsii." He says that the device is a simple knot was tied Sergei ... But it was restored and even went on it in Yakutia. Now it wants to get to France and give it to the parents of Jerome ... They have, by the way had two sons, and both died in a motorcycle ...

(last sentence, ouch!)

hmmm I was on the trans-siberian in late August 1994 ... but only from Ulan Ude westwards.

Didnt hear anything before now.

__________________
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Touching souls deeply..will get in touch with all french biker friends now..

Here is the translation by marvellous friend (Also your friend you ve met this spring)
https://www.facebook.com/anton.larin.79
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this is where the knight Gerome Catelione (not sure of the correct name spelling, assuming its French name) finished his journey on August 27, 1994. In his honour please remember his character of justice, sincereness and loyalty.
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Sure he will do all he can as we are always beside each other..

As soon as I get more information, will write down here.

Best Regards
mehmet zeki avar

Thanks all the picture is starting to come together. Article was good, apart from called Sergei a crook - he is anything but (actually translate.ru says by hook or by crook), they mentioned another son had also died when we there, but I wasn't too sure. Sometimes these things get lost in translation.