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Tour de France: Nice, Pau… the stopover cities say yes to a start in August

2020-04-05T21:30:34.852Z


In the event of a postponement of the Tour de France for a few weeks, whose departure is still scheduled for June 27, the mayors of the city-states


In municipal elections, the Tour de France would be elected hands down. If the Great Loop was not to fight on the scheduled dates (June 27-July 19) but later, one of the working hypotheses of the organizers, the stopover cities will not stand in its way. A priori, all the town halls concerned say they are ready, if necessary, to accept a postponement.

ASO, the organizer of the Tour, is indeed working on the hypothesis of a departure from Nice on July 25 for an arrival in Paris on August 16, so obviously the sanitary conditions and the containment measures allow it, so if the pandemic is behind us. However, the organizers are considering this very seriously since they have already surveyed the host municipalities.

Even beyond the money spent (80,000 euros for a departure city and 120,000 euros for an arrival), which must be profitable with the arrival of runners, the officials or their sports assistants all want to see, in the outfit of the Tour 2020, a victory over the Covid-19 pandemic. They are thus unanimous in refusing the prospect mentioned a few days ago by Roxana Maracineanu, the Minister of Sports, of a closed-door tour, therefore notably deprived of spectators on the departure and arrival areas.

In Bourg-en-Bresse, "the Tour is France"

"This is a small verbal faux pas not very serious, but unfounded, explains Jean-François Débat, the mayor of Bourg-en-Bresse. The Tour is France. So it can only take place with the public. For the Bressan councilor, his city would be perfectly capable of welcoming the start of the 19th stage later than planned. "Let the Tour not come on July 17, but in August if necessary will not be a concern for us," he specifies. We will mobilize the people supposed to work on the Tour on another date. If ASO asks us to move, we will say yes within a minute. Bourg-en-Bresse already hosted the Tour in 2016 and we have mastered its welcome. "

In Pau, Josy Poueyto, the historic sports assistant of François Bayrou, also gives his blank check. "We are so happy to receive the Tour that we will never be a problem," she says. Le Tour is our party and a gift to Palois. What matters is that people can come. If we are told that the Tour is more likely to take place in August, then it will be in August. "

When it is objected that the gigantic hotel demand for the Tour caravan (teams, organization, sponsors or media) could pose a problem in August, Josy Poueyto smiles: “At the moment, our hoteliers are very far from receiving requests for August! There is still room. The Tour, we will know where to make him sleep. "

In Nice, "the Grand Départ is the top priority"

In Nice, which will host the Grand Départ and the first three stages, the Tour 2020 is crucial for the city. But she will be able to move the dates. "Obviously the calendar in August also includes festivities, loose Joël Migliore the sport advisor to Christian Estrosi, the mayor. But the Grand Départ is the top priority. If we have to move things planned for August, it will be done. Nice is a city that lives on tourism and we will also be able to change the dates of hotel reservations. We are in constant contact with ASO, which knows that we can adapt. "

Eric Houley, the mayor of Lure, the scene of the start of the time trial which ends at the Planche des Belles Filles the day before the finish, is just as flexible. “In the Vosges, objectively, there will not be much tourist activity in the first half of August. If necessary, we will adapt. Obviously, we will have to be warned quickly. If the decision falls around May 15, we could organize ourselves without problem. "

In Gap, "it will be the feast of the post-virus"

Daniel Galland, vice-president of the Hautes-Alpes department in charge of sport, guarantees local flexibility for the 4th and 5th stages. "The Tour is so important to us," he sighs, "that everything we can do will be done. It is essential for the life and morale of the French. It will be the feast of the post-virus. I much prefer to delay it than to see it without a spectator. It's not for the money spent, but you imagine Christian Prudhomme, the boss, to take his head out of his car in Gap and raise the start flag without anyone to see it? No! For the moment, nothing has been asked of us, but we will move if necessary. "

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Raphaël Cognet, the mayor of Mantes-la-Jolie, at the start of the last leg, looks at the August calendar in his city and almost thinks that a delay would be good news. “We had a crazy summer with races, jumping, shows and everything was canceled, he laments. If the Tour asks us to find space long after July 19, we will get there without any problem, believe me! And finally, welcoming the arrival of the Tour on August 16 would also not be a problem for the city of Paris. The Great Loop in August is unanimous!

Source: leparis

All sports articles on 2020-04-05

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