The modernization of Roland-Garros is a bit like their baby. Pascale Sicard and Anne Lagarde have supported the site since its inception. The first, director of operations at Essor AMO and Consulting, moved to Porte d'Auteuil in 2012 after having worked in the Louvre or in the Channel Tunnel.
The second, a former management controller who became responsible for operations in the same group, came to lend her a hand a year later.
Since then, the duo, based year-round on the tournament site, has taken on the task of coordinating all the speakers, choosing providers, dealing with (many) unforeseen events, etc. The installation of the eleventh and last wing of the roof of the Central, this Wednesday morning, by the teams of the Italian specialist Cimolai, will mark for them an important stage. Almost the beginning of the end ...
"The three essential data for us were the roof, the schedule and the price," summarizes Pascale Sicard. Especially the schedule, since there are tight deadlines to keep each year for the Grand Slam to take place. It was sometimes ric-rac. We are not immune to strikes, bad weather ... It can slip at any time. The two most difficult phases were last year and this year (note: with the roof, the destruction of court No. 1 and the creation of new courts 2 and 3 in particular) . "
"There was no monotony! "
The beginnings were however a little rock'n'roll. "I remember when we went to deposit the building permits (note: one for the historic triangle, the other for the Jardin des Serres) by truck because we had 34 boxes of documents," smiles Anne Lagarde. Then, there are many things that I had to learn on the job: the recourses of the residents, the insults, the afternoons at the administrative court, the raids of the police, vandalism in the greenhouses during the interruption of the works . No time to get bored. There was no monotony! "
The works will be 100% complete for the 2021 edition with the delivery of courts 6 and 8 and the establishment of all the green spaces, in particular in the area of the former Place des Mousquetaires. "There is bound to be pride," slides Pascale, looking at the cutting plans hung on the walls of the prefab that houses them. It's beautiful, right? "
Then it will be time to give up a part of their career to fly towards other challenges. One for the big infrastructure (roads, metro), the other for adventures that have a soul.
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"We are going to end up in depression", laughs Anne, whose mission initially completed last summer - she was specifically in charge of the Greenhouses - was extended for a few months. "We will especially try to hit the balls on the courts," breathes Pascale. We are not practitioners but we have sworn to do it before leaving. We are not going to miss this… ”