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Covid-19: start of the season threatened for cycling races in France

2021-01-26T06:52:30.746Z


The first three events of the French calendar, the Étoile de Bessèges, the GP La Marseillaise and the Tour de la Provence, remain threatened


After the cancellation of the Tour Down Under, in Australia, the traditional opening of the cycling calendar, the season started in Spain on Sunday with the Valencia classic won by Frenchman Lorrenzo Manzin (Total Direct Énergie).

In France, the GP la Marseillaise (Sunday January 31), the Etoile de Bessèges (February 3-7) and the Tour de la Provence (February 11-14) will be the launching pads for the runners.

But a few days before the start of their events, the organizers, forced to juggle strict health rules, a budget to be tied up and prefectural authorizations, are still uncertain and do not hide their concerns.

"For a month we have had a sword of Damocles above us and every Thursday, we listen to government communications, hoping not to learn bad news", recognizes Pierre-Maurice Courtade, boss of the Tour de la Provence where the champion of world Julian Alaphilippe must start his season.

"It has become incredibly difficult"

These early-season events that do not benefit from the logistics of ASO, the organizer of the Tour de France, are often the work of teams of passionate volunteers.

Despite the context, they did not want to throw in the towel unlike the Circuit de la Sarthe or the Tour de Normandie, which have already given up.

“It has become incredibly difficult,” says Pierre Guille, the organizer of the Grand Prix La Marseillaise.

But between organizers, we support each other and we even give each other advice.

There is a solidarity that does not exist in other sports.

The hardest part was to find the financing to allow the essential TV broadcasting because the race will be behind closed doors and it will be forbidden to watch it pass from the side of the road.

"

But TV is expensive for the organizers.

“You have to take out about 100,000 euros for these costs,” continues Pierre Guille.

In our budget of 200,000 euros, this will cost us around 40,000 euros.

The city of Marseille will help us with the rest.

We say to ourselves that it is better for this 43rd edition to take place behind closed doors than not at all.

The worst would be to leave a date blank.

After that, it would be harder to come back.

"

Already weakened by the death in November of Roland Fangille, its founder and organizer, since 1971, Etoile de Bessèges is still uncertain.

"Our file left for signature on Monday and we are now awaiting authorization from the Prefecture," explains Corinne Fangille, her daughter who has taken over.

According to our reports, even in the event of new confinement, pro sport should be able to continue.

We are therefore awaiting decisions on Wednesday or Thursday.

It's stressful but we have to pretend we are leaving because everything is stalled, the teams, the hotels, the cities.

We have become our own producers so we are going to sell our images to the L'Equipe channel and to foreign channels.

I hope we can recoup our costs.

"

Organizers suspended from political decisions

Pierre-Maurice Courtade puts forward an “economic issue”.

“Our particularity, unlike my two other colleagues, is that our race crosses four departments.

So that makes four prefectural issues instead of one (

smile

).

But I feel a general desire to help us.

If the event was canceled, it would make 41 hotels that could not work when they need it!

"

The organizers remain suspended from political decisions.

“If the Etoile de Bessèges were canceled, it would hurt us but we will understand, recognizes Corinne Fangille.

Especially since my father left because of the Covid… In August, he himself had wondered, because he felt that his ordeal without conviviality and exchange with the public, it would not be the same… At the beginning, I thought was saying that to continue without him, that wouldn't make sense.

But for him, for his memory, for what he built, we decided to fight despite the many difficulties.

"

Source: leparis

All sports articles on 2021-01-26

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