After two stages in Spain, the Tour de France arrives in France this Monday, July 3. Until Sunday July 23, the 176 riders in the peloton will cross the South West, the Massif Central, the Alps and the Vosges before reaching Paris. A crossing of the country in the midst of social revolt after the death of Nahel, 17, killed by police fire after refusing to comply.
ASO, the organizer of the biggest cycle race in the world, pays “special attention” to what is happening in the country. “We are in constant contact with the Ministry of the Interior”, explains the deputy director of the Grande Boucle, Pierre-Yves Thouault.
Cédric Vasseur, manager of Cofidis, who admits to being “saddened by the images we see”, said he was “worried”, in Ouest-France. “The fear is present. We feel the runners somewhat disturbed. After the stage, they look at the images. They say to themselves: ‘We are going to go to this country…'” He claims to have “total confidence in the organisers”, but does not hide his fear that certain people “are trying to set fire to Tour vehicles. of France, seek to use the image of the Grande Boucle around the world”.
“Of course we follow French news, even if we are in a bubble and we are a little disconnected from it”, confirms, for his part, Benoît Cosnefroy. “We talk about it at the table between runners. We find it a bit crazy on the outside. We see scenes that we didn’t expect to see in France one day. »
If the arrival in Paris is still far away, the passage in certain large cities, like Bordeaux, leaves Cédric Vasseur perplexed. “When we see these images [des émeutes, NDLR], we say to ourselves that if the finish took place tomorrow in Paris, it would be very likely that the prefecture would cancel the stage, because we cannot start the race with all the spectators. When we see that Mylène Farmer’s concert is canceled, we say to ourselves that it is serious. We are all waiting for strong measures. »
However, he does not want to think about a stage cancellation or a stoppage of the competition. “I think the Big Loop has never been stopped. She’s been through a lot of storms, and she’s going to have more,” he said. “I think the French state will do everything to ensure that the Grande Boucle arrives in Paris. And even if he does, it won’t be a victory. The situation is extremely serious. The problem must be dealt with in depth. »
The arrival of the first stage in Bilbao, Spain, was a celebration. “We have to fight so that the Tour remains a party,” he concludes.
