Since July 1, the Tour de France has traveled the roads of the Spanish Basque Country, far from the anger that has shaken France since the death of Nahel M., 17, killed by a policeman in Nanterre. Monday, July 3, the great barnum is preparing to cross the border to put down his suitcases around Bayonne (Pyrénées-Atlantiques), theater of the epilogue of the third stage of the 110th edition of the cycling event. On the occasion of his return to French soil, he also risks rediscovering a reality: that of still strong tensions, resulting in violence, most often at night, all over the territory.
Asked about the security context, the organization of the Grande Boucle remains on its line: “We are in constant contact with the State services and we are monitoring the situation carefully. With the key word, “adaptation”. A total of 33,000 law enforcement personnel are mobilized throughout the three-week race; a significant number while the latter are called upon to intervene on points of tension across the country.
There is also the question of securing equipment, departure or arrival facilities, training equipment, including the publicity caravan… Faced with the riots, the government announced on Friday “the cancellation of ‘large-scale events mobilizing personnel and which may present risks to public order depending on local situations’. The Tour found itself in balance – in 2020, despite the Covid-19 pandemic, the event was able to be maintained; but it had been postponed for two months, to September 2020.
“I’m sticking to the race”
What are its attendees concerned about? In the paddock, there are several of them kicking into touch. Rod Ellingworth, race director of the British team Ineos-Grenadiers, summed up on Saturday before the inaugural stage: “It’s not for me to comment, but rather for the authorities who are working a lot. “We focus above all on the sporting issue, answer other managers of foreign teams. A dimension confirmed, Sunday, July 2, by the yellow jersey Adam Yates (UAE Emirates), at a press conference: “I’m so in the juice, I don’t even know what you’re talking to me about. I stick to the race. »
On the French side, the story is a little different. “We follow the news, even if we are in our bubble”, argues Normand Anthony Delaplace of Arkéa-Samsic. “The context is different from usual,” continues Adrien Petit. “Every morning, I find out what happened during the night,” says the rider from the Belgian Intermarché-Circus-Wanty team.
“Obviously we are worried, we are not insensitive to what is happening in France. Now, there is not much we can do on our side, recognizes Philippe Mauduit, sports director of Groupama-FDJ. We are waiting for information from the organization, we are waiting for information from the police, and we will comply with what they ask us to do. But while waiting to cross the French border for the first time, and begin almost three weeks of transhumance on the roads of France, for the moment, “it’s radio silence”.