Tour de France: in Nice, a party without guests

Only 1000 people were able to attend the presentation of the teams, Thursday evening August 27, Place Masséna, in Nice. RFI / Thomas-Sean de Saint Leger

Text by: Thomas-Sean de Saint Leger Follow

4 min

The 107th edition of the Tour de France starts this Saturday, August 29 from Nice, at an unusual time of year and, coronavirus obliges, in a particular context, reinforced by the passage of the Alpes-Maritimes department in the red zone. For residents and traders of the city, which hosts the race until Monday morning, the party is already ruined.

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The presentation of the teams, Thursday evening August 27, Place Masséna, in the heart of Nice, set the tone: this year, the atmosphere around the Tour will be, at best, timid. In the sparse assistance, a thousand invited spectators, or drawn by lot, were able to attend the strange parade of masked runners. It's almost half less than expected. “  I did not have a ticket, but I managed to get one from a couple who had too much, says Célia, a young woman from Nice. I feel privileged, continues this passionate cyclist, but many people have not managed to get in and when I see all these free places, I tell myself that there could have been more privileged . "

There could have been, if there had not been the same morning, the announcement of the passage in the red zone of the department of the Alpes-Maritimes. In this context, it is difficult to enjoy the show, even when you come from far away: "  It's special, with all these masks, it gives a somewhat heavy atmosphere  ", testifies Michel, originally from Burgundy, who concludes: "  it doesn't 'is not the same party  '.

Grand Départ, small assistance

The Niçois will have to get used to it, because things don't look better this Saturday, for the “Grand Départ”, nor for the rest of the weekend. Behind closed doors at departures and arrivals, blackout panels to avoid gatherings of the curious and very limited access to climbs: the extremely restrictive protocol will deprive a large part of the spectators of the race. The only exception is a small stand with 50 seats, installed for volunteers in a city that is now disappointed.

The runners are of course masked, like here the “Men in Glaz” of @BBHotels_VC # TDF2020 #NiceCyclingParadise pic.twitter.com/bbeiiNHDIi

  Thomas de Saint Leger (@ThomasdeStLeger) August 27, 2020

In the alleys of Old Nice, the flags in the colors of the Tour are an illusion, but the heart is not there, and neither is the tourist. “  It's a disaster , plague Monica, owner of La Griglia, an Italian restaurant. I thought the Tour was going to bring people and save me the year, but now look : the street is empty, the terrace too ! I have half the number of customers than last year and I have trouble understanding the value of organizing the departure under these conditions, because no one is taking advantage. For us, this is the final blow . »And for the other stopover towns, a warning: this year, the Grande Boucle will no longer be popular.

RFI in the wheel of Pierre-Luc Périchon

Teammate of Guillaume Martin and Elia Viviani in the Cofidis team, Pierre-Luc Périchon has agreed to share his 5th Tour de France with RFI listeners. You will find him regularly for chronicles in the heart of the peloton. “  This Tour is going to be very special and I hope to have a lot to tell you, and to give you the best possible experience of the race from the inside.  »Promises Pierre-Luc, to whom we wish an excellent start!

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