QUESTION: The covid has been reminiscent of cycling in recent weeks.

Are you worried?

ANSWER: "No. For the teams, the Tour de France is so important that they themselves redouble their attention to the riders and their staff before the start. But the Tour will recall in the communication the elementary gestures of protection and obviously respect the health rules in Denmark and France, and the recommendations of the International Cycling Union (UCI).For the third year in a row, I will not shake hands with the champions and approaching them can only be done with a mask. We will distribute 40,000 masks to accredited people likely to approach the runners, near the departures and arrivals.

Q: Why a Grand Depart in Copenhagen?

A: "I was fascinated in 2011 by the number of people on bicycles. In Denmark, everyone rides a bicycle. The slogan of the bid was the meeting of the most cycle-friendly city in the world and the biggest race world. In Denmark, everyone watches the Tour, the audience and market shares are monumental. The Tour allows France Télévisions to triple its market share to go up between 35 and 40%, 39.4% on the Tour 2021. TV2 in Denmark was 60.4% Sportingly, Denmark is also the fascinating finish of the second stage with the 18 of the last 20 kilometers above the sea. policy never denied, with three different mayors and two prime ministers!"

Q: Can this Tour succeed for the French?

A: "We are very happy to see Thibaut Pinot again after his year and a half completely ruined by his back injury, in another register, stage hunter and creator of emotions, and Romain Bardet who was in dazzling form in the first ten days of the Giro d'Italia. Guillaume Martin is still there in the classifications, David Gaudu... there are no doubt quality Frenchmen. But, if you want me to say that a Frenchman can win the Tour , it seems very complicated to me this year again. In the first ten, yes, maybe in the first five, stage victories, why not a great fight for the polka dot jersey. But going for Pogacar or Roglic, that seems more complicated.

Romain Bardet (right) in the lead on the roads of the Giro on May 15, 2022 on the slopes of the Blockhaus during the 9th stage.

"If you want me to say that a Frenchman can win the Tour, it seems very complicated to me again this year", says Christian Prudhomme Luca Bettini AFP / Archives

Q: The first week scares a lot of podium contenders.

Is it too hard, too risky?

A: "The organizers propose, the riders dispose, it's always the same thing. We had a sparkling first week last year, I'm not convinced that it wasn't tiring for the champions, especially with the entry into the mountain in the rain, for 48 hours. We had a soothing first few weeks. Today's champions are more inclined towards attack and that's very good, they have a field where they can express themselves.

Q: But with additional risk of falls?

A: "No organizer likes riders to fall. Falls happen for different reasons, sometimes inherent to the route, sometimes to the equipment, to the respect that exists or does not exist in the peloton, some riders have even pointed it out. finger in the spring. There are of course crashes in the races but the most serious crashes in recent years have taken place out of competition, Chris Froome preparing for the Dauphiné time trial, Egan Bernal with the time trial bike still in the training, Amy Pieters who was in training..."

Q: It's also the return to Alpe d'Huez, an often very "hot" climb.

Are you planning any special measures?

Thibaut Pinot in the climb of Alpe d'Huez on July 25, 2015 where the French rider had won the 20th stage of the Tour de France.

After four years of absence, the Grande Boucle returns this year to these mythical slopes LIONEL BONAVENTURE AFP/Archives

A: "There are always specific measures. The last four kilometers are completely barriered, the first kilometer is barriered on one side knowing that on the other side it is the cliff. There are police forces in number, Dutch police officers in the "Dutch curve", Danish police officers in the "Danish curve", and a lot of communication on all the networks".

Q: A Netflix documentary series is launched on the Tour.

Is it to reach the target of the younger generations?

A: "(smile) Last year, 15-24 year olds were the second age group that watched the Tour the most. The Tour is an invention of the newspapers, it is always in tune with the means of communication of its time, the written press, radio, television which glorifies it, today the various platforms. The Tour aims to speak to as many people as possible".

Interview by Jean MONTOIS

© 2022 AFP