2023-07-23 10:36:45
Clermont-Ferrand takes a double hit. Sunday July 23, the Tour de France Women will begin with a loop which begins and ends in the Auvergne town, which will still be the starting point for the second stage, the next day, towards Mauriac (Cantal). Something to mark the young history of the women’s version of the Grande Boucle, relaunched in 2022 after having existed under various names, and thus associate the name of the prefecture of Puy-de-Dôme with the promotion of women’s cycling.
An outcome whose beginnings date back to the Covid crisis, as evidenced by Christine Dulac-Rougerie, first deputy mayor of the city Olivier Bianchi, in charge of the attractiveness of the territory, tourism, sports and major events: “When Olivier Bianchi received Christian Prudhomme (the director of the Tour de France, Editor’s note) in 2020, rumors were already circulating about the possibility of seeing the rebirth, one day, of the women’s Tour de France.she remembers.
The first city councilor had then positioned himself to welcome the revival of the event. “The fact is that against Paris last year, we couldn’t competerelates Christine Dulac-Rougerie, but Clermont-Ferrand was chosen for this second edition, after good negotiations. »
“Restore a certain equity in subsidies”
The city, which has already hosted a rest day for the men’s peloton, has a long history with cycling. Beyond the competition, Clermont-Ferrand also obtained the “City by bike” label last May awarded by the organizers of the Grande Boucle. A distinction for the 360 kilometers of cycle paths planned for 2028. But hosting the Tour de France Women more broadly rewards the commitment of associations and public policies aimed at making the city a benchmark in sport feminine.
“In 2020, we made a diagnosis and saw how necessary it was to help women’s sport properly”, explains Christine Dulac-Rougerie. For this former glory of women’s basketball, “the general idea was to restore a certain equity in subsidies between men’s sport and women’s sport”.
“Given the lack of visibility and media coverage of these clubs, they had difficulty seeking sponsorship”confirms Florian Pitrau, president of the Sport Sept and Co association. in a network, find financial partners who are often reluctant to sponsor a single club.
“Our method is observed nationwideexplains Florian Pitrau. For example, volleyball and handball will be played in the same gymnasium next year, and we have already organized joint days with two league matches on the same evening.We managed to implement a real policy for women’s sport without opposing it to men’s sport. »
Thanks to the Tour, a major promotional operation
Clermont-Ferrand has also been able to find symbols to accompany its evolution into a city of women’s sports. Thus, before training Les Bleues until May 2023, former footballer Corinne Deacon became, in 2014, the first French woman to train a men’s professional football team, Clermont Foot 63, then in Ligue 2. “The story of Corinne Deacon remains a source of local pride, as is launching the big start of the Tour this year, recalls Christine Dulac-Rougerie. But we must constantly take the actions and that these are not ephemeral. »
Be careful, however, not to declare victory too quickly: the city and the metropolis remain “at the very beginning of its infancy”advances cautiously Florian Pitrau. “The Women’s Tour de France confirms the importance of women’s sport for our territory, but there is still so much to do! » The metropolis also plans to take advantage of the start of the Tour, Sunday July 23, to carry out a major promotional operation. The women’s teams of several top clubs must be presented to an audience of partners, sponsors and patrons. “We’ve come so far”recalls the association leader. “Today, 87% of sport on television is male. Well, it was 98% five years ago, we are making progress. »
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