The Tour de France, Olympic Games and Paralympic Games share an impact that goes way beyond the sphere of competition. Both with more than one hundred years history and sharing the same spirit that existed between their two creators, Henri Desgrange and Pierre de Coubertin, they have often been linked by the exploits of their mutual champions, from André Leducq who made his debut on the international scene at the 1924 Olympic Games in Paris before twice winning the Grande Boucle, to Bradley Wiggins opening proceedings at the London Games dressed in yellow, just after the first British triumph on Le Tour in 2012. These two “monuments” also stood out through their popularity and the unique enthusiasm that they inspired millions of spectators.
The coming together of the Tour de France and the Paris 2024 bid committee is therefore perfectly natural and absolutely constructive. It will take shape throughout the entire 104th edition of the Tour de France, which is enthusiastically throwing its weight behind the Paris 2024 bid. From Düsseldorf to Paris, athletes promoting the bid will be involved in presentation of the Yellow Jersey, starting with Laura Flessel, the French Minister for Sport, and finishing with Tony Estanguet, Joint Chairman of the bid committee, invited to present the jersey to the outright winner on the Champs-Elysées.
On the route, the riders on the Tour de France will also have several opportunities to put the spotlight on the Paris 2024 bid. Firstly, by completing kilometre 2024 on the stage between Pau and Peyragudes on 13th July, two months to the day before the final vote by the IOC members in Lima to choose the host of the 2024 Olympic Games. On that day, the Tour de France will be welcoming Bernard Lapasset, Joint Chairman of the Paris 2024 bid committee.
A little further on, the Tour de France will spend a whole day in Marseilles for the decisive time-trial, with the start and finish at the Stade Vélodrome, a venue which is intended to host the Olympic football tournament. Similarly, the route of the time-trial will take in Promenade Georges Pompidou, which looks over the site proposed to host the sailing events.
The Tour de France will then have the opportunity to display the proximity between Marseilles and Paris, because the finishes of these two last stages are only separated by a little more than 24 hours. As it gets to grips with the final circuit in the French capital, the pack will have the unique and unprecedented opportunity to cross the nave of the Grand Palais, which is in line to play host to the fencing and taekwondo events in 2024, for a simply magical finish!
