Behind the scenes at the Tour de France
Wednesday is the second and last rest-day of the 2010 Tour de France and the Tour Village has been erected in Pau.
In every host town of the Tour de France, the Tour Village is erected. This is where the day begins, where the contenders and the spectators gather every morning before the stage start. Visitors will explore the village, covered with landmarks and allusions to the history of the Tour, and to its many famous past champions.
The Tour Village has been a distinct and deliberate institution in the Tour de France for more than twenty years, becoming a source of the customs and traditions which permeate the Tour atmosphere, and an ideal vantage point from which to speculate on the possibilities of the stage to come.
The layout and décor have been rethought for the 2010 Tour. The entrance to the village now herds the visitors down the Path of Heroes, a tribute to the most important figures in Tour history, from Louison Bobet to Eddy Merckx and Miguel Indurain. The carpet is woven with the name of the past Tour champions. Further tributes are scattered throughout the village to both champions and to their less successful opponents.
The champions have created a legend, a narrative set in the beautiful scenery of the Tour stages. The routes which evolve, disappear, and reappear throughout the years have created a language which links the cyclists' past and present. L’Alpe du Huez, the Tourmalet Pass, Mont Ventoux and others have reappeared as the backdrop for great shows of courage and athletic strength. These places are in the spirit of the cyclists and the village pays tribute to them as much as to the champions themselves.
The standard black and yellow of the Tour de France are the colours of the podium, set in the center of the village like a bandstand to welcome the victors of the day as they are awarded their jerseys and stage victories. All the familiar names of this year’s Tour have stood on this podium, many of them time and time again, and the final podium in Paris is a legend unto itself.
A Greener Tour de France in 2010
The organizers have been wide open to ideas about how to reduce the environmental impact of the 2010 Tour de France. The bicycle is the cleanest mode of transport and probably the oldest one still in use. Now, in the context of environmental concern, it is getting the attention it deserved beyond the three weeks of the Tour de France. The people running the show are keen to prove that they believe in the environmental subtext of the bicycle, and have set out to clean up their act and redesign their mode of management in a responsible, environmentally-focused way.
The Tour’s teams have also been encouraged to reduce the amount of paper used in their documentation and operations. Simple work methods can consume a lot more fuel than they seem to and fuel consumption must be targeted, both during the race and in the day-to-day operations which support the race. High speed trains are chosen instead of planes whenever possible. Driver training has been adjusted to highlight fuel efficient driving.
The fact that the organizers and sponsors have been in continuous discussion to address these problems confirms that there exists a community of values within the Tour. Norbert Dentressangle, the official haulier, has put together the most economic fleet in Europe. The transport service meets the strictest gas emission standard.
While the Tour aims to act concretely in response to environmental effect, there is a natural symbolism to the world’s biggest race. The Tour de France conveys the athleticism, strength and courage of its champions. The image of the cyclist can be tarnished when the champion negligently disregards his natural surroundings. The Tour has condemned this behavior to protect the image of the cyclist.
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