“France and Haute-Savoie … a territory blessed by the gods for the bicycle”
President David Lappartient, the presentation of these 2027 Worlds in Haute-Savoie has just ended, with the revelation of the map of the 12 sites where competitions will take place … What is your first feeling?
It is to say that it will be beautiful, that it will be extraordinary issues! We have one of the playgrounds here, in Haute-Savoie, which is one of the most beautiful in the world. We have a territory which is blessed with the gods for the bicycle, with a good distribution, so we will live extraordinary moments of cycling.
This idea of the super global, it was not won, we took you a little for a madman at the beginning …
It is true that when I arrived with this idea at first, no one was convinced. There was almost me. And I remember that when I arrived at the UCI, I was told: ‘But it was to be elected your thing, you still do not intend to implement it?’ But yes, I had the intention. And I was explained to me that the track was in February, that the indoor cycling was in November, that others were in July … In short, that it was impossible to change all the calendars. Well it is precisely because it is impossible that we will do it. We took up this challenge, and Glasgow was a huge success, despite two very complicated Cavid years.
And before Glasgow, we had already assigned the second edition with Haute-Savoie. And there, in September in Kigali, we will award the 2031 edition, with two candidates: Trentino in Italy, and Switzerland in the canton of Vaud, Valais, Geneva. So we will certainly have a future very beautiful 3rd edition. So yes, somewhere the baby was born, and I am convinced that these world championships grouped once every four years will certainly be a major element of world sport, not only cycling. By grouping all this, we become a major event worldwide.
“That the national velodrome serves at the Worlds in France, it is not somewhere illogical …”
The only small problem is that the track is not in Haute-Savoie, but in Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines?
Yes. A velodrome was planned here in La Roche-sur-Foron. Unfortunately, for various circumstances, he could not succeed, and it will therefore happen in Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines. Well, let’s admit that it is the Olympic Velodrome, it is also 8 years of my life that I spent building it. That the national velodrome serves at the Worlds in France, it is not somewhere illogical.
Glasgow was a success, you said. Is the bar very high for Haute-Savoie in 2027?
This is correct, because Glasgow was a huge success, with more than a million spectators, audiences multiplied by three compared to global Worlds, superb winners, such as Mathieu Van der Poel and Lotte Kopecky for the road. The best won. So yes, the bar is high. Here, we will have seven more disciplines, and we are waiting for the 205 nations affiliated to the UCI at the start. Never has a cycling competition had so many nations. So Haute-Savoie can take up this challenge.
“The online course with Domancy … We need legendary races”
Inevitably we talk about it a lot: your ambassador, Bernaud Hinault, the Côte de Domancy … 20 circuit towers of 13.3 km, 5,700 meters of elevation … It promises a hell of a show!
Effectively. And when I had chatted with Bernard Hinault from the start, he said to me: ‘I hope it will be a circuit race, and that on the same circuit, and I hope they will have 20 laps’. And so his wish has been granted, it will be the same course and the same distance. You know, a mountain competiton of more than 265 km, with 5,700 m of elevation among men, 3500 m among women, it will certainly be very difficult races, and which will allow the largest, like Hinault at the time. We need legendary races. We had a last Sunday in Paris-Roubaix, the Tour of Flanders before. We need these races, where the best clash. And here, the best will compete.
Have you rolled on this route, and the Domancy coast?
I haven’t done it yet, but it will be the case soon, I hope. I ride and I will come and try the circuit more discreetly.
