Par
Pierre Boissonnat
Published on
Nov. 14, 2024 at 6:06 a.m.
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It's been a while since the Grande Boucle last visited the Eure. Seven years to be precise. The announcement came Tuesday October 29, 2024 at the same time as Christian Prudhomme et Thierry Gouvenou revealed to the riders of the peloton the route of the 2025 edition of the Tour de France.
During the 4th step, Tuesday July 8, 2025between Amiens et RouenTHE Pogacar, Vingegaard, Evenepoel and other cycling stars will take the roads of Eure and even those of our sector.
From Bézu-la-Forêt to Romilly-sur-Andelle via Les Andelys
Arriving from Gournay-en-Bray (Seine-Maritime), the peloton should cross a dozen towns in the sector between Bézu-la-Forêt and the foot of the Côte Jacques-Anquetil in Romilly-sur-Andelle via Les Andelys and the Côte du Thuit.
The main lines of a route which remains to be refined
If Amaury Sport Organization (ASO) broadcast a video revealing a first route between Amiens and Rouen for the 4th stage of the 2025 Tour, the final route which will be taken by the peloton that day remains to be established. Organizers and state services are due to meet in the coming weeks to finalize the route which should be known at the end of the year.
However, a dozen European municipalities, all located in our sector, are likely to see the riders and the Tour caravan pass through. They should arrive from Gournay-en-Bray in Eure, via the RD 316, to Bézu-la-Forêt then cross the Vexin via Morgny, La Neuve-Grange, Puchay, Saussay-la-Campagne and Frenelles-en -Vexin. In this sector, runners will have to be careful of possible edges if the wind blows strongly from the west.
They should then dive towards Les Andelys going down the coast of Feuquerolles. They will cross the city, follow the banks of the Seine before climbing the Côte du Thuit.
The peloton should take the RD 126 and pass Heuqueville, Amfreville-les-Champs and Pont-Saint-Pierre before reaching the foot of the Côte Jacques-Anquetil in Romilly-sur-Andelle and flying towards Rouen and the line arrival.
Informed the morning of the announcement, Jean-Luc Rometmayor of Romilly-sur-Andelle, president of Com'Com Lyons-Andelle, and above all a great cycling enthusiast, did not hide his joy.
“It is a pride and an honor for the town to host the Tour de France”,
A first for the Côte Jacques-Anquetil
Better yet, there should be a spectacle: at the top of the 3.8 km from the coast (3.6% average and passages at 7%) which leaves from Romilly to arrive at La Neuville-Chant-d’Oisel, the first runners will compete for points counting towards the polka dot jersey. “It is an immense personal pleasure that the organizers have placed a climber at the top of the hill,” continues Jean-Luc Romet who was at the maneuver in 1996 pour « invent » the Jacques-Anquetil coast.
The one who was then only a municipal councilor presided the Sports Agreement for the promotion of cycling activity and the environment (Space) Neuville-Romilly.
At the head of the association, Jean-Luc Romet worked to honor the 10th anniversary of the death of the cycling champion who lived for a long time in his Château de la Neuville. “We wanted to take advantage of the fact that the Tour was making its grand departure from Rouen in 1997 to host the race,” remembers the mayor of Romilly-sur-Andelle. The two municipalities had spared no effort to attract the organizers.
“The technical services of Romilly had welded the elements of the bike which is at the foot of the hill. With Espace, we installed information panels every 100 m on the coast, like in the legendary Tourmalet pass, so that cyclists can find their way”
Finally, the Grande Boucle will pay tribute the following year to “Maître Jacques” by inaugurating the quay in his name in the city of Rouen.
Tribute to the five-time yellow jersey
This did not prevent the inauguration with great fanfare of the hill which bears the name of the five-time winner of the Tour de France (1957, 1961, 1962, 1963 and 1964) on September 29, 1996. The event attracted nearly 20 000 people including around 3,000 cycle tourists.
“We had achieved the feat of bringing together the two parts of the Anquetil family who did not speak to each other, but also big names in cycling like Bernard Hinault, Raymond Poulidor, Jean Stablinski among others,” recalls the mayor.
A Tour for History
During this edition, the organizers decided to pay tribute to the great names of French cycling. In addition, the memory of Jacques Anquetil will be honored on July 8 before a passage in front of the stele of Jean Robic, on the Bonsecours coast the same day. During the 7th stage, between Saint-Malo and Mûr-de-Bretagne, the riders will take roads dear to another five-time Tour winner: Bernard Hinault. They will pass in particular in the wake of Le Blaireau, in Côtes-d'Armor, through Yffiniac and Saint-Brieuc.
A little over two decades later, the peloton and the caravan will finally climb for the first time the slopes of the Coast between Romilly-sur-Andelle and La Neuville-Chant-d'Oisel 40 km from the finish at Rouen. It will even be the start of a finale which promises to be spectacular, culminating in the climb of the Bonsecours hill. And as in September 1996, the event should attract the public to the sides of our roads.
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