By Nicolas Zaugra
Published on
May 1, 24 at 7:38
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From its arrival in France via Marseille for two days on May 8 and 9, 2024 to its final stage in Paris on July 26 for the start of the Olympic Games, the Olympic flame will travel 1,200 kilometers and pass through dozens of municipalities in the region.
The flame in Saint-Etienne, but not in Lyon
Marseille, Montpellier, Toulouse, Bordeaux, Rennes, Brest, Fort-de-France, Nice, Valence, Saint-Etienne, Strasbourg, Metz, Reims, Lille, Le Havre, Orléans, Dijon and towns in Ile-de-France France…but not Lyon.
The third French city will be one of the only large cities in the country not to receive the famous Olympic flame. The relay which will cross a large part of the regions, including overseas, promises to be an appetizer before the Olympic fortnight.
But in Lyon and the Rhône, no Olympic flame on the horizon. We explain why.
“It’s expensive because it’s very ephemeral”
The Rhône departmental council and the Métropole de Lyon refused to host the event for reasons of cost. And they are not the only ones: 37 departments consider the bill too steep. The two communities, one led by the right, the other by environmentalists, are aligned. There is no question of devoting 180,000 euros for the flame.
“It would be less money injected into our territory, knowing that to this sum would be added the cost of activities and security,” explained Christophe Guilloteau (LR) at the head of the Rhône Department in 2023. “It’s expensive because it’s very ephemeral,” believes the elected official.
” Not reasonable “
Including logistics, road and security costs, the bill even amounted to 220 to 230,000 euros. “€180,000 for an action lasting a few hours in the territory is not reasonable, because public money is important,” lamented Bruno Bernard (EELV) at the head of the Lyon Metropolis in Figaro.
“I explained to Tony Estanguet (president of Paris 2024) that they would have done better to go through the Regions who were better able to carry things out. He then informed me that the requested cost did not even cover the cost of the operation. Maybe they could have done something more sober with a return to the very essence of games with people who carry a flame. It did not require 180,000 euros,” lamented the elected environmentalist.
A commune in the Rhône will receive the flame
Even if officially, neither the Metropolis nor the Department organizes the reception of the Olympic flame, a municipality will benefit from it. Neuville-sur-Saône, near Lyon, will be entitled to a small part of the event.
On June 21 between 1 p.m. and 2 p.m., the Olympic flame will be lit in front of City Hall. The relay, made up of Sanofi employees, will then set off on a 1.5 km route to reach the production site.
The event is in fact financed by thehe pharmaceutical giant, partner of the Olympic Games. “This torch relay will be an opportunity, I hope, to organize a great sports festival,” he rejoiced.news Lyon Eric Bellot, mayor of the commune of Val de Saône.
But the Paralympic flame is yes
During his wishes in January 2024, the mayor of Lyon Grégory Doucet was delighted. Lyon will welcome an Olympic flame, but not that of the July-August Olympics. This will be that of Paralympic Games also organized in Paris from August 28 to September 8, 2024.
Lyon will welcome the flame August 26, coming from Antibes in the south of France. But why this flame rather than that of the Olympic Games, which is much more publicized? “The cost of the Paralympic torch relay is borne by Paris 2024 and costs nothing to local authorities,” explains Tony Estanguet, president of the Organizing Committee interviewed in West France.
Less publicized and above all less expected, the organization still hopes for public enthusiasm for this flame. France is organizing the Summer Paralympic Games for the first time after the Olympics.
“It’s less known. This is why we must make atypical choices, rely on territories already engaged, to ensure that there will be great involvement deployed during these events,” hopes Tony Estanguet.
In the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region, 1,000 torchbearers will be deployed between the three cities of the region Lyon, Vichy and Thonon-les-Bains. To see the Olympic flame, you will have to go to Saint-Etienne to enjoy the event…
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