The Olympic Torch relay begins in France on May 8 and will cross four departments of Center-Val de Loire. First stage: Indre, from May 27. France 3 details the precise program by city, with route and relay times.
The countdown is crumbling more and more: this Wednesday, May 8, the Olympic Flame will arrive on French soil, docking in Marseille. It will then leave for the French regions, and will cross the Centre-Val de Loire in two waves.
Find the precise routes of the stages and their timetables (for Indre and Loiret) on the interactive map below.
Indre, which will host the sports shooting events, will be the first department in the region where the Olympic Flame will shine all day on May 27:
- The White : departure from the Ménigouttes college at 9:20 a.m., and arrival at 10 a.m. in front of the town hall, after having gone along the Creuse.
- Baraize : departure from rue de la Roche du Ris, in the hamlet of Montcocu, at 10:30 a.m., and a return trip on the brand new Himalayan footbridge, which spans the Creuse towards the territory of the commune of Cuzion. Return to the terrain on the Baraize side, and end of the stage at Montcocu beach at 10:50 a.m.
- La Châtre : the torchbearers will set off at 12:05 p.m. from George-Sand high school and arrive at Place du Marché at 12:43 p.m., after having gone down the entire rue Nationale. Many activities are planned throughout the route.
- Buzançais : departure from Diderot College at 3:31 p.m., for a visit to the city center, along François-Mitterrand Park, under the belfry, and arrival in front of the Les Élysées cinema at 4:26 p.m.
- Valencay : the main courtyard of the castle will host the start of the Flame at 4:43 p.m., for a journey of just 700 meters to Place de la Halle.
The day will end at Chateauroux, with the departure of the Olympic Flame from Déols Abbey at 6:15 p.m. and, for more than an hour, crossing the Castelroussine urban area over 8 km. The last torchbearer should arrive at 7:20 p.m. at the Place des Sports, where the Olympic cauldron will be lit. The site will be open from 3:30 p.m., free of charge, and should offer numerous sporting and musical activities. A DJ and a host are promised to the public.
After this first visit to Centre-Val de Loire, we will have to wait more than a month to see the Flame shine again in the region, in this case in Eure-et-Loir. On July 7, the relay will set off from Dreuxand will then stop at ChateaudunThen Bonneval.
And it is to Chartres that the cauldron will be lit, at the hippodrome, with a panoramic view of the apse of the cathedral on the horizon. Before that, the Flame will have visited the city’s famous cathedral, the Saint-Aignan church, as well as the L’Odyssée aquatic complex.
Routes and stage times will only be communicated after May 15 for Eure-et-Loir.
Busy program in Loir-et-Cher for the Olympic Flame! Start of the day on the Beauce side, with a first stage at Frétevalthen a transition to Vendôme. It will then be time to cross the Loire, to meet a second Loire castle (but not the last), after Valençay (Indre): visit, this time, to Chaumont-sur-Loire. Then head to the Cher valley, Theseusthen Sologne and Romorantin-Lanthenay. Obviously, the Flame was not going to deprive itself of the king of castles: the relay will take the staircase of the castle of Chambord to reach the terraces, before descending into its gardens.
The day will end with a long stage at Blois, with a departure from the Allées stadium, and a passage very close to the castle, before the Denis-Papin staircase and the Évêché gardens. The burning of the cauldron will take place at Place de la République, where, as in Châteauroux, the last torchbearer will arrive at 7:20 p.m.
The routes and precise times of the stages will only be communicated after May 15, informs the prefecture of Loir-et-Cher.
One last lap, and then it’s gone. Loiret will be the last department of Centre-Val de Loire visited by the Olympic Flame Relay, on July 10. And the program will be loaded:
- The Malesherbois : 14 porters will take turns from 8:15 a.m., in front of the gate of the castle park, for 2.8 km of running and loops through Malesherbes, to the Alain Mimoun gymnasium. Arrival at 9:02 a.m.
Festivities will take place all day long at the La Fontaine sports complex in Joigneau, with team Olympics in various disciplines. A participatory fresco will be created by the Arc-en-ciel social center. - Sully-sur-Loire : departure from the town hall at 9:15 a.m. from the town hall, before a short visit to the city center. The prestigious arrival will be in front of the castle, at the entrance to the Sully departmental park, at 9:35 a.m.
A “sports breakfast” is announced immediately, before a show by the Pérégrin company, entitled Playground. Then, at 11 a.m., a giant choreography of the official dance of the 2024 Olympics, by the youth and culture center. Sports activities are then planned by local sports clubs, as well as board games and an escape game. Closing of the Sully Olympic Village at 4 p.m. - Montargis : long Montargo stage from 10:55 a.m., with a departure from the Champfleuri stadium. The relay will pass in front of the station, then go down towards the center of the city and rue Dorée, before ending at the Saint-Roch port at 11:52 a.m., after 3.6 km.
Many activities are planned. From 10 a.m. at the Chamfleuri stadium, even before the start of the Flame, but also a BMX freestyle show, canoeing sessions on the canal, and a break dance show. A concert is also planned for 8 p.m., and a drone show at 10 p.m. - Neuville-aux-Bois : after a long stage, a short one. 800 meters to Neuville-aux-Bois, with a departure at 12:20 p.m. from Place du Général-Leclerc, and an arrival 20 minutes later at the Neuville Sports Football stadium.
Culinary activities are promised at 12:20 p.m., to prepare for the sports village, set up in the afternoon, with challenges to take on. The evening will end with a concert. - Gien : return to the Loire, with the start of the Gien stage from Place du Maréchal-Foch at 2:25 p.m. The relay will cross the old bridge, follow the river on the quays, then go up towards the castle, then the town hall. Arrival at 3:33 p.m.
Four sports villages will be installed on the Flamme route in Gien, involving around thirty sports associations. A treasure hunt is planned in the city center. - Meung-sur-Loire : last castle visited by the Flame in Centre-Val de Loire. The start will be given at 4:35 p.m. from Porte d’Amont, for an arrival on the Quai de Loire at 4:55 p.m.
An Olympic village will be set up from 4:35 p.m., with introductions to sporting, physical and cultural activities, as well as shows, dance, theater and wrestling.
The day will end, of course, with a long stage at Orleans. The Flame will start from Parc Léon-Chenault at 5:39 p.m., and will go up Avenue Dauphine before crossing the Pont Royal. The relay will then follow the Loire towards the east, then go up towards the malls and the station, before reaching the Place du Martroi. End of the route and lighting of the cauldron at Place Sainte-Croix, in front of the cathedral, at 7:23 p.m. 100 people will take turns in the streets of the Johannine city.
Boulevard Alexandre-Martin will see the associations, clubs and athletes of Orléans parade throughout the afternoon, and will also host a “active panel“with many activities. A concert”gymnastic” will conclude the day at the Théâtre d’Orléans, with The energy of the Gamesby the Municipal Music of Orléans.
