Announced as a sustainable Olympics, the 2030 Winter Olympics in the Alps raise the question of the future of the mountains. The La Plagne station (Savoie), where the events will take place, has embarked on a major renovation project which could serve as an example.
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The promise is made by all elected officials: the 2030 Winter Olympics must be much more environmentally friendly than previous editions. In La Plagne (Savoie), these words are taken seriously. Here the bobsleigh, luge and skeleton events will take place. And it is on the track reused from the 1992 Albertville Olympics that they will take place.
As she prepares to take it down, these are the last seconds of concentration for Thiméa Ginet. At 15 years old, she represents the future of French luge. And real hope for the 2030 Olympic Games. Olympic Games which will take place here, at home, on home soil.
“Obviously, I would really like the Olympic Games. I’m thinking about it a little but I’m really trying to stay focused on my current competitions, because it’s still a long time away.”confides the young athlete. Because obviously, she would have the advantage of knowing the track. “I started there when I was little, and I have always evolved on this track. I know it and I’m used to it.”she says.
The La Plagne bobsleigh track, which dates from the 1992 Albertville Olympic Games.
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© FTV
Like her, young people from all over Europe came to discover the bobsleigh track. A symbol of the 2030 Games. Because these installations are rare. Seventeen tracks exist in the world, only 12 of which are approved for the Olympics. For good reason, the construction cost is nearly 150,000 million euros, not including maintenance.
However, reusing an Olympic track has never been done before. “We will set a precedent. It is important to demonstrate that we can reuse the Olympic sites, that the reconversion of the sites in Albertville has worked since we have been able to maintain an infrastructure for more than 30 years.”explains Bruno Thomas, the director of the La Plagne bobsleigh track.
A Junior World Cup will take place in the Savoyard resort next week. “The athletes who come down here are those of the generation that will be selected for the 2030 Olympics, so it allows them to discover, to familiarize themselves. It’s a very technical track, with speed and pressure, so it’s important to discover the characteristics specific to La Plagne that you don’t find anywhere else.” he specifies.
Almost 40 years later, the track will regain new grandeur. In addition to this reuse, La Plagne has embarked on a major renovation project which could serve as an example. An essential issue in all resorts, often built in the 1960s and whose real estate is aging.
In La Plagne-Centre, 2,000 homes are affected, or nearly 100,000 square meters. To help and encourage owners to carry out work, the municipality has set up a one-stop shop responsible for providing information on these renovations.
“This not only concerns the owners and the value of their property, but the entire ecosystem of the resort. Especially since, the more the properties are renovated, the greater their rental value.” underlines Franck Capuçon, housing project manager at the La Grande Plagne intercommunal union.
A few years ago, a wood-fired biomass plant had already been installed for heating in the station. Since then, the projects have continued. Last step: a 17-story tower. A real challenge. Because wooden cladding, too dangerous in the event of fire, has been banned on large buildings.
A 17-story tower in La Plagne represents a real challenge. Because wooden cladding, too dangerous in the event of fire, has been banned on large buildings.
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© FTV
“The solution is an entirely metal structure, which is placed on the facade and fixed to the concrete slabs. The rehabilitation is technically complete. We will be ready in 2030 to have a truly top-notch station. What is interesting is that it is reproducible in Savoie and Haute-Savoie. We even asked ourselves if we weren’t going to ask for royalties from others“, jokes Patrice Reme, the president of the Union of Owners’ Unions of Plagne-center.
After major projects and all-out construction, the time now seems to be for optimization in mountain resorts. A positive signal for the Games, perhaps more virtuous.
