The crazy climb towards Paris continues with the attack on a new region: Auvergne Rhône-Alpes. This Friday, June 21, Vichy will have the honor of hosting the 37th stage of the Olympic torch relay. A stage shorter than the previous ones with five fragments during the day, which will not have a collective relay either.
The first of the 96 porters will set off at 9 a.m. from the small village of Mayet-de-Montagne and its private agricultural high school Claude-Mercier. Twenty minutes in this village of 1,387 inhabitants before going to Saint-Yorre. The appointment is made at 10:55 a.m. The stroll through the streets of the sparkling city, a nickname given in reference to the famous water, will take place until 11:15 a.m. Direction then Saint-Germain-des-Fosséstown bordered by the Allier, with a departure from the town hall at 12:35 p.m. until arrival at Place de la Libération at 12:55 p.m.
The Olympic cauldron lit in Vichy
Shortly before 3 p.m., at 2:50 p.m., surrounded by the hills on the foothills of the Bourbonnais mountain, Cusset will take over this day in Allier. From Saint-Joseph College, the torchbearers will leave towards the town hall where they will arrive an hour later.
And it will already be time for celebrations with the lighting of the cauldron Vichy, listed as a UNESCO world heritage site. The progression into the city will begin at 5:30 p.m. from Creps Auvergne – Rhône-Alpes. After crossing the Jacques-Chirac bridge, the flame will follow the banks of the Allier, a meeting place for rowing, triathlon and canoeing enthusiasts. The torchbearers will take the Napoléon III park and cross the opera square, which offers a breathtaking view of the city of Vichy. On the Town Hall Square, the day will end at 7:20 p.m. for the traditional cauldron lighting.
