Four days after the storm, the tennis courts of Chinon bear the scars of strong gusts of wind. Thursday November 21, 2024, around 3:30 p.m., the bubble that protects the three tennis courts explodes under the force of the wind. Fortunately, no one was injured in the shock, as two young players were in the locker room at the time of the explosion.
Monday, while waiting for the insurance expert to come, what remains of the bubble (which did not show signs of weakness according to the town hall) is held on the ground using concrete pads. The tennis club collected and saved what equipment it could.
The community was considering a permanent structure
This is not the first time that the bubble has burst. In 2010, during the passage of storm Xynthia, the structure also could not withstand violent winds. At the time, six months after the events, the community had replaced it with a canvas of a bankrupt Lochois club.
Four days after the disaster, the community still does not know what it will be able to obtain from insurance, overwhelmed by requests following the Caetano storm. “We are waiting for their return to know the level of compensation for the bubble and in particular the precautionary measures to prevent the courts from suffering this winter”explains Jean-Luc Dupont.
The town hall had started a study with Adac 37 (Departmental Agency for Aid to Local Authorities) on the feasibility of a permanent building with photovoltaic panels on the roof to replace the bubble and the clubhouse, 40 years old. years old and suffering from water infiltration. The town hall was overtaken by the elements. “We had several options available to us, the hazard constrained us”summarizes the mayor of Chinon.
While waiting to define the best option, the club and the community are looking for solutions to avoid inconvenience as much as possible and offer an alternative for the club's 170 members and nearly 200 practitioners.
Gyms as a place of retreat?
As in 2010, the intermunicipality should provide the Chinon tennis club with hours in gymnasiums. The Rabelais high school gymnasium – used during the day by students – could also be a track considered for evening practice.
The Chinon tennis club has approached its Avoine counterpart for a possible court loan for “try to limit breakage during the winter season. As soon as the sunny days come, we will be able to play on our outdoor fields, we will be able to make up the hours by organizing courses”explains Romain Martin, one of the club's two instructors.
One thing is certain: after this explosion and like the previous one in 2010, fans of the little yellow ball will have to be patient before returning to their clay courts.
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