As it ends at the end of the week, the famous Tour de France is facing a controversy. The bicycle competition would be anything but ecological, and far from taking care to preserve the environment.
“Well, I hope you have been green and that you have been careful not to water the vegetable garden with drinking water, because we have to be careful with our water consumption during this heat wave,” quipped a woman. Tiktokeuse in a video that has hundreds of thousands of views. And to continue, with supporting images: “That’s at the Tour de France to refresh the bitumen they used 10,000 liters of water, but hey, it’s not much. »
A sarcastic tone that did not fail to challenge internet users. “We all have to make an effort and they waste water like that,” exclaims one of them. “You have to review your priorities,” notes another. A policy of “do as I say, but not as I do”, for some.
Several personalities also reacted, as David Belliard, Deputy Mayor of Paris in charge of the transformation of public space and mobility: “Welcome to absurdity! In the middle of a #heat wave, thousands of liters of water will therefore be used (wasted in real life) to water the road and refresh the passage of runners. Is that the “Clean Tour” we were promised? !! »
Was such a quantity of water really used to wet the road, while restrictions on use apply in certain regions? 20 minutes make the point.
FAKE OFF
In reality, this watering of the roads, visible on the videos circulating on social networks, has nothing to do with the organization of the Great Loop. The press contact for the event, Fabrice Tiano, indicates that “it is not at all an accredited vehicle of the Tour de France, it is a tank of the department which was crossed by the Tour. He adds that it is “usual” for the departments to ensure that the roads are refreshed to “avoid bleeding”, therefore the appearance of patches of molten bitumen.
Indeed, the runners pass “by roads which have been treated”, specifies André Bancala, the general coordinator of the Assembly of the Departments of France, partner of the Tour. These lanes would therefore have been treated even if the bicycle race did not pass through them, in order to protect “everyday users”.
Internet users mention a stock of 10,000 liters of water available for the race. Information provided by André Bancala, who told AFP that the members of the Tour de France organization “water the roads to refresh the bitumen and prevent the tar from melting. For this, a stock of 10,000 liters of water has been planned on the Tour”. He hastened to correct this figure, which would therefore not be 10,000, but 2,000 liters of water. Note that the Tour de France was not subject to any water restrictions this year.