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France present Alps’ bid to host 2030 Winter Olympics

With Paris about to stage the 2024 Summer Olympics, France presented the French candidacy to host the 2030 Winter Games before the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in Paris on Tuesday.

France present Alps' bid to host 2030 Winter Olympics
Athletes in an Olympic Game's Men's Cross-Country Skiing 50km Mass Start Free event. (Photo by ODD ANDERSEN / AFP)

French Olympic committee president David Lappartient said the 30-minute presentation achieved its aim of showing a united front between the different regions involved from Nice to Haute-Savoie.

“It went well, we presented it together, united, that’s the message we wanted to give,” said Lappartient.

“There was stress, we really felt like we were taking an exam but we had really prepared. We played a good match,” said Laurent Wauquiez, who presides over the Auvergne-Rhone-Alps region.

Wauquiez said concerning the financial aspect, “there are major partners of Paris 2024 who have already said that they are ready to support us”, without specifying which ones.

Rival candidates Sweden and Switzerland also presented their projects on Tuesday to the IOC, Lappartient said.

The IOC Executive Board will meet in Paris from November 29 to December 1 to decide which candidates it will enter the dialogue phase with.

France has hosted the Winter Games three times – at Chamonix in 1924, Grenoble in 1968 and Albertville in 1992.

Stockholm hosted the Summer Games in 1912, but has never hosted a Winter Olympics despite numerous attempts over the years. The IOC is expected to make its decision in 2024.

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How to follow the Tour de France on French TV (and why you might want to)

The Tour de France started earlier than usual this year - here's how to follow the race on TV, and why the coverage is of interest even if you're not a cycling fan.

How to follow the Tour de France on French TV (and why you might want to)

For the first time since the Tour de France began in 1903, it will not finish in or near Paris, but instead in Nice, in order to accommodate the Paris 2024 Olympics. 

The event also started earlier than usual, with the grand départ on Saturday, June 29th, and they will cross the finish line on July 21st.

This 2024 race began in Florence, Italy, and the cyclists entered France on July 2nd.

According to the race website, there “will be eight flat stages, as well as four hilly, seven mountain (with four summit finishes at Saint-Lary-Soulan Pla d’Adet, Plateau de Beille, Isola 2000, Col de la Couillole), two time trials and two rest days.”

This year, participants will climb a total vertical gain of 52,230 meters, crossing a distance of 3,492 kilometres.

Credit: Tour de France official website

How can I watch the race?

If you are in France, then you can enjoy rolling coverage on the free-to-view TV channels of France 2 and France 3. 

It’s not just footage of men on bikes, the TV coverage is famed for its highlighting of the more unknown corners of France so it’s a great way to discover new places to visit. 

For those outside of France, you can go onto the official race website (HERE) to see a listing of all ‘live’ broadcasters in several different countries. 

As much of the race takes place during the day when many are working, you can enjoy recaps each evening at 8.45pm on France 3 via the ‘TLS Tour de France’ show. This looks back on the best moments of the day, giving a summary of that stage and the results, as well as reactions from teams and rider, plus analysis from experts. 

Later on, the Tour de France Femmes, scheduled for August 12th to 18th, will also be broadcast on the France Télévisions website. This is free to watch but you will first need to create an account on the site, you will need a 5-digit French postal code to make an account (eg 75004 if you’re in central Paris).

Why watch the Tour de France?

Each year between 10 and 12 million spectators watch the race widely considered to be the most famous and most difficult cycle challenge, according to Le Figaro.

The Tour de France route changes every year, so viewers not only witness the impressive athleticism of participants, but they also explore France’s different regions. The towns that stage the départs (start of each race day) usually put on a festival often incorporating local traditions, food and drink (for the spectators, not the cyclists).

This year, the Tour de France will go through beautiful landscapes in the Occitanie region, as well as the Alps and across central France.

The race has a fascinating history, and every now and again there are spectacular crashes which will keep you wincing.

There is also a hit Netflix docu-series called ‘Tour de France: Unchained’ that may be a good place to start for the uninitiated.

French vocab

Le maillot jaune – yellow jersey (worn by the winner)

Le grand départ – the race start

Le départ – the start of each stage 

Le peloton – the group of cyclises (literally translated as ‘the pack’)

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