“Yes to cycling, but no to the velodrome”. It was the watchword of eight environmental activists this Wednesday morning in Reignier-Esery, in Haute-Savoie. They traced in white paint a false cycle path in the main street, in front of the town hall. A way of denouncing the project to build a brand new velodrome in the town, if the Haute-Savoie department wins the organization of the World Cycling Championships in 2027. The decision on the awarding of the event is expected this Thursday: France and the Netherlands are in the running. Environmental activists denounce a project that is too expensive, when it would be better, according to them, to invest in soft mobility and the construction of cycle paths in Haute-Savoie.
This velodrome does not respond to today’s social and climate emergency
“There is also a question of acceptability of citizens, take any individual who has to take his car to work, who sees the cost of energy, and to whom you are going to tell, the department, with the region and with the State going to spend 50 to 70 million for a velodrome? We are told about sobriety for individuals, on the other hand for this type of sports organization, it will always be more, and we continue in the same logic? contest”, said René Nenna, environmental activist from the ANV-COP 21 movement in the Arve Valley.
– Collective ANV-COP21 Arve Valley