Gravestone in yellow! The city once again hosted the start of the Tour de France, the third time since 2012, on the occasion of the 7th stage of the 2022 edition.
A spotlight whose effects are felt “in the months or even the years that follow“said Mayor Hervé Féron at the France Bleu Lorraine studio. “The purchase of a stage start is 85,000 euros, covered by the partnerships.”
Spectators came by the thousands to Tomblaine to admire the runners… and brought back a free souvenir with the traditional publicity caravan.
Another distinguished guest at the France Bleu Lorraine studio, Christian Prudhomme, the boss of the Tour, recalled his attachment to the Lorraine region. Christian Prudhomme, the boss of the Tour de France, on France Bleu, remembers the very first arrival at La Planche des Belles Filles: “In 2012, it was Chris Froome’s first Tour de France success. Bradley Wiggins taking the yellow jersey. In fact, at La Planche des Belles Filles, you have a kind of Tour de France classification. That is to say, you can’t lie when you climb the Planche des Belles Filles, often with little difference, but with a hierarchy that is very clear and that is often confirmed two weeks later.”
Thibaut Pinot, public favorite
More than the Tadej Pogacar yellow jersey, Thibaut Pinot was welcomed as a star. Photos and autographs galore for the local stage. The finish will be disputed on his land near the Planche-des-Belles-Filles.
Another acclaimed local in Tomblaine, Nacer Bouhanni, the native of the Vosges. But the sprinter who stood out during the 2021 Tour was seriously injured in April during the Tour of Turkey. It was with a neck brace that he went to greet the peloton at the start of Tomblaine.