Present this Tuesday, July 22, 2025 in Montpellier for the departure of the 16th stage for the legendary Mont Ventoux, the Minister of Sports Marie Barsacq welcomed the popular enthusiasm, while taking stock of the inheritance of the Paris Olympic Games, a year later.
Madam Minister, what do you expect from this 16e stage Montpellier-Mont Ventoux
She will obviously be great. This is an emblematic step of the Tour de France. And then I am delighted to start here in Montpellier, a sports city par excellence, with so many teams at the highest level.
What does the turn symbolize in your eyes?
Like all French people, I am very attached to the Tour de France. Every summer, we have an appointment with the Tour de France. We all have personal memories. I myself have a few, on my uncle’s shoulders. And it’s obviously very beautiful memories. Above all, it encourages to practice cycling. I do a lot of it myself.
Would you say that the popular breath of the Olympic Games reigns with the same popular passion?
Yes, of course. We see it every year anyway. The Tour de France is full of spectators. But this year, we will have a problematic stage of the Olympic Games with rue Lepic (Butte Montmartre, in Paris during the last stage). I think we’re going to remember it because it counts Jun an an anchor after the Olympic Games. Obviously, she will be a little different because there are twice as many runners for the Tour de France than for the Olympic Game. But, no doubt, it will still be a great festive and popular moment for the last day of the Tour.
As a former Cojo Executive Director, what assessment do you make of the legacy of the games?
The inheritance is very concrete today in many areas. You can see it, we have more sports equipment. As you know, there have been two plans, 5,000 sports facilities throughout France, with 8,500 sports equipment that has already left. We have French people who play sports. It was one of the major challenges of the inheritance.
We saw it in September, there was a lot of enthusiasm of the French to join a sports club. There are even French people who were unable to join the clubs, for lack of reception capacities. This is why you have to continue the dynamics to support sport.
And then there is a swimming pool (the aquatic center) in Saint-Denis which today is in full swing. The village of athletes will host its first inhabitants in September. And then, France also changed its look at disability with the Paralympic Games. All this too is extremely tangible and concrete for the French.
However, some athletes have the blues and say they have been abandoned by the aid of the public authorities?
On the subject of the means for athletes, on the side of the State, we put the maximum to really continue our dynamic of support. Today, as part of the 2025 budget and in 2026, we will continue to maintain our efforts on the same level. This is important to both give them the means to live properly. You know, in 2016, there were 40 % of athletes who were below the poverty line. Today is zero, and it continues.
We have also added resources for high performance, to continue investing so that our athletes perform, in particular because we have the Olympic Games in 2030. However, there are indeed brands today which do not re-sign contract with the athletes because the country’s economic situation is complicated. Some brands do not make this bet. I discuss on this subject with the brands, to encourage them to continue to continue with athletes.
