Paris 2024 Olympics: the route and the security system in La Baule, the stage city for the Olympic flame on June 5

The Olympic flame is in Loire-Atlantique on 5 June next. From Sables-d’Olonne in the Vendée, it will pass through the Basse-Goulaine, Vertou, Saint-Sébastien, Ancenis region to finish with today’s highlight: La Baule. La Baule: stop. This means that in addition to the flame, at the end of the race, there will be the official ceremonylighting the pot.

4.4 kilometers in just one hour

18:18: start time from the Sporting tennis club with the collective baton of the French tennis federation that chose specially Jo-Wilfried Tsonga to carry the flame 400 meters. So from Place des Palmiers at Les Salines, location of the final ceremony, 25 flame bearers will take turns every 200 metres. Among them, five from Basel were selected: Édouard Roger-Vasselin, Ceuzinha Gomes Sa, Roger-Yves Bost, Sophie Moniotte and Sébastien Rogues, all placed under the captaincy of Claudine Contoz, recent senior tennis world champion.

A course mostly on the seafront

A large part of the route located on the embankment, “the flame bearers on the beach side towards Pouliguen, the spectators on the other side of the median on the building side” detailed Marc Fourny head of the sports department.

40,000 spectators

19:20 : the arrival Place des Salines, with the ceremonial lighting of the cauldron. If 40,000 spectators total expected on the course, the meter for this fan zone with giant screen and animations was set at 10,000. Be careful, warn the town hall, at 5pm everything will be closed. “If you’re on the beach at this time, you won’t be able to go up right away unless you walk around the area.”

Snipers, minesweepers, GIGN

Because beyond the sporting and popular event, it really is a close-knit organisation. First and foremost when it comes to safety. Security co-organized by the prefecture, Paris 2024 and the municipality. La Baule under high protection this June 5 with snipers, of deminersTHE GIGN, the escort of gendarmes, of the police national, or even armed cyclists from the municipal police.

A convoy of 45 vehicles ‘like an airtight bubble’

“You have to imagine this convoy of 45 vehicles, stretched over a kilometer, to surround the flame and its bearer. Kind of like an airtight bubble. You’ll be able to see the bearer with the flame without being able to touch him.” summarizes Christophe Mathieu, deputy mayor.

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20 hours: the flame will be encapsulated again with the gas cartridges, the pot extinguished, the convoy will leave at night for the next stage: Watered in Morbihan.

La Baule paid 60,000 euros

Unlike the Vendée, Loire-Atlantique refused to put its hand in its pocket: 180,000 euros per entrance ticket per department for the privilege of receiving the flame. The candidate cities for the 44 have therefore contributed, La Baule as host city has paid out on its own 60,000 euros.

The game is well worth the effort, “this is the best communication campaign we can afford in terms of tourist attraction” explains Laurence Briand, deputy mayor responsible for economic development and tourism. “Especially since the exclusive images taken by France Télé of this flame in the bay of La Baule will then be available to us for free“. The window is elegant.

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Now hope there is no problem, “we will watch closely what happens from Marseille on May 8, we have no plan B, but we will be able to adapt” the elected representatives still promise.