De Gaulle's surprise, Mitterrand's camera, Chirac's beer... the presidents' delicious anecdotes about the Tour de France
Under the Fifth Republic, the Grande Boucle became a must-see for heads of state. Since General de Gaulle's surprise appearance in 1960, their visits have been full of anecdotes.
When he unexpectedly burst onto the Tour de France stage in Colombey-les-Deux-Églises on July 16, 1960, Charles de Gaulle did not yet know that he was inaugurating a tenacious tradition under the Fifth Republic, respected by all of his successors except Georges Pompidou. Valéry Giscard d'Estaing, François Mitterrand, Jacques Chirac, Nicolas Sarkozy, François Hollande, and Emmanuel Macron all included the Tour de France on their agenda at least once during their term in office.
Each head of state has their own style. Valéry Giscard d'Estaing wasn't known for being a big cycling enthusiast. Neither was François Mitterrand, but the socialist president, with a camera around his neck in 1985 on the stage route between Morzine and Lans-en-Vercors, transformed this escapade into a genuine political act. Jacques Chirac also understood the significance of such a visit, even though his visit turned into a fiasco in the midst of the Festina affair in 1998.
Skip the adNicolas Sarkozy, a great cycling enthusiast , ushered in the era of presidents connected to sport before being replaced by François Hollande, who was particularly impressed by the popular enthusiasm for this event, which had become an essential stopover for Emmanuel Macron, who was expected this Friday on the Tour route. Then Minister of the Economy in 2016, the latter took advantage of his first visit to the caravan to slip in a secret about his future candidacy for the presidency of the Republic...
De Gaulle's surprise, Mitterrand's camera, Chirac's beer... the presidents' delicious anecdotes about the Tour de France
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