Paul Rouget, media365: published on Friday May 02, 2025 at 9:50 am
“There will be no yellow jersey in Dunkirk” on July 7 for the 3rd stage of the Tour de France, threatened the CGT Nord, which puts pressure on policies and ArcelorMittal, a steel giant that will remove several hundred positions in the northern city.
The big start is in just over two months! After three consecutive departures from abroad, in Copenhagen, Bilbao and Florence, this 112nd edition of the Grande Boucle will start from France, and more specifically from Hauts-de-France, with a large departure scheduled in Lille on July 5. But the start of the race could be disrupted, as explained by Jean-Paul Delescaut, secretary general of the North CGT, on the sidelines of the May 1 demonstrations.
-The union organization wants to put pressure on political power as well as on ArcelorMittal, the steel giant, who announced the abolition of 600 positions in the east and in the north of France, notably in Dunkirk, where a third part of Valenciennes must arrive on July 7. “If, by July 7, we have not been gathered around the table to speak nationalization of the steel industry, there will be no yellow jersey in Dunkirk,” he threatened in La Voix du Nord.
“An economic and social emergency”
“I respect the Tour de France and those who love it, but there is an economic and social emergency. Metal touches everyone. Including in bikes, continues the head of the departmental union of the union organization “, before detailing his action plan:” There are 178 kilometers of route between Valenciennes and Dunkirk. If we put 1,000 to 2,000 comrades, it makes a comrade every 100 meters. They will be able to bring all the companies of CRS of France and Navarre for the third stage to take place. »»
But it would obviously not be the first time that a stage of the Tour has been disrupted. In 2007, while breeders protested against the return of the bear in the Pyrenees on the eve of a stage in Ariège, Christian Prudhomme, who had just been appointed director of the Grande Boucle, had gone to meet farmers with Bernard Hinault. It all ended well, and the discussion ended “at the Pure Ricard” as the five -time winner had explained. Not sure it’s so simple this time …
