Letters: le tour de france is more about big business than national identity

A READER TAKES ISSUE WITH OUR COLUMNIST'S VIEW THAT THE TOUR DE FRANCE REFLECTS 'THE STATE OF FRANCE ITSELF AND ITS ILLUSIONS OF GRANDEUR' To the Editor, I generally enjoy the

column by Nabila Ramdani with her thought-provoking and well-argued points.  Sadly, her latest, ostensibly about the Tour de France, is more a moan about the state of France and less to do

with the Tour and what she calls its myth. Given the continuing spats between France and Algeria, she may see things through different eyes from those of us who do not live in the ‘neglected

sink estates’, and one would be hard-pressed to find any thinking person in France who does not, in current circumstances, see a shade of hypocrisy in the revolutionary slogan liberté,

égalité, fraternité. Yet none of that has anything to do with the Tour de France: her amalgame of the two issues debases her journalism. That said, I feel Nabila Ramdani misses a point in

her portrayal of the myth of the Tour, which is that it has over the years completely surrendered to big money – the sponsors and their tax breaks, the advertising, the prize money pot and

the manner of the Tour’s (advert-loaded) televising which focuses almost exclusively on the big sponsors’ teams.  That, surely, is what has led to the playing-down of miraculous data,

cheating and suspicion (in Ms Ramdani’s words). In that sense I would agree that the Tour is a questionable reflection of French identity. But we’ll all still go to see it pass through our

villages and countryside, won’t we?  And we'll all enjoy the tacky caravane as it passes. O tempora, o mores! Mike Storey, Ille-et-Vilaine Read more: Dates of key sporting events in

France in 2025 Nabila replies: I do think major sporting events say a lot about national identity, especially ones with a country name in the title!  Le Tour de France is certainly a very

big part of modern France and its scandals (cheating, corruption etc.) reflect the state of France itself and its illusions of grandeur.  It is not an ‘amalgame’ but a metaphor based on

facts.  Nonetheless, I always sneak a look at the Tour when I can. It’s a bit like cricket – you don’t have to have a clue about what’s going on to find it relaxing! Did the doping scandals

stop you enjoying Le Tour de France? Let us know at [email protected]