“That's the goal of Entrevilles, to have fun!”: horns for a battle of six bell towers on the sand of the Alès arenas of Tempéras

Show, humor and thrills are expected in the Tempéras arenas, in Alès. MIDI LIBRE – ALEXIS BETHUNE

The 3rd edition of this festive event will take place on the evening of Wednesday, August 28, in the capital of the Cévennes. A great show in sight, carried by the teams of Alès, Bagard, Barjac, Saint-Hilaire-de-Brethmas, Saint-Christol-lez-Alès and Salindres, as well as the animals of the Tommy Maire manade.

Many people remember the cult TV show “Intervilles”, once hosted by Léon Zitrone, Guy Lux and Simone Garnier. Well, in Alès, there is Entrevilles! The principle of this animation is the same: teams wearing the colors of a town cheerfully compete in events spiced up by the presence of a little cow. Now, the third edition of this entertainment is expected in the Tempéras arenas, Wednesday August 28, from 9 p.m.

“There are still a few places left”, they say at the Alès town hall

The first opus, in 2019, before the Covid pandemic, saw the coronation of Saint-Hilaire-de-Brethmas. And the second edition ended with the victory of Salindres. Raphaële Navarro, the deputy mayor of Alès in charge of the festivities, remembers that last summer, Entrevilles “had done really well. The arenas were sold out. In general, all tickets go on pre-sale ; and if there are any left, they are sold on site, at the ticket office.” On this point, Raphaël Vasquez, the person in charge of the municipality's activities, points out that for this third challenge, “there are still a few places left” (*).

Eight events for teams of ten people

This evening of August 28th will see six teams of ten people compete on the sand of Tempéras, all called upon to avoid or tickle the horns of the black beasts of the Tommy Maire herd. These young people will represent the municipalities of Alès, Bagard, Barjac, Saint-Hilaire-de-Brethmas, Saint-Christol-lez-Alès and Salindres. “Eight games are on the program”, specifies Raphaël Vasquez, sparing with details on this subject. “The competitors will discover them! But I can say that they will all be structured around a regional theme. With, for everyone, a cow in the middle and a system of points to be awarded." And if for the participants, it looks "sporty", but in any case, "we are dealing with people who are used to chasing bulls"(the members of the Alès team were spotted during the summer swimming pool bullfights), for the spectators, it will be “a good laugh. That's the goal of Entrevilles, to have fun!”

Not in a “competitive spirit” it remains friendly"

Because, Raphaël Vasquez specifies, such an event does not take place "in a spirit of competition ; it remains friendly". And also "spectacular" ! Also "participatory for the public" who are called upon to support their favorite town. Moreover, a point will be awarded to the team that has had the best supporters. Nothing like that to create "excitement" in the stands !

The importance of the point of the best supporters

Thus, during this last major meeting of the 2024 vintage of Estiv’Alès, Salindres will try to retain its title. Captain last year, Kévin Navarro, who is the vice-president of the Salindres festival committee, remembers that he and his companions "had a great time. We went there to win but it was mostly to have a good time." His team finished one point ahead of the Saint-Christolens and, in fact, he does not forget the importance that the "bonus" of the best supporters can have. This Wednesday evening, Kévin Navarro will not be the boss; he will take charge of "managing" the team. “There, the team has the guts. Especially since, this year, there is a mix between those from last year and those from the first Entrevilles, who were attrapaïres from Salindres”, he declares. “We all know each other; we grew up together; and we are not afraid of the bulls.” In their group, there will be 13 or 14 of them: ten in the arena and three or four in charge of motivating the troops in the stands. “We tried to go all out!”, he laughs.

“Impatience” for Barjac's baptism of fire

On the Barjac side, where they are participating for the first time, Captain Sylvain Cavalier says that “This challenge will be achieved with flying colors. No need to prepare, it's in our blood. All summer, we take part in swimming pool bullfights. We'll come to Alès to win, obviously, but also to have a good time.” For good reason, “We all know each other more or less in the bullfighting ; these are friendly rivalries". And the Barjacois will also travel with their supporters. Many, according to him. Sylvain Cavalier and his teammates are waiting “impatiently" for the evening. He concludes: “We intend to get the point back from the supporters. We are also planning some surprises…"

(*): single rate: 5 €. Tickets are still on sale at the Alès tourist office, place de la mairie, this Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday from 10am to noon. Here are the colours to wear on Wednesday 28th August to support your team: Alès, white; Bagard, green; Barjac, pink; Saint-Christol, yellow; Saint-Hilaire, blue; and Salindres, red.  I subscribe to read the rest