When the 16th stage of the Tour de France comes to Lunel

Les coureurs sont arrivés vers 16 h 40 dans la commune Matéo Riviere

La fameuse caravane publicitaire a fait des heureux dans le village Matéo Riviere

Ce mardi 16 juillet, 34 communes de l’Hérault ont été traversées. Galargues, était la dernière.

The Grande Boucle passage in Lunel Agglo. For the first time since 2021, the Tour de France was back in Galargues. This is quite simply the third time in ten years that the peloton has visited this village of 780 inhabitants. In total, 34 Hérault towns were crossed during this 16th stage which relayed Gruissan to Nîmes. Something to delight cycling race fans for whom the moment is always so special.

A special atmosphere

Barbecues, camping chairs, polka dot jerseys… The landscape on the sides of the road was more or less the same from kilometer to kilometer, like the atmosphere around the Tour de France that we know so well. A festive and friendly atmosphere where simple strangers in the morning become aperitif partners a few hours later. At Galargues, all this cocktail was present. And this, from 9 a.m., when a few camper vans and vans had already taken over the sidewalks. The Grande Boucle always brings out the crowds, even abroad. « This is our first time on the race, says Peter, an Australian who came to spend his holidays in the south with his wife Katy. It’s an event, we wanted to see it for ourselves and we’re going to follow the runners to Nice, the finish city. Plus, this part of the country is nice. It's nice to see villages and architecture different from ours with old stones for example. »

A pride in being able to show off your territory

In addition to the joy brought by the few goodies thrown from the cars of the advertising caravan and the lively passage of the peloton, this 16th stage was also an opportunity to present the riches of the region. « A program like the Tour allows you to discover landscapes all over France. In our town, it is a source of pride to highlight our church, which has the particularity of having a double bell tower », recognizes Denis Devriendt, mayor of Galargues for ten years.

Tonight, dozens of children will fall asleep with stars in their eyes having seen their idols today just a stone's throw from their homes. « The happiest day of my life », could we even hear from the mouth of Esteban, 6 years old. Enough to leave memories for these little cycling fans, for whom the next edition of the Grande Boucle in Galargues is already eagerly awaited.

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