Grande Boucle Féminine Internationale

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resal1

New Member
OK I am not fully up on presenting the info but from http://epotequiero.sport.fr/ there is an interview with Boue which makes sad reading. Giving it a go in google translate gives -
[FONT=&quot]Emmanuel CHAILLARD
A little history:

From 1984 to 1989, a Tour de France is run by women rose curtain men's event. This event is organized by the Société du Tour de France organizer of the Tour de France Men. In 1990, this event changed its name and format it became the Tour of ECE women who stopped in 1993.

In 1992 a new test is created, the women's cycling Tour is organized in August. It changed its name in 1998 to become the Grande Boucle. The organizer of the women can turn to use the term tower is owned by the Company of the Tour de France.

In 2004 the race is not contested. In 2005, the Grande Boucle is back, but at the national level, competition is not classified by the Union Cycliste Internationale.

In 2009, we are seeing without knowing the latest edition of the Grande Boucle for the end of October, Pierre Boué announces the end of the event ... especially for us here is an interview, which will enlighten us a little about what has prompted a halt and the reasons for this mess

In the introduction, can you say a few words for those who do not know?

I am 51 years old, I am married and have three children. I began my journalism career in Toulouse after studying law and journalism. I was called to the City of Paris in 1983 where I had responsibilities in the office of Mayor of Paris. I then took over the women's Tour de France in creating the Grande Boucle Feminine Internationale in 1992. I have written three books including the biography of Jacques Chirac in 1995. I am a pragmatic, iconoclastic, unselfish and faithful to its commitments.


Firstly, how do you you after these weeks
tumultuous difficult to live for you and your loved ones, I suppose?


When one understands the mentality of our country, we can expect all the cheap shots, the most childish, unjust or extravagant. My strength lies in concentration at all times based on introspection. I am fortunate to have a unique refuge for me recharge and recharge the batteries. My wife Anne share my life for 7 years. It helps me and could attest to the struggle that I carry it with me since. Benjamin 4 years, the fruit of our love allows me back into reality and hope that everything can start again. My first two children are older. They have other concerns. Those of their age.

You know the relatives turn into mirages comparable to the distant horizon between sky and ocean. When you do not represent anything, you're dead! Those who have almost "flattered" have fallen into this vortex of egotism, indifference, contempt. The man is the most ferocious animal on earth.

After 18 years of marriage with GBIF, with its ups and downs, the death was sudden, can you foresee? When was the first evil and the roots of evil are they deep?


This is a smear campaign centering on feelings of jealousy, mistrust, constant provocations. I have the conviction and evidence of a gradual implementation whose outcome should have intervened much earlier. You understand that I does not mention this story and I reserve the book "When the women's cycling loses the pedals ... Which will be published in early 2011.

The Union Cycliste Internationale well supported by the French Cycling Federation at the time started a real war with the complicity of state services. A well-orchestrated offensive by all the protagonists and their goals since 2000. Of course the steamroller called the Society of the Tour de France was part of the aggressors!
Who you want in particular and why?

I want this system whose main interest is to make us believe he is defending a cause by serving his personal interests. There are serious things. We must break the silence and denounce those who are accomplices to murder.

All the books I had the chance to write were based on testimony. I plan to meet 450 people before taking his pen. Those who will not answer me will be recorded in my book. This whole process will be supervised by a lawyer. He must die because the abscess is the survival of a sport. Since 1992, nothing has changed. For almost 20 years, France is still lagging behind all EU countries (Eastern Europe included). The policies we swing to the face of false pretenses on parity for us to swallow the pill. La France "puke" successful women. We are a country of macho, old Gallic peasants and rude. French is a real "paleo" which supports the predominance of women. We trust that the victims and in all environments. Yannick Noah is still revered by his victory in 1983 at Roland Garros, when nobody remembers that Mary Pierce won the same thing in 2000, there were only 9 years! The public retains only the vagaries of Surya Bonaly, who refused to get on a podium, homosexuality Amelie Mauresmo, Marie-Jose Perec slamming the door of the Olympic Games in Sydney and recently the cessation of Laura MANAUDOU.

I am a warrior who will not accept being killed for nothing!

The evolution of women's cycling is heading towards what future do you think?


You know my opinion should be measured for my withdrawal could be misunderstood if I shout out "after me the deluge". Nobody is indispensable. When we know the situation of French and international cycling, one can only fear the worst. You will not hear anyone get excited because federal and international authorities, politicians, journalists and the lifeblood of sport totally do not care! The women's cycling goes straight into the wall.

Three symbols: When you know the level of French cycling, one of its representatives Karine GAUTARD hangs up to 24 years. Nicole Cooke, defending Olympic champion is always looking for partners for two years. She was forced to bind in a team as an employee without a guarantee of leader and with the financial demands that would be good not to mention not only the women's cycling collapses. Nicole BRÄNDLI Finally, the Swiss 30-year leaves.

LUPERINI (35), PUCINSKAITE (34 years), ZILIUTE (33)
continue to shine at the highest level having won the Grande Boucle respectively in 1995, 1998 and 1999. What's wrong! You lose the ball!

What about French cycling when Jeannie Longo has no objection to the selection represents the world and France at the world championships in 51 years. It will be the London Olympics in 54 years!
The middle THERE you disgusted enough to cut the bridges or do we still have a chance to benefit from your expertise in some tests and I thought why not especially Cyclosportive a stone mud?


I do not see myself back in the middle if not through a book and certainly a film because I have a lot of record. I want to work on these projects with my wife and the only one that I keep in high esteem in the family of cycling: Alfred North. There may also be a photo album. Nobody expressed any regret at my departure. I went in strict anonymity just as I arrived in 1991. A century ride in my name I was given. They call me a pretentious and megalomaniac.

Finally Mr. Boué, you know passionate, enthusiastic, iconoclastic, and needy. To what new challenges your skills will they take you?


It is true that I had the idea of starting a cruise on the theme of women's sports for 2012. I do not know if I have the heart to pursue this idea. Writing a book is both a duty of memory and an obligation to express my thoughts on almost 20 years of my life. This is a huge job. Rebound in cycling seems so unrealistic that environment is corrupt, false and nauséabont.

The actresses in this sport I was also very disappointed. Some suggest me to invest myself in women's sports but in another discipline.

My main challenge is to find a job. I have many ideas but such experience wonder about the future. I have family I love and to whom I owe so much she had to have my absence, my worries and my concerns. I have time to catch up and much love to give. Building an annual atypical for thankless sobering.

Competitors will cross perhaps never more Izoard, the Ventoux, the Tourmalet in their lives. They certainly never return to Corsica or to start in the most beautiful cities of Europe for a competition. The fear of emptiness, absence, nostalgia may order some and put them in front of reality. It is time to run the turnstiles and visit and revisit the same circuits in the departments. The "little queens" were sacred without crown and now their future is similar to that of the troubadours or jester![/FONT]
 

Skip Madness

New Member
Right. This is one huge mess, so here's where I sit trying to make sense of it right now...

There's no doubt that the Societé du Tour de France were indefensible in their treatment of the Tour Féminin. Fundamentally, Boué's points about no women's race having the kind of scope of the Boucle are sound. He is without doubt passionate about women's cycling, and equality for women (and other disadvantaged groups) means a lot to him.

At the same time...

... all this is coming up just at the moment that he gets embroiled in a political scandal. His points about the tennis scene are all excellent and perfectly fair, but in the past half a decade we have seen the Boucle, Route de France and that announcer guy from lots of women's races trying to kick of a Autour des Féminines but where has the collaboration been in trying to get a great women's Tour de France? Why has the Boucle become isolated while Aude and (perhaps more impressively) Ardèche have kept turning? Boué was dealt a terrible hand with the organisation of the Boucle this year thanks to the reticence of the British would-be hosts, but was there no contigency? Does it excuse a 340km transfer?

Edit: Interestingly enough I was reading this earlier on from 2003. The beginning of the end...
 
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resal1

New Member
Yes that was it. Boue was struck with bad luck. The boat was late leaving Corsica because of storms. It left port about 5 hours after it should have. Consequently, the arrival on mainland France, instead of taking place in the late evening with guides etc to take riders to hotels, became very difficult with some riders not getting into rooms until 7.00am and a tiny few just giving up and sleeping where they could. Next (later that same) day was a finish at the ski station of Valberg. The stage was delayed, and so instead of the race finishing at around 5pm, riders were climbing to the summit at 8pm in the gloom of a gathering thunderstorm, which caught the later riders, some of whom were some 40 minutes down. From what I saw the race was impeccably marshalled with local police at every junction for hours on end and the race outstandingly covered by the Gendarmarie. Even the last one or two riders had their own motorcycle Gendarme - and nothing was allowed on the road to/from the summit until they had all finished. The modest crowd I was with on the road to the summit were all patient and accomodating. I think all the girls had a terrific cheer. I think everyone knew they were putting in more effort than the men would put up with for a reward that is a fraction of what the men would get.
But, as we have said before. The half baked efforts by the press, kill the sponsors and without money the show stops. As I watched I thought it would make magnificent TV or even a book. Pity some journos don't know a good story when it smacks them on the head.
 
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resal1

New Member
Yes - sorry it is all a bit heavy going. From this and another article, it looks like Boue holds the view that he has given everything for 19 years attempting to develop a good race for Women and feels he has been up against it from every quarter. Quite who are the main culprits it is hard to fathom. Society Tour de France, the French Federation, Journalists, UCI with random swoops not on drug taking, but checking conditions of the race to see if they can stop it going on. All come in for criticism. The final straw appeared to be no notice to him from the UCI that they were not listing his event in the calendar. He only found out when the calendar was published. His view - basically whilst key individuals hold the attitudes they do towards Women's road racing, it is not progressing.

Quite what the view from the other side of the fence is like, I don't know. I could not find any counter articles.

One part of me says that at least without the money of the men's scene there is less chance of it being a race to see who can get furthest ahead of the testing system - keep it like it is. However it is so darned hard to keep up to date with what is going on, coverage is so poor. Whilst the Aussie girls were doing well a few years back Cyclingnews ran quite consistent coverage. It was, of course, quite Aussie focused but now that seems to have had a drop in its coverage of the women's scene in both quantity and quality.
 

Skip Madness

New Member
resal1 said:
[...] it looks like Boue holds the view that he has given everything for 19 years attempting to develop a good race for Women and feels he has been up against it from every quarter. Quite who are the main culprits it is hard to fathom. Society Tour de France, the French Federation, Journalists, UCI with random swoops not on drug taking, but checking conditions of the race to see if they can stop it going on. All come in for criticism. The final straw appeared to be no notice to him from the UCI that they were not listing his event in the calendar. He only found out when the calendar was published.
I'm not denying that these things are factors, far from it. But why has the Tour de l'Aude managed to remain a 10-day event which draws the best teams? Why is the Tour de l'Ardèche standing firm at the tail-end of the calendar? Why hasn't the Boucle been able to gain the same institutional support that those events have? A vendetta against Boué and his race? Lack of co-operation of regional bodies essential to putting together a race around different parts of France? Or failings on the organisaitonal side of Vélo-Féminin? Or maybe a bit of all of the above?
 
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resal1

New Member
Yes, I tried looking for articles for the counter argument. It would be interesting to have more insight. The 2002 non-payment of prizes seems a quite basic failing that was bound to have repercussions long term.
 
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