The Olympic torch visits the Gers!
The Olympic Torch Relay has now been winding along France’s roads for ten days! For Saturday 18th May, it was the turn of the Gers department, nicknamed “Little Tuscany”, to be in the spotlight, from l’Isle-Jourdain to Auch.
This stage, half-way between the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic coast, once again gave pride of place to rugby with the collective relay, led by 7-a-side player Paulin Riva. Anthony Jelonch, known for his performances with the French national team, was also one of the approximately 130 torchbearers on the day. Odette Desprats, a champion and pioneer of women’s rugby, lit the Cauldron at the Mouzon sports complex.
A festive day in a festive area
Described as “Little Tuscany” thanks to its quality of life, the beauty of its countryside and its many medieval villages, the Gers department boasts a wealth of historical and natural heritage. It has a number of geographical and cultural assets, including numerous festivals, such as the country music festival in Mirande and the famous jazz festival in Marciac. In Condom, the sculpture of d’Artagnan and his fellow Musketeers were well-placed to see the Olympic Torch pass by in front of the watching eyes and cheers of the spectators. There was a change of scenery a few hours later, as the Olympic Torch travelled past the arenas in Nogaro before heading to Auch, a town steeped in the spirit of sport. The Olympic Torch Relay again provided an opportunity to discover an excepConal region and witness the avid engagement of the Gers’ inhabitants.
A scrum-like collective relay in Auch
Auch is a major rugby centre in the region, and many of the players who play at the highest level learned the rudiments of tackling at FC Auch, including Antoine Dupont and Grégory Alldritt. The Gers-based club was among the first rugby clubs to be founded in France. Paulin Riva, a local for this tenth stage, was present to lead the collective relay. The captain of the French 7-a-side rugby team, preparing to participate in the Olympic Games, started playing the sport at the age of 5 years old, proudly donning the red and white kit. Athletes, personalities involved in the sport, amateur players, club officials, volunteers and representatives of the French Federation of Rugby completed the team for this collective relay.
Auch, which is dotted with parks and natural areas, has also been awarded the “Active Sporting City”, “Sport and Health”, “Land of the 2024 Games” and “Olympic Games preparation centre” labels and, with more than 7,000 club members, this town is especially attractive in sporting terms.
135 enthusiastic torchbearers for a day of celebration
Marianne Bonnard launched the stage in the Gers under the best possible auspices in Isle- Jourdain. She is a mother who also devotes her time to volunteering, accompanying children in their sporting activities. As in Toulouse, personalities well-known among the local public flew the flag for the Olympic Torch, such as Loetitia Moussard-Loubens, a former member of the French women’s basketball team. In Fleurance, the spectators were able to cheer on former handball player and gold medallist at the Beijing Olympic Games 2008, Christophe Kempé.
In the Capital of Gascony, the Olympic Torch set off from in front of the Sainte-Marie cathedral. This building, which overlooks the town, is a major site on the Way of Saint James of Compostela pilgrimage.
Other top sportswomen and sportsmen joined members of the general public to carry the Olympic Torch, such as French national team rugby player Anthony Jelonch, French women’s national team footballer – who as a child played for the club in Mirande –, Valérie Gauvin, and Auch native Joël Bouzou, a former Olympic bronze medallist athlete in the team modern pentathlon at the Los Angeles Games in 1984.
Martine Françoise- Prieur, a multi-medal winning Paralympics athlete, was also able to greet the spectators in Auch. The day ended on a high note with Odette Desprats, an emblem of women’s rugby, lighting the Olympic Cauldron at the celebration site!
The Olympic Torch Relay continues to hit the heights. Tomorrow, it will travel to the Hautes- Pyrénées department and start its day at the summit of the Pic du Midi de Bigorre, to enjoy a breathtaking panorama. It will then head to Lourdes, the Arrêt-Darré Lake, Bagnères-de- Bigorre, Lannemezan and the Cirque de Gavarnie before finishing the stage in Tarbes.