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‘We close towns for a living’: spatial transformation and the Tour de France

2010; Taylor & Francis; Volume: 11; Issue: 8 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1080/14649365.2010.523841

1470-1197

Catherine Palmer,

Geographies of human-animal interactions

Abstract This paper explores the ways in which the passage of the Tour de France bicycle race through France produces a distinctive cultural cartography or social map of France. Drawing on Lefebvre's (1991) conceptual triad of spatial practice, representations of space and representational spaces, the paper argues that the Tour de France both represents and is a space that is annually reordered and structured by very particular cultural practices. Through an analysis of the process (and politics) of route selection, the incorporation of iconic landscape and the transformation of civic space as the race moves across the country, the paper foregrounds the socially constructed nature of map making and the role of human intervention in producing and reproducing key cultural cartographies of France through the Tour de France. L'article explore les moyens dont la traversée de la course cycliste du Tour de France dans la France produit une cartographie distinctive culturelle ou une carte sociale de la France. En utilisant la triade conceptuelle de Lefebvre (1991) de la pratique spatiale, des représentations de l'espace et des espaces représentationnels, cet article soutient que le Tour de France représente et est aussi un espace qui est reordonné et structuré annuellement par des pratiques très particulières et culturelles. Au travers d'une analyse du processus (et des politiques) de la sélection des routes, l'incorporation du paysage iconique et la transformation d'espace civique pendant que la course traverse le pays, l'article met en relief la nature socialement construite de la cartographie et le rôle de l'intervention humaine dans la production et la reproduction des cartographies clés et culturelles de la France grâce au Tour de France. Este articulo se explora las formas en que el viaje del Tour de Francia carrera de bicicletas se produce una cartografía cultural o mapa social distintivo de Francia. Utlilizando la triada conceptual de practica espacial de Lefebvre (1991), representaciones de espacio y espacios figurativos, el articulo se discute que el Tour de Francia ambos representa y es un espacio que se reordena y estructura anualmente por practicas culturales muy particulares. A través de un análisis del proceso (y política) de la selección de rutas, la incorporación de paisajes icónicas y la transformación de espacio civil mientras la carrera se mueve a través el país, el articulo se enfatiza el carácter socialmente construido del cartografía y el papel de la intervención humano en producir y reproducir cartografías culturales claves de Francia a través el Tour de Francia. Keywords: Tour de Francecartographiesspatial transformationLefebvrenational identityKeywords: Tour de Francecartographiestransformation spatialeLefebvreidentité nationaleKeywords: Tour de Franciacartografíastransformación espacialLefebvredentidad nacional Acknowledgements I would like to thank the three anonymous reviewers for their helpful reading of an earlier version of this paper. Notes 1 In 2004, the Tour visited Belgium, while in 2007, the race started in London. 2 In a related vein, the perceived capacity of sporting events to inject investment into local, regional and national economies through large-scale urban regeneration projects has been a dominant discursive construction in studies of the social and spatial impacts of sport since the Barcelona Olympics in 1992 (Chalkley and Essex Citation1998; Dickinson and Shipway Citation2007; Eisinger Citation2000; Essex and Chalkley Citation1999; Friedman, Andrews and Silk Citation2004; Ohmann, Jones and Wilkes Citation2006; Thornley Citation2002). 3 The costs of these preparations are normally met by La Société du Tour de France or a region's development authority, however, the stage town may also invest in these preparations. 4 The Ancien Régime refers to the French social and political system prior to the Revolution of 1789. The Ancien Régime covered a territory of around 200,000 square miles and supported about 20 million people. 5 I am thinking here of recent debates about the wearing of conspicuous religious symbols in schools that are considered by many to specifically target the wearing of headscarves by Muslim women. 6 All names used are pseudonyms. 7 Palmer (Citation2001) and Polo (Citation2003) both provide accounts of other incidences of protest and sabotage at the Tour de France.