Alain Bondue: "The Grand Départ of the Tour 2025 will be a great celebration".
A leading figure in Northern France and French cycling in the 1970s and 1980s, Roubaix-born Alain Bondue is still an avid cyclist. He is looking forward to the Grand Départ of the Tour de France 2025 in Lille, which brings back many memories for him.
At the age of 65, Alain Bondue's white hair and athletic physique make him an unmistakable figure on his bike. This great sports fan has built up an exceptional record of achievements in both track and road cycling. Two-time world pursuit champion in 1981 and 1982, as well as European champion in 1979, multiple French champions and silver medallist at the 1980 Moscow Olympics, he made his career with Roubaix's powerful La Redoute Motobécane team.
The sixty-year-old keeps a keen eye on current cycling. The arrival of the Grande Boucle in 2025 in the North of France for the Grand Départ brings back memories for him, as he took part in the Tour three times as a rider from 1984 to 1986 under the colors of La Redoute-Motobécane and Système U.
What are your thoughts on the Grand Départ of the Tour de France 2025?
Alain Bondue: It's fantastic for our department and the visibility it's going to get for several days! The Tour is broadcast on TV all over the world, so it's a fantastic showcase. I remember the 1994 Grand Départ very well. For the people of Northern France, it's going to be a real popular celebration. The Tour is a global event, and yet it remains accessible to everyone, because road cycling is a sport that is free to attend, and it's important that it remains so.
You've taken part in the Grande Boucle three times, what memories do you have?
AB: Yes, I did three tours (1984 to 1986) on the bike, including one edition for Stephen Roche, who finished third overall, but also 17 editions by car.
I know the Tour from both sides. The feelings of celebration, togetherness and communion are when you're a follower, because as a rider, we're in our own bubble. Nowadays, things have become so professional that riders don't feel like celebrating, and even less so at the start of a Tour. The race is always nervous. Each team puts its stamp on the race, and also wants to take the yellow jersey before the big leaders set off for final victory. The three northern stages will therefore be important, as they will condition the first week of the race.
In 2025, the route of the stage between Valenciennes and Dunkirk will avoid the cobbles. What do you think?
AB: As a spectator, I'm a bit sad because cobbles are the DNA of cycling in the North. It's as if a mountain stage avoided the passes. We know that a cobbled stage involves risks, but it's the riders who make the race. They decide the pace and therefore the risks.
If you were a rider at the start of the Tour 2025, how would you see your participation?
AB: It's funny, I was talking about this with some former racers not so long ago. Cycling today has become too rigid, too professional, and we don't have the fun we had in my day. All that counts is the result, to satisfy the partners, the media...
I don't think I'm comfortable with this kind of cycling, but as a supporter I'm a fan of current cycling. I'm thrilled by the performances of Pogacar, Evenepoel, Mathieu van der Poel, Wout Van Aert, Julian Alaphilippe and many others. It's a very high level, and today's riders are true athletes. When they're not racing, they're training. Cycling isn't like it was in my day.
What will you be doing on July 5, 2025?
AB: Without a doubt, I'll be here in Lille for the Grand Départ. I can't wait, because it's a unique atmosphere!