Guillaume Martin, who is participating with Cofidis from Saturday in his seventh Tour de France (8th in 2021), admits, in an interview with AFP, “a form of guilt” by practicing his profession which promotes soft mobility but contributes also to global warming.
Who says bike, says soft mobility. However, races like the Tour de France pollute. How do you experience this paradox?
ANSWER: “Personally, I can’t avoid a form of guilt. Because I know that my profession and my pleasure have repercussions that are contrary to my ideals and to what I think is necessary for the good of the planet. In the end, this is the type of dilemma that we all experience. We have phones, but we don’t know exactly how they are made and how far they have come.
Climate change, are you in a good position to experience it? “I remember a stage on the Vuelta where my speedometer showed an average of 38 degrees over the day, while we were in the mountains. Already, I am not sure that high level sport is good for your health. But when there are pollution peaks and you hear on the radio that you shouldn’t do any outdoor activity, when we’re shopping at full speed… Sometimes I have the impression of participating in this side of bread and games.”
What can the cycling world do? “The sliders are far from being pushed to the limit. I think it is possible to reduce the number of vehicles in the race. In terms of the calendar, we can bring the races closer geographically. It is sure that it will destabilize certain organizers who have their historical date, which perhaps corresponds to the festival of the village next door. But at some point, you have to take the measure of the current issue.
What about the runners? “I saw another one the other day throwing his can in the middle of nowhere. It drove me crazy.”
Is there an awareness anyway in the peloton? “Yes. We are sensitized within the teams, by the organizers, the UCI (International Cycling Union). I am not the only one with these concerns. (The Canadian runner) Michael Woods, for example, offsets his carbon footprint.
What about you? “I try to reduce it. I bother the team secretaries to catch a train when possible. Because the reflex is to take the plane. I also try to reduce waste. In the race, it’s complicated. But in training I make rice cakes and reuse the packaging. And I stop at the bakery. It’s the little things.”
Are race organizers like the Tour de France moving enough? “ASO is integrating more and more electric vehicles into its fleet. Afterwards, you also have to be aware that it’s a huge machine and that it’s not easy to change with the snap of your fingers. But I think there will be increasing pressure from militant organizations as we have seen last year. These kinds of actions will repeat themselves. Because, whether we like it or not, the Tour de France can be the reflection of certain excesses.
The risk is that one day we will have to stop sporting events? “Yes. Modern sport appeared at the end of the 19th century, following the industrial revolutions, at a time when, moreover, global warming began. Machines have greatly reduced human fatigue. Sport was invented to meet the need to continue to exist through the body. But it is a free expense. Afterwards, fortunately humans also have this ability to do things for free. This is the case with art, and I think sport is an art form. The Covid introduced the notion of essential and non-essential activities. I hope that we will not reach the point where we will be forced, by the situation, to concentrate only on the essentials.