TOUR DE FRANCE 2019

After ignoring the Tarentaise for what seemed like absolutely ages, the Tour de France returns this coming summer for the second year in a row.  This time it will be right at the end of the race, and it could be Tarentaise tarmac that determines who wins.

Following on from Geraint Thomas' victory in La Rosiere, the Tour will be visiting Tignes for a stage finish on 26th July, having first claimed the 2,700m Col de l''Iseran (from the Maurienne side).  The tour last visited Tignes in 2007 when the stage was won by the soon-to-be-disgraced Michael Rasmussen - more here.

And then the next day - the last one before Paris - the Tour will start at Albertville, pass through the pastoral delight that is the Beaufortain and then drop into Bourg St Maurice en route to the long drawn out final climb to the summit finish at Tignes.

In Bourg the best place to watch may be by the roundabout at foot of the Cormet de Roselend.

Full route details here.

ELECTIONS ROUND-UP

The 2nd round of the French presidential elections saw Savoie vote for Macron over Le Pen by a 65% to 35% margin.  A result which almost exactly followed the national picture.

Locally, the valley tends to vote for the candidates of the right, but not of the far right.

Val d'Isere is the most notable example of this pattern - with 52% voting for Fillon in the 1st round - not far off the 58% recorded by Sarkozy in 2012. Yet just 12% supported Le Pen, and she trailed in 4th place - just behind Melenchon (12%) and Macron (11%).  Come the second round, the village voted strongly for Macron, by 72% to 28%.

Tignes followed a similar pathway, albeit without quite such thumping first-round victory for Fillon.

Bourg-St-Maurice is more of a mixed bag politically, with Fillon emerging out in front after the first round, but only just.  Again, Marine Le Pen came in fourth:

Bourg-Saint-Maurice 1st round results

Click here to explore all the results

Set against all this, the most politically interesting village in the valley is Landry, which put Melenchon first, with all the main candidates putting in a decent showing.

Séez is notable for having Le Pen narrowly ahead in round 1, albeit defeated by 62-38 in the run-off.  The FN candidate did relatively well in Villaroger too.

Meanwhile, neighbouring Montvalezan (below La Rosiere) saw one of the heaviest victories for Macron last Sunday, by 76% to 24%.

Next up: the parliamentary elections in June...

A RIVER RUNS THROUGH IT

This week sees the arrival of the French national canoe & kayak championships in Bourg St Maurice.

The action takes place by the Isere, just outside Bourg.  Apparently the course is uber-technical. The new Les Arcs site provides the novice with a briefing on the sport.

WHAT NEXT FOR LES ARCS: The resorts

Linking with the developments coming soon for the ski area, here is an update on what the Bourg St Maurice town hall has in its plans for the coming years.  Again, info is courtesy of the Avenir et Animations des Arcs association.

On the agenda:

Arc 2000
- a new 5* hotel, opening December 2016, courtesy of the Schonauer Group
- 150M euro investment in a new 60m X 40m ice rink (Dec 2016 also)
- Upgrades to the shopping areas

Arc 1800
- renovation of the Villards parking area, including new bus station, baggage store, welcome area.  Similar improvements are planned to the Charvet "bus station"
- improvements to the dilapidated Place Basse at Villards

Arc 1600
- New Club Med (2018)
- Construction of 15 luxury chalets between the UCPAand the former Beguin Hotel (to the left of the Mont Blanc chair)
- Project (private investors) to turn the Beguin Hotel into apartments

Bourg Saint Maurice
- Extension of the medical centre (currently nearing completion)
- The start of works on the new tourist developments at the former army base
- New youth hotel
- Completion of the renovations of the pedestrian bridge linking the funiculaire with the town

That was then:
1970s marketing literature

A ROUGH GUIDE TO LES ARCS: Ten Things You (Might) Need to Know

A quick tour of the resort which may be helpful for those heading off to Les Arcs for the first time:

Above Arc 1800

1. Skiing: if you are able to ski red runs, it is worth taking time out to do the 2000m descent from the Aiguille Rouge to Villaroger.  Stop for a coffee at the Solliet half way down if you get tired.

2. Ski Schools: On balance my prize would go to Arc Aventures in 1800; but more details of the various options can be found here.  Note: The Ski Club of Great Britain is offering instructor-led guiding at Les Arcs this year, in the wake of all the uncertainty around the legality of its own rep skiing with guests.  Evolution 2 are proving this service.

3. Non-skiing: It would be brave to claim Les Arcs is a top place to go.  La Piscine at Arc 1800 certainly adds a new dimension.  And here's a guide to some of the other things on offer.  The ice cave has since moved to Arc 2000 (by the Arcabulle lift).

4. Snow Art: Keep an eye out for Simon Beck's creations around Arc 2000.  They are quite something.

5. Eating: Blanche Murée is my official favourite, but there's quite a good choice now, from the nice hut by the top of the Peisey lift, all the way through to Belliou La Fumée below Arc 2000. More on the food here and (from Where to Ski and Snowboard) here.

6. History: More than you are ever likely to want to know can be found here.  In two sentences: the two founding fathers were local ski instructor Robert Blanc and developer Roger Godino who spotted the potential of the area.  It started with Arc 1600 in 1968 and progressive expansion followed with Arc 2000 opening in 1980, the year Blanc was killed in an avalanche below the resort while searching for missing skiers.

7. Architecture: British guides often sniffily dismiss the architecture of Les Arcs, choosing to wax lyrical about the Bicester-village style design on show at Arc 1950.  But there's quite a story to the architecture of Charlotte Perriand, including their application to the mass production of the interiors, for example at Arc 1800.  More here.

8. La Plagne: Buying a 6 day Paradiski pass isn't really necessary, but you are likely to be tempted to go over there for a day.  Head for the Glacier if it's not high season, and try the 2000m descent all the way down to Montchavin.  For the latest on La Plagne (in French), the Perso-La Plagne site is great.

9. Social Media: You can do some armchair exploration of the area by following some of the locals on Facebook and Twitter.

10. Parking: You have two choices.  Pay at the Funiculaire parking (still controversial) and get the train up.  If you do, it might be better to buy your ski pass before starting out as the ride up is included.  Or drive up to resort, where you will have to pay.  Unless you want to leave your car on the access roads and take your chances.

Belles Challes, Arc 1800

BOURG ST MAURICE: Work in Progress

Bourg St Maurice is now poised to move on from the loss of the Chasseurs Alpins army brigade.  Losing 1,400 people is a big loss to a small town, and it's taking a little time for the plans to come to fruition.

The plan (this one from February 2014) is to build a new tourist complex on the site, which will include a hotel, holiday apartments and aquatic centre.  There isn't a huge amount of information online at the moment, but things are clearly starting to move.

The Quartier des Alpins branding is in place, and work is now under way to clear the site, with 30 buildings awaiting demolition between now and November.

Yesterday: The base of the 7th Chasseurs Alpins brigade

Tomorrow: a new "tourist zone" aka the
Quartier des Alpins

Regular visitors to Les Arcs will be pleased to learn that the redevelopment will be a catalyst for the long-awaited upgrading of the grotty pedestrian bridge which links the station with the funiculaire.  The 2013 plan involved adding new lifts, with the bridge being be extended towards the Quartier des Alpins.  Estimated cost: €1.85m.  Le Dauphiné's 6 May 2015 edition reports that it is indeed going to be "completely renovated", but it's behind the paywall, so that's as far as I've got for the moment.

BOURG ST MAURICE: Latest News

Following the local elections, Michel Giraudy is the new mayor, although it was hardly a landslide (or avalanche, as they say in these parts).

For a detailed briefing on the challenges the new mayor faces in developing the former chasseurs alpins army base, see the Ski Adventures site.

The parking set-up at the funiculaire remains a shambles.  It's basically cheaper now to park in resort.  So much for park & ride, environmental credentials, etc.  Let's see what happens next season.

***

Here's the official blurb on Bourg St Maurice, via the Les Arcs website.

SKI-CROSS: Disaster (and Triumph)

In the event, the ski cross was a bit of a disaster for Marielle Berger, crashing out almost instantly.  Later on, veteran Alpe d'Huez skier Ophélie David crashed out when in sight of a medal position.

But the locals will take some solace though by the performance of the men in the ski cross. The all-French podium included two Savoyards: Jean-Frédéric Chapuis, born in Bourg-St-Maurice, and a member of the Val Thorens club, took gold, folowed by Beaufort skier Arnaud Bovalenta.  TheHaut-Savoyard Jonathan Midol took bronze.

Bravo aux garcons!

WHAT'S NEW IN LES ARCS: Parking matters

UPDATE: 12 Jan: You can buy your €50 "weekly ticket" from the new "parking chalet" at the foot of the steps below the funiculaire.   If you arrive outside working hours, you can go and see the chap on the desk before you leave.  However, factoring in the 12€ for the return ride on the funi, we now have the sad situation where parties of two or more can save money by making the 15km climb up to Arc 1800 and paying the 65€ charge there...

Les Arcs is no stranger to parking controversies.  The introduction of parking charges in 2009 did not go down well with the local saisonniers and proprieteres.  The Council was very clear at the time that it needed to introduce charges to help cover its deficit, and saw no strong argument as to why parking in the ski resort should be subsidised by local taxpayers.  Not all were convinced, but the issue seems to have died down now.

For many years, a very sensible alternative for the holidaymaker has been to use the funiculaire from Bourg St Maurice, leaving the car in the adjacent (free) car park.  The parking is of course heavily used by locals as part of their daily commute.

This state of affairs has now been thrown up in the air, in the wake of the municipal council's decision this October to introduce new parking charges in Bourg St Maurice.  

For the tourist, a daily charge of €3 sounds reasonable, but there is a cunning surcharge for an overnight stay which means I clocked up a €65 bill for a four day stay.  When I questioned the amount, I was advised that "You do not have the right to park overnight". It does seem, however, that parking overnight is not entirely frowned upon: a €50 weekly ticket (for 5-7) days is now available.  Full details of the costs are on the Les Arcs website.  

For those working in Les Arcs, there is the option to buy a €180 ticket covering the season.

This has been condemned as a "tax on work" and the CGT and FO unions representing the resort workers have have launched a campaign.  This included a march on the town hall the week before Christmas.  The issue appears to be far from over...

Bourg St Maurice, 21 December 2013

For the moment, Les Arcs' claims to be "eco-friendly" or "car-free" appear a little hollow. By my maths, the new cost of a week's parking down in Bourg (50€ plus return ticket to Les Arcs) makes driving up to the resort and paying the 65€ charge the cheaper option. Which seems odd.

LES ARCS 2012-13: A Rough Guide

If you're in Les Arcs this winter, here are 10 things you can drop into conversations to impress the locals and/or bore your fellow skiers:

1.  The bond with Bourg St Maurice

It's more than just the funicular to 1600: Les Arcs IS Bourg St Maurice's ski resort.  They are marketed jointly as Bourg St Maurice-Les Arcs, they are part of the same local government commune, and there is a daily commute of workers up and down.  Aime's relationship with La Plagne is similar.  Bourg is not a particularly wealthy town, and the economic impact of departure of the Chasseurs Alpins soldiers during Summer 2012 is a big concern.  The locals are called les borains.  People "from Les Arcs" are arcadiens. Locals over at Peisey are peiserots.

Bourg St Maurice, looking towards La Rosiere

2.  Founded by Robert Blanc

The founder of Les Arcs was from a farming family based in Hauteville-Gondon (just outside Bourg), who spent the summers with their sheep in what is now the Arc 2000 valley.  His dream was to come back and see a ski resort above his home town.  Arc Pierre Blanche (now 1600) was duly launched in 1968.  Robert Blanc was killed in an avalanche looking for lost skiers on the road up to 2000 in 1980.  More here.

3.  The resort nearly went bust in the 1980s

It all went a bit horribly wrong for Les Arcs, and a landslide on the road to 1800 did not help.  This prompted a transfer of power away from Blanc's business partner Roger Godino and land was sold to other developers.

4.  A pioneer of snowboarding

Apocalypse Snow...

Les Arcs always fancied itself as a home of les nouvelles glisses, for example in being the capital of the ski evolutif means of teaching beginners.  The Apocalypse Snow films were filmed in Les Arcs during the early 1980s....

5.  The old ski area around Courbaton

When you arrive at Arc 1600 you will see a dilapidated building on your left.  This is the former cable car station from the "old", pre-Les Arcs ski area.  More here.

6.  Intrawest

Arc 1950 was developed by the Canadian developers Intrawest during the early 2000s.  It is much loved by the Brits and, increasingly, by Russians.  The introduction of the Bois de l'Ours and Marmottes lifts were a direct result of the "resort" opening.

7.  Mountain Biking

The Cachette piste above Arc 1600 is a racing (slalom) course during the winter.  In summer there is a serious MTB descent route down its western flank.  If you're driving up to the resort, comment on how difficult the climb is, and remind your friends that this was where Miguel Indurain met his end during the 1996 Tour de France.

The top of the Cachette

8.  Architecture: a national treasure...

Not everyone loves the original architecture.  But it was part of a broader vision, starting on a relatively small scale at 1600, and moving on to the mass-construction methods deployed in Arc 1800 and later Arc 2000.  You can go on a tour if you are staying in 1600 and 1800, and you can read all about it here and here.

Pierra Menta, Arc 1800 (1978)

9.   Paradiski

The new lift to La Plagne opened in 2003.  Although no-one ever actually admits it, traffic between the two stations is far lower than predicted, but Paradiski must go down as a success in being able to promote La Plagne and Les Arcs as one of the top ski destinations in Europe.  More on the link here.

10.  Local sports

When you drive through Bourg St Maurice, comment on FC Haute Tarentaise, which is based in both Bourg and Aime - two towns together etc.  You may also see the Isere bubbling away.  This is one of the best white water rafting sites in Europe.  On the slopes you may see the Les Arcs' Ski Club training in their day-glo suits.  They are one of the best development squads in France.  The most famous local skier, however, is a "Plagnard", namely Jean-Luc Cretier.

LES ARCS AND THE SMALL SCREEN: 10 Videos

Here, in no particular order, are ten videos all about Les Arcs and its environs.

1.  The Beginning of the End for Miguel Indurain

Tour de France, 1996.  "Big Mig" has a jour sans on the road to Les Arcs.  Chris Boardman finds it a tad tricky too.  More here..

2.  Top Gear aux Arcs

Watch Hammond et al descend from Arc 1950 to Villaroger.  By car.  Racing against the locals.  On skis.

3.  Skiing Today

Courtesy of my daughter.

4.  Ski Joering:

Les Arcs seems to be one of the few places to practice this, er, unique activity.

5.  Tour de France 2009

Sadly, they stopped in Bourg St Maurice rather than making the climb up to Les Arcs.  And the winner of the stage was later tested positive.  More here.

6.  The 7e BCA

The Chasseurs Alpins have now left Bourg St Maurice - a big event, and one which will take some adapting to on a whole range of levels.

7.  Mountain Biking on the Cachette

The red run above 1600 morphs into a notable VTT descente in summmer:

8.  Panorama

This starts rather higher up, and gives a wonderful overview of Les Arcs' terrain during the summer.

9.  Welcome to Paradise

It's hard to love the official Paradiski branding but hey ho:

                          

10.  The "LA Session"

I think the days of these February meetings have now gone, but they were quite something...

A WEEK IN ARC 1800: The Non-Skier's Guide

Updated 10 Feb 2013

Les Arcs cannot claim to be the best destination for non-skiers.  All is not lost, however. Here are some things to do if you are going to be in Arc 1800 for a week, and have some time to kill....

SATURDAY

Take the bus to 1600 and then the funicular down to the market in Bourg Saint Maurice. The Grand Rue is quite animated, and the assembled stalls sell more cheese, ham and jam than you can shake a stick at.  There's even a horse butcher.  It starts at 8 and is over by lunchtime, so you'll need to be organised.  After lunch you could have a swim in the municipal pool, which is on the road to Tignes and Les Arcs.

SUNDAY

To the top of the Transarc to see the Grotte de Glace.  This is actually quite good - each year there is a different theme.  During November they create an ice cave, and then expert sculptors do their thing.  The only downside is that the adjacent restaurant (La Creche) isn't Les Arcs' finest.  But it's a good place to meet skiers and the view from the terrace looking over to the Nancroix valley is great.  The Transarc is one of the lifts open to non-skiers (see below).

MONDAY

Snow-shoe walking.  This "snow art" below the Varet lift (below) was created by a gifted snow-shoer, by the way.  (Search for "Simon Beck" on Google to see his latest work). There are quite a lot of organised outings - Arc Aventures have a daily programme, as do the ESF in both 1800 and 1600.  Some outings go from the top of the Tranarc; others in the forests above 1800 and particularly in the 1600/Courbaton sector.

TUESDAY

Les chiens de traineau are not cheap, but it is an amazing experience.  Their kennels have now moved from the Comborciere lift to Arc 1800, so the dogs can be closer to their clients.  More here.  

                          

WEDNESDAY

Check in at the Hotel du Golf.  You can get good deals out of high season if you book direct.  And they now have a small pool/spa complex which will be nice and quiet during the day.

THURSDAY

Running out of options here, but today might be the day to take the bus round to Arc 2000 and meet your skiing chums at the Chalets de l'Arc (more on restaurants in Les Arcs here.)   Pedestrians can (just about) make it to the Varet lift, and onwards to the Aiguille Rouge at 3226m).

If it snows or rains, the option of going to see a film in Arc 1800 and Arc 1600 is sadly no longer available.  (The cinema in Bourg St Maurice on the main road is a listed building by the way).  Occasionally some of the big blockbusters are shown in "v.o.", with English subtitles.  Of course if you come before Christmas, you can immerse yourself in an entire film festival.

FRIDAY

Connect with the "real France" by going back down to Bourg St Maurice and taking the train to Chambéry, which has a lovely setting, a fine old town and some good shopping.

Chambéry is, by some distance, the largest town in Savoie, is the capital of the department, a university town and one of the few places in the area to vote for the Parti Socialiste.  More on the town here.

It is also home to a noted handball team, which regularly records attendances of 5,000+.

AND FINALLY....

The tourist and lift pass offices sell a special "pedestrian guide", which includes one or two other attractions eg the "luge run", which goes from the top of the Transarc down to Arc 2000.  A day's lift pass for pedestrians was €16.50 in 2011/12, with the following lifts on offer: Transarc 1 and 2, Arcabulle, Vallandry, Vanoise Express and the Funiculaire.

AU REVOIR: Les Chasseurs Alpins leave Bourg St Maurice

Earlier this month the 7e Chasseurs Alpins left Bourg St Maurice.

This marks the end of an era for the town.  For some background click here.

Soldiers leaving for a tour of duty in Afghanistan

Their new base will be in Varces, near Grenoble.  Here are two videos covering their departure:

TOUR DE FRANCE: Les Arcs 2009

The Tour de France stage to Bourg St Maurice lacked the drama of the 1996 visit to Les Arcs (scene of Indurain's downfall - more here.

What could be better - a start in Switzerland, through Italy, down into Bourg St Maurice, via the Grand and Petit St Bernard passes, before a final climb up to Arc 1800.

Except the decision was taken for the riders to finish down in the valley in Bourg St Maurice - so that the suspense could continue right until the final Saturday and the climb of Mont Ventoux.  Here's the Wikipedia account of the 2009 Tour.

In the event, the Ventoux stage proved to be a bit of a let-down, and the stage to Bourg is little remembered.  Or at least remembered for the wrong things.  The winner of the stage, Miguel Astarloza, later tested positive for drugs, and the stage was awarded to Sandy Casar.

Here are the riders on the descent to Bourg St Maurice.

The finish line was in the road leading from the SNCF roundabout to the Funiculaire:

The following day the riders left from Bourg St Maurice.  Here they are on the very lower slopes of the Cormet du Roseland.

Lance Armstrong and co stayed - of course - in Arc 1950.  The Euskatel Euskadi team, on the other hand, stayed in the more modest environs of Arc 1800.  As did The Tour Doctor:

More on cycling in Les Arcs this summer here.  If you think the 1st category climb from Bourg St Maurice is too easy, go down to Landry, take the (much harder) climb to Peisey and up to Arc 1800 on the summer road, and then continue to Arc 2000.  The final climb from the Comborciere lift at 1800m to Arc 2000 (actually at 2100m) is a tough one....

TOUR DE FRANCE 1996: Les Arcs and The Beginning of The End for Miguel Indurain

The 1996 Tour de France can hardly go down as the greatest in history, given that the winner Bjarne Riis admitted taking drugs during the tour, with most of the other riders also implicated - see wikipedia account for some of the background.

Aside from this depressing backdrop, it is notable for two reasons: the first inclusion of the climb to Les Arcs, and the beginning of the end for Miguel Indurain.  Here's the route, which included the Chambery to Les Arcs stage, via Col de la Madeleine and the Cormet de Roselend:

Other features of the 1996 Tour include:

• Lance Armstrong having to give up at Aix-les-Bains - the start of his fight against cancer.
• Snow stopping the racing on the Cols de l'Iseran and Galibier
• Chris Boardman in his heyday, albeit not on the Les Arcs stage.

The stage to Les Arcs was also notable for seeing yellow jersey holder Stephane Heulot abandon on the Cormet de Roseland.

On the climb itself, we see Indurain dropped just before the Arc 1600 roundabout, and (in contravention of the rules) taking a drink.  Was he wearing too much, speculate the commentators.  Have a look at around 2:45 for the moment Indurain cracks, with Luc Leblanc going on to win the stage.

Gary Imlach was sent to Indurain's hotel (the Grand Hotel Paradiso) in Arc 1800 to find out more.  "I wasn't suffering but I didn't have the rhythm or strength to do it...."

It wasn't entirely the end of the road for Indurain - the next day he put in a very good performance in the Bourg St Maurice - Val d'Isere time trail.  But it was Les Arcs which marked the beginning of the end for "Big Mig".  It isn't the hardest climb in the world, but it is long - 15km.  Arguably the 2009 Tour would have been much more interesting if the organisers hadn't wimped out of taking the riders up to Arc 1800, rather than finishing in Bourg-St-Maurice.....

More on cycling in Les Arcs here. 

And below is a fuller version of that 1996 stage:

APRES SKI: Summer in Les Arcs

Update 27 May 2013

Les Arcs is open this summer from 6 July to 30 August, with "pre-ouverture" on a couple of weekends in late June.  Cyclocoeur runs from 9-11 August.

There are one or two parts of the Alps - the Chamonix Valley and the Jungfrau region which do at least as well in summer as they do in winter.

This isn't the case in the Tarentaise.  But the resorts are open, the sun is (usually) out, and you are much further from the madding crowd than you are in winter.

Here's a "Top 10" Guide of things to do in Les Arcs.  If it rains, go to Le Lagon in Tignes for a swim.

The Les Arcs website is now in "summer mode", with the resort (including key lifts like the Transarc) open from 7th July.

Although there are lots of things to do, it's arguably the cycling that's the jewel in the crown.

Tour de France 2009, lower slopes of Cormet de Roselend

For cycling uphill, there is an almost endless range of options from Bourg St Maurice: Le Cormet de Roselend, Petit St Bernard, Cold de l'Iseran, plus of course the mythical climb to Les Arcs :)

The best English-language guide to cycling I've found is www.grenoblecycling.com, which covers just about every col you can think of.

In Bourg St Maurice, the big local event is Cyclocoeur, which runs from 10th-12th August, in aid of local disabled charities.  It involves various events for road and VTT, including the hard-core climb to Arc 2000, which takes the experts around an hour.  More on the event below:

For cycling downhill, there are endless VTT trails, including the Cachette piste at 1600 which is used for competitions.  The video below gives a good guide to the terrain. NB The initial descent, from Aiguille Grive down to the Nancroix valley can also be covered more sedately on foot, ending at the Hotel de La Vanoise in Peisey.  A chacun son gout....

THE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION: How They Voted In Round 2

The results are in, with Hollande scoring 51.7%, and Sarko 48.3%, on an 80% turnout. All the results, including by departement and commune here.

True to its tradition of being more to the right, Savoie voted for Sarkozy, by a 53: 47 margin.  In Haute Savoie, as ever, the result was even clearer: Sarko ahead by 60:40.

Chambéry voted for Hollande, just as it voted for Royal in 2007.  But the "Trend Tarentaise" is again evident.  In other words, the higher you go up the valley, the higher the vote for Sarkozy: First round results here.

In Bourg St Maurice and Val d'Isere, Sarko's vote held up well.  There are changes elsewhere, more in line with the national swing.  Indeed, in the key marginal of Landry, below Peisey, a 51:49 Sarko-Royal in 2007 transferred to a 52:48 Hollande lead.

Here's how some of the ski villages and towns voted.  The 2007 figures are first, followed by the 2012 scores.

All figures are % voting for Sarkozy:

Landry  51, 48

Moutiers  55, 53

Albertville  55, 54

Bozel (Courchevel)  56, 54

Aigueblanche (Valmorel)  57, 52

Beaufort  58, 58

Aime (La Plagne)  61, 58

Bourg St Maurice-Les Arcs  60, 59

Seez (La Rosiere)  61, 58

Champagny  62, 59

Peisey-Nancroix  65, 60

Tignes  66, 67

Macot-la-Plagne  68, 65

Villaroger  70, 64

St Martin-de-Belleville  73, 70

Brides-les-Bains (Meribel)  74, 68

Crest Voland  79, 77

Val d'Isere  80, 79

THE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION: How they voted in Round One

The first round of the election results are in.  Savoie is hardly a bellweather state - it is traditionally more to the right, and that's what happened last Sunday.

France-wide, the figures were (Savoie in brackets):
Hollande 29% (24), Sarkozy 27% (29), Le Pen 18% (19), Mélenchon 11% (11)
Full results here.

Haute-Savoie is more of a stronghold of the right.  Here, Sarkozy scored 34%, with Hollande trailing on 20%.

Sarko with ESF moniteurs at La Clusaz (Haute Savoie).
He says he's not "as good a skier" as Carla.
And anyway, he hasn't skied since being at the Elysée...
people would think him crazy if he broke something..

The main pattern to emerge is that, the further you up the Tarentaise valley, the higher the vote for the current President.  That is to say there is a correlation (I don't think it's causation....) between altitude and the share of Sarko's vote:

                              Chambéry     Albertville      Moutiers     Bourg SM     Val d'Isere
                                  (245m)           (328m)           (481m)         (810m)           (1850)
Sarkozy                         25                  27                   32                 34                 58
Hollande                         30                  26                   23                 18                12
Le Pen                           14                  20                   19                 16                 11
Melenchon                      14                 13                    12                 11                 7

This is not a new phenomenon, I hasten to add.  Here's how Savoie voted in round 2 of the 2007 presidentielle, for example.

PS Both Hollande and Sarkozy are very keen to remind folk that they are great sports fans.  Sarko loves cycling, and his dream is to win an Alpe d'Huez stage.  Hollande loves his football, and is a big Rouen supporter.  More here.

THE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION: How They Voted In 2007

Not long now until the first round of the French Presidential Election.  Here's how France voted in round two back in 2007:

Sarko v Sego

Savoie is traditionally more to the right and voted in favour of Sarkozy by 57:43

Indeed, the only town I can find which voted for Royal is the capital itself, Chambéry, which went against Sarko by a 49:51 margin.  The full results, broken down by departement and commune, can be found here.

With one or two exceptions, the communes serving ski resorts backed Sarkozy by a greater margin than the Savoie average.  Here is a selection, ranked by % voting for Sarko:

Landry  51
Moutiers  55
Albertville  55

Bozel (Courchevel)  56

Aigueblanche (Valmorel)  57
Beaufort  60
Aime (La Plagne)  61
Bourg St Maurice-Les Arcs  60
Seez (La Rosiere)  61
Champagny  62
Peisey-Nancroix  65
Tignes  66
Macot-la-Plagne  68
Villaroger  70
St Martin-de-Belleville  73
Brides-les-Bains (Meribel)  74
Crest Voland  79
Val d'Isere  80

L'ARMEE ET LA VALLEE: The Chasseurs Alpins Leave Town

This summer sees one of the bedrocks of Bourg St Maurice leaving town.  The 7th Brigade of the Chasseurs Alpins (7e BCA) are moving to the Grenoble area.  They are the French army's elite mountain troops, with many currently in Afghanistan.

The departure of the BCA caused quite a stir when first announced - the impact on the local community and economy of several hundred families moving on, the loss of an emergency service in case of disasters, etc.  And it remains high up the list of concerns at the start of 2012 - they are one of the anchors of the local economy, and with the ski industry flat, there is much to think about.  The French government have sweetened the pill slightly by awarding the new national advanced ski training centre to Bourg St Maurice rather than Chamonix, but it certainly makes initiatives like Bourg St Maurice 2020 all the more relevant.

So this will be the last season you will see the chasseurs on the local pistes.  They have guarded my hire car at Les Ecudets (below La Rosiere), and at Les Brevieres (below Tignes).  And they have scared me, with their "we do not stop for civilians" armoured car convoys on the Cormet de Roselend.  You will still see them training - for example on the Les Granges piste below Arc 1800:

Here's the local news coverage where they talk about the departure from BSM:

More on the background, history etc in the Wikipedia entries, in English and (with much more detail) in French.