With no fewer than six major events taking place in the valley this summer, the Mairie de Morzine-Avoriaz and the Office de Tourisme are looking for volunteers to help make sure the Etape du Tour at the Tour de France are incredible experiences for all involved, showcasing the resort to an expected television audience of 3.5 billion in 188 countries worldwide.
The Etape du Tour in Morzine
The Etape du Tour travels between Megeve and Morzine on 10th July and the finish line will be at the Palais du Sport in central Morzine. A huge arrival centre will be set-up and all 15,000 riders can enjoy a Pasta Party once they’ve finished the challenging 140km race. There’ll be several road closures and traffic restrictions during the Etape du Tour and we’ll bring you more information on these in another article. Shuttle busses will also be available from the area outside the Palais du Sport to transport riders back to their accommodation after the race. Participants are expected to cross the finish line between 12noon and 7.30pm.
150 volunteers are required to assist with the Etape du Tour. Duties include assisting with the Pasta Party, information and orientation, distribution of medals and decorating the village in advance of the event. If you’re interested in helping, please contact Bruno Robinet at Morzine’s Office de Tourisme – projets@morzine-avoriaz.com
Le Tour de France in Morzine
The world’s biggest annual sporting event arrives in Morzine from Megeve on 23rd July. The location of the finish line has yet to be officially announced and further details will follow from the Mairie de Morzine-Avoriaz in due course. Similar to the Etape du Tour, there’ll be significant road closures across the resort for 12 hours before Le Tour arrives. Closed roads will include the Joux Plane, the Place d’Eglise, Rue du Bourg, part of Route de la Plagne and part of the Route de la Combe a Zorre.
Local accommodation providers are asked to share information on road closures and traffic restrictions with their guests before they arrive in resort. Parking permits will be available for essential traffic only, the objective being to keep as many vehicles out of Morzine as possible during Le Tour.
70 volunteers are required to assist with Le Tour and once again you should contact Bruno Robinet at the Office de Tourisme if you’d like to get involved. Bruno’s email address is projets@morzine-avoriaz.com
Operation Pois Rouges
Red polka dots are the symbol of Le Tour’s King of the Mountains jersey and to celebrate Le Tour, everyone in Morzine is encouraged to decorate their properties and gardens in red polka dots for the entire summer. From June onwards you’ll see Morzine’s zebra crossings turning red and white, and red dot bunting will be hung from balconies. The red dot bunting is available from the Office de Tourisme, priced at €2 per dot. All proceeds will be donated to Mecenat Chirurgie Cardique, a charity for children with heart defects. For more information visit www.poisrougesmorzine.com
Further Information
The Mairie de Morzine-Avoriaz will issue further information on the precise route of Le Tour in June, both in French and English. We’ll bring you more updates on logistics, traffic and volunteering.
