Claims of ecological destruction and loss of a ski station

The 2012 Tour de France is over six months away but it is already causing stirs, with the Europe Écologie les Verts (EELV) group lodging an official complaint today over the scheduled seventh stage finish at la Planche des Belles Filles.



According to the political party, no planning permission was sought for work carried out to prepare the way for the Tour’s first big summit finish. L’Equipe reports that this work includes a 300 metre long, six metre wide stretch of tarmac on an 18% section of the climb, as well as big parking lots. EELV claims that the area has been ‘totally disfigured’ by the work, with one of five ski stations being reportedly destroyed.



Its complaint was made to the Tribunal de Grande Instance of Vesoul. The General Council of Haute-Saone, the origin of the work that began in mid-October, said that "everything was done within the law" and "the prefecture is the same view."



Next year’s Tour de France route was unveiled last month. The stage seven conclusion is one of just three summit finishes in the race, and is likely to see all-out attacks by the climbers who are worried about losing time in three races against the clock.



Also see: analysis of 2012 Tour de France route