« We have all the assets to make this candidacy one of the most attractive to ensure France’s victory. Our geographical location, our ski resorts, our hotel infrastructures, our international airport, our means of transportation… In short, most of the needs are already in place, and we will build a flawless dossier for what remains to be accomplished. » As a former great champion, Christian Estrosi is confident, and while he was comfortable on the paved tracks, he seems equally sharp to tackle the snowy slopes.
A candidacy not so exotic after all!
Some French newspapers and magazines gently mocked the Nice candidacy by calling it “exotic,” but that was probably without really knowing the geographical position of the capital of the Côte d’Azur, located in one of the rare European regions offering high-level stations just an hour from the azure beaches. “You can swim in the morning and be on skis from noon. It’s one of our particularities, but it is just one of the many assets of our candidacy,” Christian Estrosi knows he can also rely on France’s second airport, on already excellent road infrastructures, and on a hotel logistics finely tuned by the region’s tourism and economic activity. Moreover, businesses in the Azure region have understood the stakes of this candidacy, and the project received a warm welcome when unveiled just a few weeks ago at Nice airport.
“I want clean Games, and we will put everything in place to make sustainable development a priority of our candidacy. Each construction will be modular and reusable after the event. Thus, the bobsleigh track will transform into a leisure facility after the games, just like the Olympic village installed in Eco-Valley, which will become a student housing center.”
“It’s a real boon for Nice and the entire region. We will obviously unite our forces to make this dossier as competitive as possible. Our know-how and skills allow us to dream of Olympic success in Nice,” Dominique Estève, the President of the Nice Chamber of Commerce, present in Paris yesterday, is enthusiastic in offering unwavering support to this project which has now become a reality.
Who, what, how…?
“Draw me the Olympics!” With the announcement made, the countdown is now underway, and before the launch, the setup phase is in full swing with the formation of the first Olympic team tasked with structuring the candidacy dossier. At its helm, of course, is a motivated Christian Estrosi, boosted by this new challenge which, furthermore, will highlight his native land, to which he has always shown a caring attention.
In the central coordinator position is Bernard Maccario. The former Academy Inspector of the Alpes-Maritimes, now Deputy Director General of the General Council, heads a steering committee for the candidacy composed of members from the three institutions: the Town Hall, the General Council, and the Canca. A promotional association for the candidacy is expected to be formed in the coming weeks, with Olympic Champion Alain Bernard as co-chair, while former Olympic snowboarding champion Marion Vidal could also become an integral part of the project.
The team is thus well on its way to fully engaging in this first qualifying phase, which will involve convincing the 43 voting members of the French National Olympic and Sports Committee that the Nice candidacy is much better than that of Annecy or Grenoble. Regarding the candidacy cost, the first phase of national selection would be between 250,000 and 300,000 euros, while the overall cost, in case of participation in the international phase, would be around 100 million euros.
“I am confident in our candidacy. It is still easier to build a bobsleigh or luge track than France’s second airport. This is what our competitors face. Despite this, if one of the other two cities were to win, I would support this candidacy because I am French above all.” A good sport, Christian Estrosi does not contemplate turning into a supporter of Grenoble or Annecy and is preparing to take on the role of Nice’s Olympic ambassador.
This video is from the site Web TV Nice 
