ASO launches children's program

By Hedwig Kröner

Tour de France organiser ASO has presented a new project for children in Marseille, France, on Monday, February 19. Up until the departure of this year's Tour de France in London, 12 French cities, 500 schools and up to 10,000 children will be involved with the project A chacun son Tour ("A Tour for everyone").

Firstly, primary schools will be given a special educational package to inform children about the sport of cycling. Moreover, so-called "cycloparcs" will be organised for children aged 8 to 12 to discover the various disciplines of the sport. Boys and girls will then be selected to ride last kilometres of the 2007 Tour de France on the day it finishes in their town, and one child per city will be invited to Paris for the finale of the race.

Through the program, ASO hopes to boost children's interest in the sport. National education minister Gilles de Robien also supports the initiative. "Many lessons can be learned through the Tour: the respect of rules, geography, mathematics..." he told L'Equipe.