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Rouler en chasse-patate and more Tour de France expressions
The 100-year-old annual bicycle race has long-standing traditions and even its own vocabulary
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Grab a roadside seat to see the best of the Tour de France
The Tour de France holds a special place for many but cycling journalist and author Isabel Best says the TV version is a pale imitation and the race is best seen alongside the millions of fans on the roadside
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French rugby players come to the rescue after retirement home lift breaks down
'Before we started warming up I told the players that we were going on a little mission,' said the coach
Go walking in the water, it's a real sport in France
The practice of walking in water is a genuine sport in France - but where did it come from and how can you join a local club?
You may not have heard of the seaside “sport” of longe-côte, but there are more than 100 clubs at French resorts by the North Sea, the Channel, Atlantic and the Mediterranean.
The sport involves walking in the sea with the water coming up to a level between the hips and sternum. It is practised all year round, even in the north, where wetsuits are required in winter, and has evolved to become both an amateur pursuit and a competitive sport.
Good news for skiers: French mountain weather expert predicts ‘good winter snow’
French beginnings
It was invented by Thomas Wallyn, in 2004, for extra cardio and muscle training for his rowing club at Bray Dunes, in the Nord department. Two years later, his idea was taken up by others, clubs developed, and they gradually spread around the coast. Mr Wallyn’s sister opened a club at Hyères in the Var in 2010.
Now there are clubs at Cannes, Antibes, Sète, Sanary-sur-Mer and Marseille, among others. The Fédération Française de la Randonnée Pédestre (mongr.fr) then made the sport official and introduced the first competition.
