Bad weather but a good omen. The visit of the IOC commission for the future host of the Winter Games began with very un-spring weather on Monday April 22 in the French Alps. A cloudy sky, a temperature that won't take off your down jacket and even, surprise guests at this time of year, a few snowflakes.

The leaders of the French project saw it as a sign, the proof given to the delegation from Lausanne that the Winter Games in 2030 will be authentic in every sense of the word. Renaud Muselier, the president of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region (PACA), took the opportunity to take out of his memory box the images of the 1994 edition in Lillehammer, often presented as a model of its kind. “ We are going to have “snow and chalet” games, he suggested. As in Lillehammer, Games within human reach."

Respecting an itinerary that should lead it from the north to the south of the map of sites, from the Savoyard massifs to the beaches of the Côte d'Azur, the future host commission began its tour in La Clusaz and Grand-Bornand. It continues its journey this Tuesday in La Plagne (bobsleigh, luge, skeleton), Courchevel (alpine skiing and ski jumping) and Bozel (athletes' village). On Wednesday, it will change region to visit the resorts of Montgenèvre and Serre-Chevallier (freestyle skiing and snowboarding), before going to Briançon (Olympic village). For its last two days, the delegation will land in Nice, where the figure skating, curling, short-track and ice hockey sites are planned.

The first day of the tour, Monday April 22, did not reverse the course of history. France has not yet officially won the game, but it does not seem like it can lose it. The IOC Executive Board will meet on June 12 to study the report on the French candidacy for the 2030 Winter Games. It will then be able to propose the choice of the French Alps for formal validation by the session of the body, on the 23 or 24 July in Paris. David Lappartient, the president of the French Olympic committee (CNOSF), repeats it without weariness: “ The report will be fundamental. " Without a doubt. But, barring an improbable blunder, it will not shake things up.

In the meantime, the French team still has work to do. Karl Stoss, the president of the future host commission, made no secret of it on Monday April 22, when meeting the media: the French Alps file is not complete. Not yet. “ It was made very quickly, recognized the Austrian. From now on, we no longer work on paper, but on reality. We came to evaluate the sites, the Olympic villages, the transport system, to be in contact with the mayors of the different municipalities, and of course with the athletes. But the finish line is not yet crossed. We still have a lot of questions. We will submit our report in mid-June after having discussed with the various international federations."

The finish line has not yet been crossed, says Karl Stoss. But it is already in sight.