The controversy caused by the giggles of Kylian Mbappé and his coach Christophe Galtier, following a question about PSG’s air travel, never ceases to cause a sensation.
he wanted to know more about the different modes of transport used by C’Chartres MHB and C’Chartres BM. What motivates their use or the decision to do without them? The question of cost and the notion of speed appear central, much more than the carbon footprint.
Taking the train instead of the plane? Galtier and Mbappé laugh at us… and it goes wrong
Le C’Chartres MHB: the Chartrains ready to “catch” the train
The only professional club in the conurbation, C’Chartres Métropole Handball has tackled the thorny issue of the carbon footprint in the away games that mark its season: fifteen at Starligue. Without finding all the answers.
On the one hand, financial participation. Fundamental in times of crisis. On the other hand, the increasingly important question of the environment and its conservation. At the CCMHB, the controversy that arose in the wake of the words of Christophe Galtier, coach of Paris Saint-Germain, did not leave anyone indifferent.
For Philippe Besson, vice president of the club, however, the priority remains the practical aspect: “For a club like ours, the travel budget varies between 70,000 and 80,000 euros, a substantial figure. Knowing that we benefit from the provision of a coach for each of our Chartres Métropole Transports trips ”, observes the leader of the club with a budget of 3.8 million euros.
The Chartrains on their way to Aix
Just think that at the foot of the cathedral as elsewhere, traveling by bus remains the norm. This season, in line with the Starligue’s three previous ones, the CCMHB will make 13 out of 15 road trips. “Saint-Raphaël is planned by train. But we are thinking of the possibility of doing that for Montpellier, which will be inserted in March between two long-distance journeys (Nîmes and Aix-en-Provence), by plane or by train “, continues Philippe Besson, without hiding his reluctance to train.
“Two years ago we decided to travel by train. But between quotations with variable amounts, the complexity of the procedures and the change of interlocutor, we realized that obtaining a group rate was a question of crossroads “
empty (empty)
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CSR approach
Even considering that traveling by train, the “cleanest” there is, is not impossible: “Last season we had problems booking the bus for the Nîmes match. An urgent solution had to be found. We finally managed to make the journey by train, ”admits the former president. Suffice it to say that the issue of the carbon footprint remains on the agenda. Its feasibility remains to be assessed.
“The main obstacle we encounter is the time factor. The great advantage of the coach is that he allows us to leave as soon as the match ends at 10pm or 11pm. However, with the adrenaline built up, the players don’t sleep after the game. So staying in one place in the evening and paying for the overnight stays in the hotel, with the additional cost they entail, is far from optimal “
Steeve Baron (President of CCMHB since 2019.)
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Without brushing aside the ecological argument: “We have been committed to a CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) approach since 2019. We encourage players to train on a bike or scooter, safe. So, ideally, yes, we would travel by train. In any case, those that are synonymous with 8-9 hours of road, such as those that lead us to the South (5). But we’re not there yet. ”
prize The train, conspicuously absent from the sports trips of AJA, Bourges Basket and Clermont Foot
For C’Chartres BM: the plane exceptionally
Paid in the West group of National 1 this season, C’Chartres Basket Masculin will make almost all of his away matches as coach.
“Of course we are sensitive to ecology, but we don’t have much choice, knowing that we have a partnership with Chartres Métropole Transports … The bus costs us nothing”
Milan Vasic (manager of your club)
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“This allows us to leave immediately after the game and save a night in the hotel”, adds Vasic, aware that we must pay attention to the carbon footprint, but also save money. This year, to reach the cities of the West, the bus is the ideal solution for the CCBM which would easily lose an hour if it were to reach the Parisian stations of Montparnasse or Saint-Lazare. The only exception will be when the group goes to Tarbes. There, the train will be favored to reach the city of the Hautes Pyrenees. Why ten hours by bus for double meters …
And the Chartres metro?
The SPL Chartres Métropole Transports, launched in 2018, at the same time as the grouping of sports clubs in the Chartres agglomeration, is a service that benefits the main sports clubs in the area for the ten journeys that mark their season, as part of the ‘ cooperation. Handball, men’s and women’s basketball (our photo), football, volleyball and even rugby all benefit from the provision of vehicles from the SPL (local public company), three or four in number, depending on the needs.
“He anticipates a lot of waiting, especially in terms of schedules. There are also rules to be respected and an order of priority to be established according to the position of the club in the national hierarchy, the duration of the trip. All those things. For example, basketball players will take a trip to Munich this season. It seems difficult to think about doing it if not by plane. Likewise, the fact that volleyball has switched to a southwest pool when it has faced mainly Parisian clubs this season risks intensifying the program, “explains José Rolo, sports assistant of the city of Chartres.
And if this partnership is free in 70-80% of cases, the gratuity is not systematic. “This collaboration should be seen as an exchange of good practices. Chartres Métropole Transports makes our travels easier. In return, they are offered visibility, jersey position, VIP seats or perks in kind, “says a club president.
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David Berthelem
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