Namur • Roller Parade Cyclists will no longer be admitted to the parade

Mid-term assessment of the Roller Summer Tour. Only one small shadow on the picture: the supervision of cyclists at the back of the procession. LAST Tuesday's ride brought confirmation. The Roller Summer Tour is catching on well. There were 450 of them, at nightfall, setting off on the asphalt of Namur. Attendance is steadily rising. Yet everything had started badly. In early July, the first ride had been purely and simply canceled due to rain. Everything worked out with the return of the sun. Halfway through, the Sports Alderman deemed it fitting to draw up an initial assessment of the operation, alongside Carl de Moncharline, the organizer of the Roller Summer Tour. A demonstration in three points. 1. THE OBJECTIVES. The roller rides pursue a dual objective. For the sports department, it is above all a community outreach operation. Mission accomplished. "You should see, in Jambes, people setting up chairs to watch the procession go by," explains Frédéric Laloux. "And in La Plante, since we pass by late, you can see residents at their windows or on their doorsteps in pajamas. Kids reach out on the sidewalks so that parade participants high-five them as they pass." The second objective concerns the Namur police. As Superintendent Labbé explained, the "roller parade" is an opportunity to project a different image of the police to the population, a police force closer to young people. The roller cops set the pace of the ride, ensure that the most spirited do not speed up the procession, and lend a hand. According to Superintendent Labbé, the "roller cops" demonstrate flexibility but also firmness when safety is at stake. 2. THE ORGANIZATION. Alderman Laloux awarded a general seal of approval to the organization. During the rides, everything runs like clockwork. "We have not deplored any serious accidents. Just a few scrapes or a fractured wrist," explains the Sports Alderman. "Participants are always followed by a broom bus and an ambulance. In the support staff, there is also a doctor." 3. THE ROUTE. Rated excellent. In the opinion of many participants who have already had the opportunity to skate in Liège, Brussels, or Flanders, it is the most beautiful route. It alternates smooth sections (the avenues of Jambes, the smooth asphalt of the Chaussée de Dinant) and a few technical difficulties accessible to all skaters, such as crossing Place du Théâtre, old Namur and its cobblestones, the Passage d'Eau and its short, dizzying descent... The route is not fixed once and for all. After the first ride, the organizers decided to complete the loop in reverse. And last Tuesday, inline skating enthusiasts made a more pronounced incursion into the city center, to the astonishment of Namur residents who saw a two-kilometer-long procession pass before their eyes. 4. CLEANLINESS. Another point highlighted by the Sports Alderman: the disciplined nature of roller enthusiasts. After their passage through the various refreshment zones, no piles of trash are found on the ground. "The task for the public works department is easy," testifies Frédéric Laloux. "They just have to pick up the bags." Cyclists held accountable Only one shadow on the picture: the presence of cyclists at the back of the group of skaters. Normal. When the son is skating at the front of the procession, parents are often behind on bicycles to make sure everything goes smoothly. The problem stems from a lack of discipline among the cycling group. "Many come with non-compliant bicycles," explains Superintendent Labbé. "The ride ends in darkness and many are not equipped with lights. Furthermore, we experience difficulty keeping them on the right side of the road, as prescribed by the traffic code. As police officers, we cannot condone this." The solution? It is more than likely that next Tuesday, during the next ride, bicycles will have to position themselves behind the broom truck. They will no longer benefit from supervision and will ride under their own responsibility, subject strictly to the traffic code. Statistics In July, four rides took place, the first having been canceled. No serious accidents were reported; four minor injuries were recorded. Cumulative participation: 1,500 people across 90 km of asphalt covered.