France to Deploy Elite Anti-Terror Police Unit to Secure World's Most Famous Cycle Race

France's Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve announced Tuesday that exceptional security measures would be introduced to protect the 2016 Tour de France — the most famous bicycle race in the world — which will kick off on July 2 amid a prolonged state of national emergency.

For the first time ever, officers from France's elite GIGN police unit will be mobilized to guard the famous sporting event. The unit, said Cazeneuve, would be deployed instantly in case of "a terror attack near or along the race route. According to French radio network RTL, a GIGN helicopter will also be tasked with monitoring the event from above.

Speaking to organizers of the Tour de France 2016, Cazeneuve said that 23,000 police officers and gendarmes would be stationed along the route. The minister also said officials were currently assessing whether or not to further increase that number.

As in previous years, 50 officers from the Republican Guard motorcycle division will also be mobilized, and 12 police officers will escort the cyclists throughout the race.

Launched in the 70s, the GIGN has traditionally focused on protecting the French president and French diplomats abroad. The unit has also intervened during plane hijackings and is trained to respond to chemical attacks.

The GIGN can also be asked to assist with arrests, particularly when suspects are considered armed and dangerous. Over the weekend, a GIGN officer was shot trying to arrest an armed 78-year-old man in the Var.

Cazeneuve described the event as "the third biggest sporting event in the world," and said that the 2016 edition of the race would draw an estimated 10 to 12 million spectators.

The 103rd edition of the race will cover a distance of 3,519 kilometers, and be made up of 21 stages — including nine stages that will see competitors cycling through the mountains. This year, cyclists will travel through three countries that share a border with France: Spain, the Principality of Andorra, and Switzerland.

To meet the security challenges presented by these massive crowds, the government will also rely on local firefighters and first responders.

During his address Tuesday, Cazeneuve said he would ask local officials to activate their Department Operations Centers (COD), which act as local command posts during an emergency.

The minister also asked that all civilian protection agencies have representatives within the command posted throughout the race.

The government is also concerned with security at the forthcoming Euro 2016 soccer tournament, which France is hosting this summer. In his speech, Cazeneuve highlighted "unfortunate shortcomings in the security system in place at the Stade de France [stadium] during France's soccer cup final last Saturday."

French daily Le Monde reported "throngs of people at the gates," and "smoke bombs and homemade bombs being introduced into the arena."

Cazeneuve met with representatives from the French Soccer Federation (FFF) and organizers of the Euro 2016 Monday to discuss the security failings.

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Photo via French Interior Ministry.

This article originally appeared in VICE News' French edition.