Tongeren friends take town sign to Tour de France with mayor's blessing

A town sign from Tongeren made an unexpected appearance at the Tour de France, brought along by a group of friends who have been attending the cycling race for over 20 years. Robby Buteneers and his friends received permission from the mayor to borrow the sign for their annual trip.

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We go to watch the Tour together for more than 20 years. You always see a lot of beautiful and creative signs in the crowd, so we thought, maybe we should bring a sign this year too.

"We go to watch the Tour together for more than 20 years," Robby said. "You always see a lot of beautiful and creative signs in the crowd, so we thought, maybe we should bring a sign this year too."

Buteneers personally contacted the mayor, who enthusiastically agreed, seeing it as a good way to promote the city. The friends obtained the sign from the technical service and secured a prime spot near the course several days before the riders passed.

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He was immediately enthusiastic and thought it was a fun way to put the city in the spotlight. Not much later, we went to get a sign from the technical service.

The Tongeren sign caught the eye of many, including Belgians and journalists from French newspapers L'Équipe and Le Dauphiné Libéré. It was even briefly visible during the television broadcast of the tour. "Many people apparently saw it. We received many messages from people from Belgium and also from the mayor himself," Robby shared.

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Many people apparently saw it. We received many messages from people from Belgium and also from the mayor himself.

While not their primary intention, the sign added to the Tour de France atmosphere for the friends. They plan to return the sign intact to the technical service and are considering bringing it again next year, as the mayor was pleased with the free publicity.

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The chances are high that we will come and get it again next year. The mayor was certainly happy with the free advertising for his city.