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French jetpack inventor injured after plunging into lake

Franky Zapata, creator of the 'flyboard', has been injured after crashing into a lake in his hometown of Biscarrosse.

Published: 29 May 2022 11:27 CEST

Franky Zapata has been dubbed 'the flying man' by French media.

Franky Zapata has been dubbed 'the flying man' by French media. (Photo by Kenzo TRIBOUILLARD / AFP)

After falling some 15 meters into a lake having seemingly lost control of his jetpack, Franky Zapata has been placed under observation at hospital.

Officials told French media that the 40-year-old was conscious and showing “good sensitivity and motor skills”.

The inventor had been giving a demonstration of the ‘flyboard’ in his hometown of Biscarrosse when the crash took place.

Crash impressionnant de @frankyzapata aujourd’hui au meeting aérien de #biscarrosse Heureusement il est tombé dans l’eau et devrait s’en sortir je l’espère sans trop de soucis. #frankyzapata #biscarrosse #crash pic.twitter.com/SjWbGOp74W

— Alex (@Alex170346741) May 28, 2022

Zapata has built a reputation as somewhat of a mad scientist in France.

He shot to fame after zooming over a military parade on his flyboard as part of the 2019 Bastille Day celebrations. Three weeks later, he managed to fly over the English Channel in just 22 minutes using the machine.

The flyboard, sadly, is not commercially available.

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How to follow the Tour de France on French TV (and why you might want to)

For the first time since the Tour de France began in 1903, it will not finish in or near Paris, but instead in Nice, in order to accommodate the Paris 2024 Olympics.

The event will also start earlier than usual, with the grand départ scheduled for June 29th. Cyclists will cross the finish line on July 21st.

This 2024 race will begin in Florence, Italy.

According to the race website, there “will be eight flat stages, as well as four hilly, seven mountain (with four summit finishes at Saint-Lary-Soulan Pla d’Adet, Plateau de Beille, Isola 2000, Col de la Couillole), two time trials and two rest days.”

This year, participants will climb a total vertical gain of 52,230 meters, crossing a distance of 3,492 kilometres.

Credit: Tour de France official website

How can I watch the race?

If you are in France, then you can enjoy rolling coverage on the free-to-view TV channels of France 2 and France 3.

It’s not just footage of men on bikes, the TV coverage is famed for its highlighting of the more unknown corners of France so it’s a great way to discover new places to visit.

For those outside of France, you can go onto the official race website (HERE) to see a listing of all ‘live’ broadcasters in several different countries.

As much of the race takes place during the day when many are working, you can enjoy recaps each evening at 8.45pm on France 3 via the ‘TLS Tour de France’ show. This looks back on the best moments of the day, giving a summary of that stage and the results, as well as reactions from teams and rider, plus analysis from experts.

Later on, the Tour de France Femmes, scheduled for August 12th to 18th, will also be broadcast on the France Télévisions website. This is free to watch but you will first need to create an account on the site, you will need a 5-digit French postal code to make an account (eg 75004 if you’re in central Paris).

Why watch the Tour de France?

Each year between 10 and 12 million spectators watch the race widely considered to be the most famous and most difficult cycle challenge, according to Le Figaro.

The Tour de France route changes every year, so viewers not only witness the impressive athleticism of participants, but they also explore France’s different regions. The towns that stage the départs (start of each race day) usually put on a festival often incorporating local traditions, food and drink (for the spectators, not the cyclists).

This year, the Tour de France will go through beautiful landscapes in the Occitanie region, as well as the Alps and across central France.

The race has a fascinating history, and every now and again there are spectacular crashes which will keep you wincing.

There is also a hit Netflix docu-series called ‘Tour de France: Unchained’ that may be a good place to start for the uninitiated.

French vocab

Le maillot jaune – yellow jersey (worn by the winner)

Le grand départ – the race start

Le départ – the start of each stage

Le peloton – the group of cyclises (literally translated as ‘the pack’)

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