1.Wednesday, July 15: open day and senior launch
Wednesday starts with the Youth Pétanque Masters from 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM, with sport-health, adaptive sport, disabled sport and school initiation demonstrations. The afternoon shifts to the Women's Masters Trophy and the Youth Masters, with semi-finals from 2:00 PM, then the finals and petit finals at 3:30 PM.
The big senior launch comes in the evening: team presentation at 6:00 PM, then the first senior Masters session at 6:45 PM. It's the moment when the program leaves the entertainment phase and enters the hard sporting action.
2.Thursday, July 16: play-offs, semis and final
Thursday is the decisive day. The official program announces the 2nd senior Masters session at 9:00 AM, then the play-off for the qualifying spot in the semi-finals at 10:30 AM. The two filmed semi-finals are scheduled at 2:00 PM, before the final at 4:30 PM.
| Schedule | Highlight | Things to remember |
|---|---|---|
| 9:00 AM | 2nd senior session | The pools tighten |
| 10:30 AM | Playoff | Last spot for the semi-finals |
| 2:00 pm | Semi-finals | Two filmed matchups |
| 4:30 PM | Final | Sporting verdict of the stage |
| 6:00 PM | Ceremony | Winners rewarded |
3.Women's and Youth Masters: Wednesday's day counts too
The Montluçon program is not just a launchpad for the seniors. The Women's Masters Trophy is announced as an elite competition, and Sportmag highlights the Angélique Colombet - Anna Maillard duo among Wednesday's marquee matchups. The youth also have a real slot, with the final running alongside the women's event.
The official program clearly distinguishes the sequences: youth and activities in the morning, women's and youth in the afternoon, seniors in the evening, then the senior final phase on Thursday.
4.The sporting stakes before the rest of the tour
Montluçon arrives in the heart of summer, right after the first two stages. Sportmag recalls that this third stage can already weigh on the general classification: Doerr, Bonetto, Rocher, Zigler, the Dream Team and the invited teams need points before Saint-Étienne, Santa Susanna, Rognac, Nevers and the Final Four.
The stage format gives value to each day. A victory does not only earn a local trophy: it installs a team in the overall race. In Montluçon, the two-day concentrated program therefore promises immediate pressure.
The real trap of a Masters stage is the rhythm. Teams must be ready from Wednesday evening, then able to restart Thursday morning without losing their precision.
A program like Montluçon shows the importance of a clear flow: schedules, brackets, courts, play-offs and finals must remain readable for everyone.
Discover5.Sources consulted
- Official Pétanque Masters website, “Stage 3 - Montluçon” page, consulted on July 15, 2026.
- Sportmag, “Pétanque Masters: discover the program for the 3rd stage!”, published on July 15, 2026.
- Sportmag, “Pétanque Masters: Colombet - Maillard, dream duo in Montluçon!”, published on July 15, 2026.
Image used: Sportmag press photo associated with the Montluçon stage 3 program.