Mountains and masks: Tour de France 2020 – in pictures
This year’s edition of the Tour de France was due to start in Nice on 27 June but in April, with the Coronavirus pandemic sweeping across Europe, president Emmanuel Macron announced all public events with crowds were to be banned until midJuly to fight the spread of Covid-19. There were fears it wouldn’t take place at all. In the end the race was delayed for the first time during peacetime since its inception in 1903, after event organisers, in agreement with the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI), decided to postpone the race, with Nice hosting the Grand Départ on 29 August.
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Safety first
With the race taking place it was important for safety measures to be put in place to protect all involved – spectators, riders, staff and employees.
Starts and finishes
The end of each stage is a good place for fans to see all the action.
The scenic route
The riders encounter a variety of environments as they traverse France: from the streets of the cities and towns, to countryside roads and mountainous peaks.
The devil is in the detail
Imagery from the Tour is not just about wide shots showing the sweeping vistas across the country providing drama and interest, close-up and detail shots of the action can convey just as much to the viewer.
Watching and waiting
Back in March, France’s sports minister Roxana Maracineanu said that Tour organisers were considering the option of going ahead without fans, but with the event being postponed until August that option wasn’t explored further and despite the ongoing pandemic French authorities have allowed fans to continue the tradition of cheering on the sidelines. The Tour would be a duller and quieter spectacle if it did not attract the thousands of fans who gather along the route of each stage.
Having gained the yellow jersey in stage nine and holding a 57-second lead going into the penultimate stage, Primoz Roglic would have been dreaming of glory but a stupendous performance from white jersey holder Tadej Pogacar in the individual time trial gave the youngster the yellow jersey and meant he became theyoungest champion since 1904.