Tour De France doubt

DOUBTS continue to grow around this year's Tour de France after the UCI announced it was extending the suspension of all cycling races until June 1, a little over three weeks before the event is due to begin in Nice on June 27.

The French government indicated last week it was looking at ways cycling's biggest race might be able to take place 'behind closed doors' but the feasibility of staging such an event in any form is increasingly questionable as the shut down of professional cycling continues.

Tour de France director Christian Prudhomme commented his organisation would adapt as necessary in the on going fight against Covid-19

"I would be lying if I said that we were not working on another hypothesis," he said of the race starting on time.

"The riders must be able to resume training at the end of April for the Tour de France to remain on these dates. But the most important thing by far is the fight against the pandemic.

"We will adapt according to the health situation in the country."

Following talks with representatives of race organisers, teams and riders, the UCI said on Wednesday it was extending its shutdown of racing and working on a revised calendar giving priority to the three Grand Tours - the Giro d'Italia, Tour de France and Vuelta a España - as well as the Monuments, the five biggest one-day races.

Following the UCI's statement, Tour organisers ASO announced the postponement of the Criterium du Dauphine, a traditional warm-up race for the Tour, scheduled to take place from May 31 to June 7.