Tour set to be postponed as cycling looks at plans to reschedule ‘big three’
AFTER weeks of speculation over whether it will go forward, the Tour de France is facing official postponement as French President Emmanuel Macron declared there will be no large public gatherings before mid-July to slow the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Tour de France was originally scheduled for June 27 to July 19 but plans were already underway for a postponement until later in July. Last week reports emerged with speculation of a July 25 start in Nice and a finish in Paris on August 16.
According to previous reports there was an agreement among the host cities to hold the race later in summer.
Organisers ASO said last month that the Tour de France would not take place ‘behind closed doors’ like ParisNice, which began before the strict limits on public gatherings were imposed.
Macron moved to extend the lockdown period for France through May 11 with only gradual lifting of the measures if the incidence of COVID19 decreases.
The virus has killed over 14,000 people in France.
Schools, restaurants, cafés, cinemas and other leisure activities will remain closed through May 11 and there will be no summer festivals before midJuly. The move by the French government forces the hand of the ASO a month before they hoped to decide upon postponement.
ASO also runs the Critérium du Dauphiné, which was originally scheduled to take place from May 31 to June 7. However, ASO agreed with the UCI’s decision to postpone races through until June 1 due to the coronavirus, including the Dauphiné.
The eight-day race has historically been considered a build-up to the French Grand Tour, however, there will now be limited opportunity to reschedule it in July.
A new potential schedule for Grand Tours has emerged, which suggests the Tour could be held in August, the Vuelta a España in September and the Giro d’Italia in October.
Reports in La Marca suggest that the Tour would be held from August 2 to 25, with all three Grand Tours being run over their usual three weeks.
The Giro d’Italia has already been postponed from its planned start on May 9 in Hungary because of the spread of coronavirus, but no new dates have yet been confirmed.
Meanwhile the Vuelta a España, scheduled to start in the Netherlands on August 14 has not yet been moved, but could be shifted back to allow for the other two Grand Tours to run.