‘It is too soon to decide’: Tour De France organisers yet to apply brakes
Egan Bernal in the leader's yellow jersey ushers the peloton along the Champs Elysees in the 2019 Tour de France. Photo: AP
It is too soon to decide whether the Tour de France can go ahead amid the coronavirus pandemic, according to the French Sports Minister.
Following the postponement of the Euro 2020 soccer Championship and the Tokyo Olympic Games, the Tour de France – due to take place in June and July – is one of the last major global sporting events that has not yet been cancelled.
“The Tour is a sports monument. It is too soon to decide,’’ Roxana Maracineanu wrote on Twitter on Thursday.
“There is a time for everything. For now, we have a more urgent battle to fight.
“Let us focus on this mountain in front of us and then consider what’s next.”
French sports minister suggests that the Tour de France could take place behind closed doors. Says that as the race depends on Tv Revenue and not ticket sales we could all still watch it on TV https://t.co/9ZGI8Z7NSi
— Peter Cossins (@petercossins) March 25, 2020
Late on Wednesday, local radio station France Bleu quoted her as saying that France may consider organising the Tour without spectators in order to minimise the risk of infection.
-AAP