- Cycling’s premier event postponed owing to pandemic
- No mass gatherings allowed in France until mid-July
The Tour de France has been officially postponed to 29 August owing to the Covid-19 pandemic, and will finish on 20 September, the organisers Amaury Sport Organisation confirmed on Wednesday. Shifting the centrepiece of the cycling calendar will involve a delicate juggling act with the other two Grand Tours, the Vuelta a España and the world road championships, and the five “monument” one-day Classics all jostling for space at the end of the season when it is hoped that major sports events in Europe will resume following the Covid-19 lockdown.
The news was greeted with delight by the four-times champion Chris Froome, who confirmed this week that he has largely recovered from the accident which cost him a ride in the 2019 race. “The news many of us have been waiting for,” he said through Twitter. “Some light at the end of the tunnel – assuming all goes well.” Apart from during the two world wars, the Tour has never been cancelled, and many in France will see plans for its resumption as a sign that life may return to normal after the coronavirus pandemic.
Written by William Fotheringham
This news first appeared on https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2020/apr/15/tour-de-france-rescheduled-nice-29-august-coronavirus-cycling under the title “Tour de France saved by 29 August shift as Grand Tours jostle for space”. Bolchha Nepal is not responsible or affiliated towards the opinion expressed in this news article.
