Tour de France rescheduled for 29 August start due to coronavirus

15 April 2020 11:54
Cycling’s premier event postponed owing to pandemicNo mass gatherings allowed in France until mid-JulyThe 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. Related: Tour de France may move to August after Macron extends sport ban into July Continue readingreadfullarticle

Source: TheGuardian