NICE (Reuters) – It is not known whether the Tour de France will celebrate a winner this year, as the world cycling race begins in Nice on Saturday amid fears of a ‘second wave’ of COVID -19.
New cases of coronavirus have been expanding at an alarming rate in France since the beginning of the month, casting a menacing shadow over the 107th rescheduled edition of the race.
The coronavirus tests will be carried out in a cell unit the three-week race, which will cross the south, west and center of France, the Pyrenees and the Alps and will have 8 mountain stages.
Runners will be tested six and 3 days before the Grand Départ in Nice. Anyone who gets a positive result in the race will be controlled remotely, while contacts between groups and Tour fans (media, enthusiasts and organizers) will be strictly limited.
Organizers warned teams that they would have to leave the race if two of their members tested or showed severe symptoms of COVID-19.
Regular runners have been an expensive workout for cycling teams, and Groupama-FDJ doctor Jacky Maillot said he charges them 130,000 euros ($154,000) for the season.
Fans on the road can also pose a danger if they comply with established protocols, even if no rider scheduled to take part in the Tour has tested positive since the resumption of races last month after a four-month suspension.
“So far, cycling has run into obstacles,” Tour Director Christian Prudhomme told Reuters.
“There will be cops on the climbs, who will clear the crowd and make sure enthusiasts wear masks because I’m convinced the whole local government will make it mandatory. “
Spectators along the management must respect the two-metre social distance rule and will be allowed to approach the team’s buses at the beginning of the stages.
The Criterium du Dauphine from 12 to 16 August, which served as a practice session to dress for the Tour, passed smoothly, but the scale will be much higher in the Tour de France in 21 stages ending in Paris on 20 September.
Prudhomme said the Tour would stop if there were positive instances in the peloton, leaving it up to regional fitness agencies to give recommendations on how to proceed.
“The Tour de France will prevent if there is a positive case, even if no one knows if it will be finished or Array,” said International Cycling Union (ICU) President David Lappartient.
(Reporting via Julien Pretot; Editing via Martyn Herman and Pritha Sarkar)
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