The race had been previously scheduled to start on June 28. The Tour’s organiser ASO hoped to wait until May to make the final call on whether the Grand Tour will start as planned. However, the French president Emmanuel Macron decided to ban all sporting events until at least July 15.
“Following the President’s address on Monday evening, where large-scale events were banned in France until mid-July as a part of the fight against the spread of Covid-19, the organisers of the Tour de France, in agreement with the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI), have decided to postpone the Tour de France to start on Saturday, August 29 and finish on Sunday, September 20, 2020.”
ASO confirmed the Tour will follow the originally scheduled 21-stage route.
The likes of Chris Froome and Julian Alaphilippe were quick to respond.
“I’m really happy to finally have a calendar, to see that races like the Tour de France, the Worlds, and the Monuments are planned to go ahead,” Julian Alaphilippe said on the Deceuninck – Quick-Step website. “It’s a light at the end of the tunnel, which is something good for the morale in times like these as it gives you an extra boost to work harder in order to be fit for when the moment will come to be again with my teammates.”
The Tour should come first, then it is the World Championships, Giro d’Italia and La Vuelta.
We hope to see you there!
