Coronavirus: what if the Tour de France was held in August?

Back off to save yourself better? The Tour de France 2020 is still officially scheduled from June 27 to July 19. But if, for health reasons linked to the coronavirus pandemic, these dates have to be changed and moved, ASO, the organizer of the event, already has its eraser ready to erase everything. Everything rather than canceling the flagship event of ASO, the group's main source of income and cornerstone of world cycling.

Today, the idea of ​​delaying the start of the Grande Boucle is taken very seriously at ASO. As long as the confinement is not extended beyond April 15 (it will most likely be soon), nothing will be decided after mid-April a shock decision could be made: the Tour, which traditionally takes place on roads and screens in July, could be delayed by a month and take place from July 25 to August 16, with the same route.

On the strict condition, of course, that the Covid-19 epidemic has ended by then, and that sanitary conditions and confinement restrictions allow it. It will also be necessary to shift (and / or shorten) the Tour of Spain, owned at 49% by ASO and scheduled for its part, from August 14 to September 6.

The organizers of the Great Loop already have a certainty: the Tour will have to compete with the public. No question of behind closed doors, departures and arrivals without spectators or stages on spectator-deprived roads. "The Tour de France is fervor, it's enthusiasm, it's smiles above all," explained Christian Prudhomme, the boss of the Tour, Wednesday after the announcement of the postponement of the Critérium du Dauphiné. We must find these smiles. "

"Running the Tour will mean that the virus has been defeated"

The idea is that the race will run once "normal" life can resume. Delaying the start by several weeks is therefore giving yourself even more chances to attend a Tour de France this summer. This flexibility is also a message addressed to the public authorities, while Euro 2020, Roland-Garros and the Olympics in particular have been postponed, and Wimbledon canceled. A message on the theme “we are not hardliners, we reflect and accept compromises; health risks are fully taken into account ”. A priori, it was well received in high places.

Professional teams also agree to postpone the start. "Nobody can give a guarantee that the Tour will leave on June 27, because nobody knows the evolution of the pandemic, notes Marc Madiot, the boss of Groupama-FDJ and president of the National Cycling League. I will have no mood to compete in the Tour in August this year. Running the Tour will mean that the virus has been defeated. "

According to Madiot, there is a constraint to be respected in all hypotheses: “To have a Tour that looks like something, you need a minimum of ten weeks of preparation between the resumption of training and the start of the Tour. Also with races contested a month before. "

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Considering these minimum times stated by Madiot, we realize that a start on June 27 is already almost impossible, it would indeed be necessary for that all the runners to resume serious training and outside before May 15 …

Postponement, a simple matter of common sense

"Frankly, postponing the start of the Tour seems to me to be almost a simple matter of common sense," said Emmanuel Hubert, the boss of the Arkea-Samsic formation. If you have to run in August, there will be no problem. The more time we have to prepare properly, the better it will be for everyone. "

If the world of cycling is not standing on the brakes to delay the start of the Tour, other players nevertheless have their say. Some sponsors have questions about their logistical capacity to adapt to a possible change. But the main contact remains the broadcaster, France Télévisions. Discussions are obviously underway between the latter and ASO.

If nothing is formalized, France Télévisions is rather inclined to accept a delay. Its program schedule in August is now free from the broadcasting of the Tokyo Olympics, postponed for a year. On one condition. Arrive before August 23. Because the European Athletics Championships planned in Paris from August 25 to 30, and broadcast on France TV, are maintained. For the moment.