Tour de France could still be held in August but with restrictions in place, says French sports ministry

The Tour de France could still go ahead as planned in August, according to the French sports ministry, but restrictions would need to be put in place.

On Tuesday (April 28), the French government announced it was extending its ban on sporting events until September, throwing the three-week race into doubt as it is scheduled to start in late August.

Making the announcement, French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe made no mention of the Tour de France, but the Ministry of Sport has since issued an update on how the sporting ban could affect the race.

A spokesperson for the ministry told Eurosport: “It is too early to say [the impact on the Tour] but for now this does not imply a postponement nor a cancellation, but it does not rule out arrangements notably in terms of number of spectators.”

The Tour de France was initially scheduled to start in Nice at the end of June, but the global coronavirus crisis forced the organisers to postpone the event until late summer, with the race now expected to follow the same route from August 29.

But there are still some who feel August is too soon to hold the event, with concerns around public health.

The French sports minister Roxana Maracineanu previously suggest the Tour could go ahead without the millions of fans lining the streets, but this was later shot down by race director Christian Prudhomme.

On Wednesday morning, the organisers of the Vuelta a España announced that the first three stages of the race, set to be held in the Netherlands, had been cancelled as the race was officially postponed.

Vuelta bosses said it would be impossible to reorganise the three stages for later in the year, as the Vuelta has been delayed from its mid-August start day, instead to be run after the World Championships.

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The UCI has not yet confirmed the official dates for the Vuelta and other cancelled races, but an announcement is expected soon.