Nice (AFP)
The Paris-Nice cycling race, the last two stages of which are due to take place this weekend in the Alpes-Maritimes, will not end in Nice, where localized containment will again be implemented on Saturday and Sunday, announced Thursday. Prefecture.
Meetings are underway between the organizer ASO and the State services to "adapt the course" of the race after the renewal of the weekend's confinement in the municipalities of the Alpes-Maritimes coast, said the prefecture in a statement.
"In any case, these stages can only take place outside the confined area and behind closed doors," she added, effectively excluding a race finish on the Promenade des Anglais.
The Promenade des Anglais, the emblematic boulevard of Nice, traditionally welcomes the conclusion of Paris-Nice.
Wednesday evening, the LR mayor of the city Christian Estrosi had asked the prefect "the cancellation of the arrival of Paris-Nice as scheduled", saying he wanted to reserve it for pedestrians and amateur cyclists for their authorized outings during this week. -end of containment.
Already in 2020, the race could not take place on the famous seaside for its arrival, which coincided with the day after the announcement by Prime Minister Edouard Philippe of the first confinement to come: the last stage of the event had been canceled altogether.
In its press release, the prefecture of the Alpes-Maritimes renews the confinement modalities of the two previous weekends because of a health situation qualified as "still very worrying" and the "extremely strong" pressure on the hospitals of the department.
This reconfinement applies from Friday 6:00 p.m. to Monday 6:00 a.m. and concerns 63 municipalities on the coast from Théoule-sur-mer, to the west of the department to Menton, on the Italian border, including the city of Nice.
Asked by AFP on Thursday morning, ASO had made no immediate comment on the organization of the last stages of Paris-Nice.
The initial program called for an 8th and last stage on Sunday over 110.5 kilometers with start and finish in Nice.
The day before, the stage was also to start from the center of Nice, a short distance from the Promenade des Anglais.
The Slovenian Primoz Roglic won the 4th stage of the race on Wednesday on the heights of Chiroubles (Rhône), thus taking control of the competition.
© 2021 AFP