The cycling classic is slated to be decided June 27 to July 19 and would have preceded the Tokyo Olympics, which was postponed for a year last Tuesday due to the corona pandemic.

The race is a big folk party that can attract up to a million spectators at certain stages, although the figures may be taken with a pinch of salt.

But French sports minister Roxana Maracineanu highlights the television broadcasts, which are daily going on for many hours as the main element of the competition.

"The economic model of the Tour de France is not based on ticket sales but on television rights," Maracineanu told French radio channel France Bleu.

Proposal: Two-week competition

Although the Giro d'Italia, which was scheduled to run in May, was canceled, the International Bicycle Association, UCI chairman Brian Cookson suggests that the Grand Tour competitions, which also include the Tour de France and Vuelta a Espana (August / September), should be run as two-week competitions , instead of three. In that scenario, Cookson suggests that the Tour de France should be decided when the Olympics would be held at the end of July / August.

“The tour is a foundation in the sports world. It's too early to decide anything. There is a time for everything. Right now we have a more important fight. Let's gather all the forces to climb that mountain before we take on the next challenge, ”Maracineanu tweeted.

Another aspect is that riders often ride tightly packed in a cluster of around 180 cyclists.