Will the Covid-19 stop the Tour de France before Paris?

• Several riders, including Romain Bardet, have confessed their concern that the Tour de France will be interrupted by the authorities in the event of a too violent restart of the pandemic.
• The organizers have set up a system of “bubbles” to prevent runners, journalists and spectators from contaminating each other.
• "There will inevitably be cases of Covid-19, but we are able to preserve the bubble", assures the Ministry of Sports. Two positive people have already been exfiltrated.

From our special correspondent 150 meters from the start of the Tour,

We can confirm it to you: the bubbles are waterproof. These words are written from the lobby of a hotel and not from the press room of the grand start of the Tour de France. Its doors remained closed until the laboratory which rummaged in our nostrils on Monday decided to send us a PCR test crossed out with a masterful: "negative". Like a runner who would have abused Tramadol, here is the reporter condemned to interview on the telephone people who are 200 meters from him.

In addition to having a mask on the face, "we have a sword of Damocles above our head", Bernard Thévenet tells us. The winner of the 1975 and 1977 Tours this year inherited the title of ambassador of the great start, in addition to his usual post of external relations manager for ASO, the organizer of the Tour.

This "sword of Damocles" hovers above Thibaut Pinot's blue-white-red jersey, which uses the same formula. Without worrying too much. Unlike Pierre Rolland, who finds the situation "quite stressful". AG2R leader Romain Bardet is alarmist:

If there is an infection in the peloton, it can go very quickly. If the Tour arrives in Paris, it will be a success for all! "

Its future sporting director, Iwan Spekenbrink, boss of Sunweb, engages: “The bubble must be waterproof, otherwise we know for sure that the French government will put an end to the event. "

"Able to preserve the bubble"

The ministries concerned are however reassuring. "It is not at all on the agenda," they say to the Ministry of Health. The two positive cases within the staff of Lotto-Soudal, this Thursday, did not change anything: “There is no reason to interrupt the race. The sick were exfiltrated.

Same comment to the sports ministry ... With a certain annoyance: "Now that we are leaving, we must change the software and stop asking ourselves if we are thinking of stopping", plague a source at the Ministry of Sports, before releasing: “There will be cases of Covid-19, obviously, but we are able to preserve the bubble. "

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Will the # tourdefrance2020 go to Paris? With the #coronavirus, "we have a sword of Damocles above our heads", Bernard Thévenet told me. "There will be cases of # covid19 but we are able to preserve the bubble," assures those around Roxana Maracineanu. The Minister of Sports will be at #Nice tomorrow with Jean-Michel Blanquer. The government is counting a lot on the #TourdeFrance to bring out smiles behind the masks of the French: “It's a positive signal. It's a victory to be able to organize it, ”continues our source. The rest will be read in @ 20minutes. With in particular the fears of runners, always hypochondriacs. Publication this afternoon or this evening, I will polish the Paint assembly for you. 🎨 #cycling #tourdefrance #journalism #velo @letourdefrance

A post shared by Jean Saint-Marc (@jeansaintmarc) on Aug 28, 2020 at 4:32 am PDT

The government fought to maintain the Tour de France, the first international sporting event organized in France since confinement. "It's a positive signal, it's a victory to be able to organize it", underlines the same source. Sports Minister Roxana Maracineanu and Jean-Michel Blanquer, her supervising minister, will be in Nice this Saturday for the big start.

"The people of ASO have surely considered an interruption"

Will they also be on the Champs Elysées to hand over the distinctive jerseys to the heroes of the Indian summer, in three weeks? “The people at ASO are professionals. They must have thought about an interruption, confides a close source. All the scenarios have been considered and the government has given them a roadmap, which they apply. "

The Alpes-Maritimes in red, the start of the Tour “almost behind closed doors” via @ 20minutesSport https://t.co/RKVnseGez7

ASO passed its first exam with honors by reorganizing the big start in the emergency. The classification of the Alpes-Maritimes in the red zone forced Christian Prud'homme to tinker with a start in quasi-camera. A disappointment for the Nice taxpayers, who will pay 3.55 million euros for a party to which they are not invited.

"It's long, three weeks"

This thwarted departure worries the local elected officials of Haute-Saône. The departmental council has invested a lot to develop the rise of the Planche des Belles Filles, the setting for the decisive time trial on September 19. “The inhabitants can already see themselves there, blows a local elected official. But I tell myself that the Tour may very well end before. It's a long time, three weeks… ”Thibaut Pinot, who had to retire during the 2013, 2016, 2017 and 2019 Tours, can confirm.

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• Romain bardet
• Thibaut Pinot
• Julian Alaphilippe
• Covid 19
• Tour de France
• Coronavirus
• Sport
• Cycling
• Cycling