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Tour de France postponed to August 29-September 20

The Tour de France will take place from August 29 to September 20, organisers announced on Wednesday.

AFP
Paris 15 April, 2020 17:05 IST
Tour de France

The new dates, the latest ever for the Tour founded in 1903, follow French President Emmanuel Macron's extension on Monday of a ban on public gatherings until mid-July.   -  Reuters

AFP
Paris 15 April, 2020 17:05 IST

The Tour de France will take place from August 29 to September 20, organisers announced on Wednesday, postponing the race originally slated to start on June 27 due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The new dates, the latest ever for the Tour founded in 1903, follow French President Emmanuel Macron's extension on Monday of a ban on public gatherings until mid-July.

READ: Tour de France cancellation could cause cycling an economic 'meltdown'

While the news comes as a relief to professional cycling teams and fans, it moves the three-week race out of its traditional slot during the summer holidays where festive roadside crowds of around 12 million would be expected.

With the Tokyo Olympic Games and football's Euro 2020 showpiece both delayed by a year, the Tour is the last major event remaining on the summer sports calendar.

As a result of the date switch, the Spanish three-week cycling tour La Vuelta a Espana scheduled for August 14 to September 6 is also likely to be rearranged.

READ: Tour de France organisers scramble to save cycling's crown jewel

The event is owned by the Tour de France organisers and it appears that a clash of dates will not be permitted. “Let's be clear on this, the Vuelta and the Tour will not be run concurrently,” Vuelta director Javier Guillen told Spanish media on Wednesday.

Full list of stages on the 2020 Tour de France, to be held over 3,470km starting in Nice on August 29 and ending in Paris on September 20

August 29

Stage 1: Nice - Nice (156km)

August 30

Stage 2: Nice - Nice (187km)

August 31

Stage 3: Nice - Sisteron (198km)

September 1

Stage 4: Sisteron - Orcieres-Merlette (157km)

September 2

Stage 5: Gap - Privas (183km)

September 3

Stage 6: Le Teil - Mont Aigoual (191km)

September 4

Stage 7: Millau - Lavaur (168km)

September 5

Stage 8: Cazeres-sur-Garonne - Loudenvielle (140km)

September 6

Stage 9: Pau - Laruns (154km)

September 7

Rest Day in Charente-Maritime

September 8

Stage 10: Ile de Oleron - Ile de Re (170km)

September 9

Stage 11: Chatelaillon-Plage - Poitiers (167km)

September 10

Stage 12: Chauvigny - Sarran (218km)

September 11

Stage 13: Chatel-Guyon - Puy Mary (191km)

September 12

Stage 14: Clermont-Ferrand - Lyon (197km)

September 13

Stage 15: Lyon - Grand Colombier (175km)

September 14

Rest day in Isere

September 15

Stage 16: La Tour du Pin - Villard de Lans (164km)

September 16

Stage 17: Grenoble - Meribel (168km)

September 17

Stage 18: Meribel - La Roche-sur-Foron (168km)

September 18

Stage 19: Bourg-en-Bresse - Champagnole (160km)

September 19

Stage 20: Lure - La Planche des Belles Filles (36km, individual time trial)

September 20

Stage 21: Mantes-la-Jolie - Paris (122km)