‘No choice’ but to cancel: Tour de France would be a disaster, expert warns

‘No choice’ but to cancel: Tour de France would be a disaster, expert warns
'No choice' but to cancel: Tour de France would be a disaster, expert warns
After French president Emmanuel Macron banned all large public gatherings in the country until at least July 11, the legendary annual cycling race, Tour de France, was pushed back to August from its usual start date in June.
But a health expert, currently guiding Scotland’s response to the coronavirus outbreak, says that the logistics of the large-scale race would further the spread of COVID-19 virus epidemic throughout France, potentially leading to further lockdown measures being announced by the end of summer.
According to Devi Sridhar, French officials have ‘no choice’ but to cancel the Tour de France given the significant risk to public health it represents.

“The wise thing to do is cancel for this year,” Sridhar said.

“It’s a painful decision but they have no choice. This is a long-term problem, a chronic problem. This virus is here to stay and will come back. Even if France gets a handle on it by August, then, of course, the issue is people coming in from different countries.

“There’s definitely a risk that the Tour de France moving around and unwittingly spreading the virus could kick-start a new lockdown.”

“Thousands of people from all over the world, gathered together, moving around, from town to town, this is where a virus could thrive – it could be a recipe for disaster.”

Logistically, Sridhar says that holding the event would present many problems. He says that a two- or three-week quarantine would need to be imposed on all team members entering the country before they are granted permission to enter French society.

But he emphasized that, because a high level of infections are transmitted by asymptomatic sufferers, it would be nearly impossible to keep a lid on the virus.

There are also concerns that some riders, including current champion Egan Bernal of Colombia, may have difficulty in being granted entry to the country dependent on any travel bans than may or may not be in place at the time.

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Chief Assignment editor is Oleg Siziakov

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