By the mid nineties things were already changing. That was like the transition period to me. Teams got very expensive in the nineties.
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Nice article from Uran's interview about why they have to ride the Tour de France.
https://www.cyclingnews.com/news/ur...could-survive-if-tour-de-france-is-cancelled/
However, if there is a second wave we are done for the year.
https://www.cyclingnews.com/news/ur...could-survive-if-tour-de-france-is-cancelled/
However, if there is a second wave we are done for the year.
Doubt it will be postponed - The TDF falls within the parameters of the Government regulations, if ASO limits the number of spectators to less than 5000 as like PN - My take is that it is more likely the TDF will go ahead - Any races in 2020 will be in closed stadiums.
"Tour de France director Christian Prudhomme has already ruled out holding the race without crowds, or 'behind closed doors'. "
they could do "behind closed doors" or what that means for the first 3 stage (Aug 29-30-31) and from Sept 1st not so strict, as the decree allows from Sept 1st
I doubt any cycling races for the rest of the year will have crowds as we know it- It will be controlled crowds as in PN - I'll also add that these regulations could be extended beyond September 1.
Yes, back when he was young, stupid and arrogant. Hopefully, since that time, somebody has slapped him in the face, and told him what's what.
It was an extremely dumb thing to do. Now he'll have to eat crow and own his stupidity, or be stubborn and cancel the race. Will be interesting to see.
Harsh, but funny.
Well, maybe he did not want to give it away already, so that people then would say "you said it's possible, so what's the deal?" Maybe it was kind of a "basis for negotiation".
Honestly, to me it felt like arrogance and ignorance. Like "Tour de France doesn't bow to corona, corona bows to Tour de France" mentality. He could simply have said, that they are working hard to get the show on the road, and are considering all options, even without crowds if all else fails, but that even that is no guarantee.
I think without crowds it is possible to hold the TDF, like i said in the dedicated corona threads. If they cut all the press people, and have riders do interviews over skype-ish solutions. Don't hold podium ceremonies, no starting ceremonies, reduce the crew each team can bring... If they test all the riders and crew and have them go into quarantine before and after the event. This line of thinking is what they should have been following. Not "We're the TDF, corona will move for us".
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Besides… it's not as if crowds is the only way for the race to "reach" the public...
But, yeah! Definitely arrogant, especially the "well, if we can't do like we normally do, then we'll just not do it!" mentality. Well… nothing is like it normally is, and as I've seen multiple people point out; teams might need the Tour to survive.
Exactly. I added to my previous post. There are hundreds of riders, dozens of teams, eager to ride the race. All these sponsors... they don't really care about those 100.000 people on the side of the road, who can't really see anything. They care about getting their logo on TV, with commentators mentioning their brand, in front of millions of people who are watching TV.
I'm totally with you there. In general it looks like lots of the smaller businesses are way more willing to adapt and find solutions for this situation while the bigger ones with a "huge history" are not. (I thought about that regarding publishers.) There really seems to be a thinking "well, we can't change, someone has to work this out for us and get us some financial support because we can't work the way we were used to". And maybe that applies in this case as well.
(I was giving Prudhomme the benefit of the doubt.)
I think the hardest part is actually not the without spectators-thing but the travel restrictions. If they can find a solution for that, it should be possible to hold the tour.
But then, in the end it is probably not only a question of "is it possible?", but also about giving a sign. And the direction in which the hand will wave is probably the one that is politically wished for at the time: Give people a feeling of normality and relaxation. / Don't think you're safe in any way.
I honestly don't see why the no-crowds thing is such a big issue. Are the VIP tents etc that important for the ASO? Along the route it should be sufficient to appeal to people's common sense and apply strict social distancing, if you want to watch, do it somewhere without lots of other people; on the mountains police can easily limit spectator numbers and the borders will probably still be closed to foreign tourists anyway (no alcoholics in camping vehicles), no costumed idiots running along.
I'm still worried about the strain of road security etc on local authorities, but the crowds should be doable.
I do not find the reasons for the State of France to make its roads and its police available to a private company (ASO) for free, and also ignore the health of citizens only and exclusively for that private company to earn more money.
It seems that sports is on the last position of the priority list, but it is part of the business and people work for ASO and the teams. If we loose all jobs which are not directly necessary for the system it would also end really bad for the population. This jobs are the last to be saved, which is somehow reasonable, but this jobs are important to. So I don't get why its only for a company. We should ask the people working in the sport and entertainement business about this few. They won't be happy.
So France obtains no benefit from the biggest annual sporting event in the world ? The TDF is a big driver for tourism in France and economically supported by the Government - And of course there are jobs involved in these trying times.
I live in Aragón (Spain), Some friends of mine don't like cycling, but when we go to France they buy cheese.
Some of them know Bernard Hinault but all of them know Zinedine Zidane.
I also have a few French friends and hardly any of them like cycling, and the TdF doesn't care.
There is life beyond the geeks of a cycling forum
I heard some of the hotels and restaurants in France don't care about cycling. They do care about the Tour de France. It brings them money. I know they like soccer better.I live in Aragón (Spain), Some friends of mine don't like cycling, but when we go to France they buy cheese.
Some of them know Bernard Hinault but all of them know Zinedine Zidane.
I also have a few French friends and hardly any of them like cycling, and the TdF doesn't care.
There is life beyond the geeks of a cycling forum
I live in Aragón (Spain), Some friends of mine don't like cycling, but when we go to France they buy cheese.
Some of them know Bernard Hinault but all of them know Zinedine Zidane.
I also have a few French friends and hardly any of them like cycling, and the TdF doesn't care.
There is life beyond the geeks of a cycling forum
It was just a silly joke. Actually I don't get the whole cheese thing (like high priced cheese restaurants). I'm just totally not into it. But I remember my son during the last TdF: "I can't hear the word cheese anymore".
(I love football, too. Zidane is overrated, tough.
)
Because TDF is completely irrelevant to France getting millions of tourists each year.
The TdF is the heritage of the French people, not of the private company ASO, the French government must seek the best for the French nation, not for the pocket of the owners of the private company ASO.
Therefore it is not Macron who must kneel before the "Proudman", but the "Proudman" who must kneel before Macron.
?
Right now I can't see that much of a contrast between the French Government and the ASO, and no expected kneeling from either side?
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