Cycling news - Tour de France could happen behind closed doors, says French Sports Minister

The vast majority of summer sporting events have been postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic, with Euro 2020 and the Olympic Games both pushed back to the summer of 2021.

However, no decision has currently been made on rearranging the Tour de France, which is due to begin in Nice on June 27 and run through to July 19.

All French cycling races are currently banned due to pandemic restrictions, but French sports minister Roxana Maracineanu says there is still a chance that the Tour could progress without fans on the roadside.

A decision on the race is not expected for some time, with Maracineanu telling France Bleu:

The logic given for holding the event behind closed doors is to entertain the general population in lockdown with an event whose financial stability does not depend on ticketing sales but TV rights.

"The economic model of the Tour de France is not based on ticketing but on TV rights," Maracineanu said. "In this period of confinement, everyone is aware and responsible. Everyone understood the benefits of staying at home and therefore favouring the television show rather than the live show. Finally, it would not be so penalising since we could follow him [Le Tour] on television."