More Tour uncertainty: Daily News Digest
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Welcome to another week!
It seems like every day there’s a fresh bit of news emerging from either the UCI, race organizers, or national governments regarding the reshuffled 2020 race calendar, and Tuesday was hardly different.
French Prime Minister Édouard Philippe has said that no large sporting events will be allowed in France until September, casting some doubt on whether the Tour de France can actually be held on its new dates. The French Ministry of Sport, however, has since clarified that the ban on large events does not necessarily mean that the Tour will have to be postponed or cancelled, although spectator protocols may be impacted.
For now, it all remains very unclear, which has been the name of the game for the past several weeks – and unfortunately, that doesn’t seem likely to change any time soon. We’ll do our best to stay on top of the story just the same.
Until next time, readers.
What’s news
| French Prime Minister Philippe: No large sporting events until September
Édouard Philippe, the Prime Minister of France, said on Tuesday that no large sporting events will be allowed in France until at least September, calling into question that status of the Tour de France, which has been rescheduled to start on August 29.
Following the Prime Minister’s statements, however, the French Ministry of Sport provided some further comments on the subject of how the Tour might be affected, clarifying that the ban on large events would not necessarily mean the postponement or cancellation of that Tour, but noting that plans for spectators to attend could indeed be impacted.
| Bigla-Katusha seeking bank guarantee funds
The Bigla-Katusha team has asked the UCI to make its bank guarantee available as it faces financial problems. The squad finds itself in dire straits as both of its title sponsors have pulled their funding of the team.
According to a press release, Bigla-Katusha also plans on a starting a crowdfunding campaign to try to keep the team afloat, with details forthcoming.
| Quintana says a teammate made it impossible to win 2015 Tour
In an interview with ESPN Bike, Nairo Quintana said that a teammate cost him the overall title at the 2015 Tour. Quintana did not specify which teammate he saw as the culprit, but opined that his opportunity passed him by on stage 20. He finished over a minute ahead of Froome on the day, but not quite far enough ahead to overcome losses sustained earlier in the race.
“On that Alpe d’Huez stage we had a strategy and there were teammates who worked very well and others who did not,” Quintana told ESPN Bike. “There was a moment, and he knows it, where because of this rider, it was impossible to win the Tour de France.”
| Deutschland Tour cancelled
The 2020 Deutschland Tour has been cancelled amid a ban on large events in Germany that extends through August 31. The race, organized by the ASO, was initially planned to run from August 20 to 23.
“We are already working hard all together to postpone the event to next year and celebrate Germany’s largest cycling festival again in August 2021,” said race director Claude Rach in a statement.
| Bo Bikes Bama goes virtual
The typically outdoors edition of Bo Bikes Bama, the charity ride hosted annually by American sports legend Bo Jackson, may have been cancelled this year—but Jackson and many other participants raised thousands of dollars for the Governor’s Emergency Relief Fund in Alabama with a virtual ride instead.
Jackson recently took to Zwift for a Bo Bikes Zwift event, which has since garnered over $17,000 in donations.
In case you missed it
| Meet the Babymaker, the terrible e-bike that just raised 4.7 million dollars
Iain Treloar takes a closer look at a crowdfunded e-bike that has somehow raised millions of dollars despite some shortcomings.
| Nerd Alert Podcast: The golden age of helmets (and chain lube)
The latest Nerd Alert covers recent tech news and then dives into helmet safety with Brad Waldron of Kali Protective.
| 7 mobility exercises to improve your cycling performance
Paul Argent has some great suggestions for mobility exercises that will help improve your cycling performance generally.
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SUBSCRIBE TO THE DAILY NEWS DIGEST PODCASTToday’s featured image of Nairo Quintana on stage 20 of the 2015 Tour de France comes from Kristof Ramon.
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