This event, strongly advocated by the mayor of Nice, Christian Estrosi—who did not hesitate to provide the necessary financial package (reportedly over 2 million euros) to convince the organizers of A.S.O.—risks cancellation, which would lead to significant financial losses.
Hence the question: should the sporting aspect, with the presence of the public, be prioritized, or the financial side, involving TV rights and marketing?
A decision will need to be made in the coming weeks.
And what if the Tour de France took place… behind closed doors, without spectators along the roads? This scenario is under consideration, among others, as noted by the Minister of Sports on France Bleu.
Regarding the hypothesis of a Tour de France without spectators, the minister believes that the public might understand such a measure.
In practice, while a completely closed-door Tour seems complicated to organize, the race could take place without the public at the starts, in the mountain passes, and at the finishes. This was the case during the last Paris-Nice at the beginning of the month.
