Froome fears Tour de France may struggle to keep fans away

London: Chris Froome fears Tour de France organisers could struggle to prevent fans gathering to watch the race even if it is not open to the public because of the coronavirus.

The Tour de France has been rescheduled for August 29 from its original June 27 start date, but there are still concerns about how to organise the event. The French government says no mass gatherings can take place before September, but has clarified the Tour could still go ahead on its new dates.

Froome believes it will be hard to control whether crowds turn up. “For sure we can put the race on without people standing on the roads and fans in that sense,” Froome told former England cricketer Kevin Pietersen on an Instagram Live chat.

“In theory, we can put the race on but I think the bigger question is would the organisers be able to keep people from actually coming out and gathering in large crowds? I think that’s the bigger question.”