Tour de France moved from June to August due to coronavirus

April 15 (UPI) -- Tour de France officials announced Wednesday that the planned start of the 2020 race has been moved to Aug. 29 from June 27 due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The announcement came two days after French President Emmanuel Macron canceled all public events with large crowds until mid-July. Macron also extended a strict lockdown in France until May 11.

The 2020 Tour de France route will remain the same, with the finish planned for Sept. 20 in Paris. More than 175 cyclists plan to start the race in Nice.

"Over the last few weeks, there has been constant communication between riders, teams, the organizers as well as other relevant third parties all with the support of Union Cycliste Internationale, who are responsible for arranging a new global cycling schedule, in which the Tour de France takes pride [in]," Tour de France officials said in a news release.

"The organizers of the Tour de France are in regular contact with and have reached agreement with all of the different parties involved, from the local communities to the public authorities."

The women's event, La Course by le Tour de France avec FDJ, was also moved from July to an undetermined date during the 2020 Tour de France.

The 2020 Tour de France includes 21 starting and finish lines and a 2,000-mile route throughout France, drawing millions of roadside supporters. Event director Christian Prudhomme has said it would not be held without fans.