Team Ineos 'will pull out of Tour if it is not safe'

Dave Brailsford has said he will pull his Team Ineos squad out of the rescheduled 2020 Tour de France if he feels the race’s precautions against coronavirus are not panning out in a “measured, intelligent and responsible way”. “This is a sensible, responsible and reasoned approach.” After France’s president, Emmanuel Macron, banned any large public events until 11 July, the Tour’s original start dates in June were scrapped and the Grand Départ in Nice postponed until 29 August. However, the decision to go ahead with it has drawn fierce criticism from Devi Sridhar, chair of Global Public Health at the University of Edinburgh and an adviser on the pandemic tothe Scottish government, who described it as a “recipe for disaster”. “It’s a painful decision but they have no choice.” “There will be a lot of debate generated about the rights and wrongs of the transitions out of lockdown across all aspects of society, including sporting events,” Brailsford said. We will monitor the situation very carefully and of course take note ofnational guidance and all advice.” Jonathan Vaughters, manager of the US-based Education First team, said he believed the Tour’s promoter, ASO, had ruled out the option of a Tour “behind closed doors” – without roadside spectators, – too hastily.