France’s sport minister has said no final decision has been made on the postponement of Paris-Roubaix 2021, but the race would still be delayed.
On Wednesday (March 24), a report in French newspaper Le Parisien said that the 2021 edition of the ‘Hell of the North’ had been postponed because of the coronavirus pandemic, but race organiser later said no official decision has yet been made.
On Thursday, the French sports minister Roxana Maracineanu provided an update on the fate of the race to FranceInfo.
Maracineanu said: “Let it be clear that this is a department where the health status is problematic.
“There is no final decision, but perhaps the race will be postponed. The local prefect has already said there is a possibility of postponement.”
According to a report in Le Parisien, the cobbled Monument, scheduled to take place on April 11, had been postponed because of the coronavirus restrictions in the north of France.
The report said that the French Ministry of Sports and Ministry of Health have been holding talks to discuss the race, which was not held last year because of the pandemic.
Le Parisen said the race could be rescheduled at the end of the 2021 season, potentially on Sunday, October 24 or Sunday, October 31.
But race organiser ASO then told French newspaper L’Equipe that it is not expecting an official decision until next week, and that the current expectation is that the race will go ahead in April.
The organiser said it is also looking for ways to drastically reduce the number of spectators at the side of the road.
France is dealing with a third wave of coronavirus, as its vaccination programme lags behind other European nations.
>>> Five things to look out for at the E3 Saxo Bank Classic 2021
Last week, the French government put a month-long lockdown in place in Paris and parts of northern France in the hopes of slowing the spread of the virus.
Alex is the digital news editor for CyclingWeekly.com. After gaining experience in local newsrooms, national newspapers and in digital journalism, Alex found his calling in cycling, first as a reporter and now as news editor responsible for Cycling Weekly's online news output.
Since pro cycling first captured his heart during the 2010 Tour de France (specifically the Contador-Schleck battle) and joining CW in 2018, Alex has covered three Tours de France, multiple editions of the Tour of Britain, and the World Championships, while both writing and video presenting for Cycling Weekly. He also specialises in fitness writing, often throwing himself into the deep end to help readers improve their own power numbers.
Away from journalism, Alex is a national level time triallist, avid gamer, and can usually be found buried in an eclectic selection of books.
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