Tour de France postponed, French Grand Prix in doubt because of coronavirus

The extension through mid-July of a ban on mass gatherings in France amid the novel coronavirus pandemic has forced the postponement of the Tour de France and jeopardized Formula One’s French Grand Prix.

President Emmanuel Macron on Monday extended France’s lockdown until May 11, with schools progressively reopening after that. But bars and restaurants will remain closed, and there will be no summer festivals “before mid-July.” Both the Tour and the F1 race draw enormous crowds, with 135,000 people attending last year’s auto race.