French Sports Minister Roxana Marassineanou said on French radio Wednesday evening that if the Tour de France is to start on August 29, as hoped, France-based professional athletes will begin training outdoors in time for the Tour de France If the Tour de France starts on August 29 as hoped, France-based professional athletes will need to begin outdoor training in time for the Tour de France.

France-based professional riders have been banned from training outdoors since mid-March, but that ban will be lifted on May 11.

On Thursday, the French government confirmed (opens in new tab) that starting May 11, citizens will be able to participate in outdoor exercise as long as they respect social distancing measures. Cyclists will be required to maintain a minimum distance of 10 meters from each other, but will be able to travel up to 100 kilometers from their place of residence and there will be no limit on the duration of their exercise.

According to a report in Wednesday's L'Equipe, Marassineanu told France Info that riders must race or at least train in groups before the Tour begins, and that the survival of many professional teams depends on their ability to compete They also recognize that the survival of many professional teams depends on their ability to compete.

"I think the athletes are eager to be able to train properly again, and the cyclists are eager to be away from their trainers at home and to ride their bikes at least 1 km from home. They will be able to resume training," she told France Info. [The UCI and Tour organizer ASO have proposed a new date of August 29 to September 20.

On Wednesday, the UCI was scheduled to announce a fuller calendar of events, including the Giro d'Italia, the Vuelta a España, and the One Day Classic, but that announcement was postponed until at least May 5 as the coronavirus crisis continues in Europe.

The impact of the lack of a calendar means that it is unclear whether professionals will be able to compete in events prior to the start of the Tour.

Marasinianu huffed last week when he said that it would not be "the end of the world" if the Tour did not take place, but later clarified that he was comparing it to the difficulties of the coronavirus crisis facing society and admitted that he had underestimated the importance of the sport for many people

"Of all the challenges facing our society, clearly the revival of sports is a major theme. We have been working on it every day for weeks. But health remains our top priority," she said last Thursday.

On Wednesday, Maratineanu spoke again: "For the Tour de France to take place, several things are necessary. There has to be some preparatory races and cyclists have to be able to ride together in a group.

"For now, the social distance requirements imposed on the rest of society still apply to riders. Because of the ongoing pandemic, there are still many uncertainties today

"Riders must be able to resume training independently and in groups, and be able to participate in the Tour de France preparatory competitions." Malachineanu reiterated. I know that this is essential for the survival of many professional teams."