Questions have been raised about the 2020 Tour de France being held in August and September. France's sports minister said it "will not be the end of the world" if La Grande Boucle does not take place.

Roxana Marassineanou, appearing on Eurosport's "Le Club" program Wednesday night, insisted that sports "will not be a priority" if the blockade of France, scheduled for May 11, is partially lifted.

The Tour de France was originally scheduled to start in Nice on June 27 and finish in Paris on July 19, but was moved from August 29 to September 20 due to a coronavirus outbreak.

President Macron has said that even if the blockade is lifted, public gatherings will be prohibited until mid-July, but Malatinéanu suggested that it could last "at least until September" and possibly beyond, until a vaccine is found.

"Sporting events that are allowed to return will either be held behind closed doors or will have very strict limits on the number of spectators.

Given that race director Christian Prudhomme has already ruled out holding the race without fans, this could create problems for the Tour de France.

While national soccer and rugby leagues were the main topics of the interview, Malatinéanu was also asked directly about the Tour de France along with the Roland Garros Tennis Tournament in Paris.

"If it doesn't happen, it's not the end of the world," she said. [A lot of things that were supported by these tournaments and the income from the Tour de France will definitely come to an end, and if they skip a year, there will need to be reform."

Malatineanu also explained that the resumption of sport would depend on the country's progress in controlling the pandemic. Sport in the near future will require a number of precautionary measures, including comprehensive testing of athletes, and it is questionable whether the resources exist to do so.

"If, when released from confinement, there are not enough masks, if testing is reserved only for those with symptoms, and if getting tested is a condition for athletes (who will likely have the right to decline), [the sport] will not happen," Malachineanu warned.

"What is certain is that sport is not a priority in our society. Even in today's governmental decisions, sport is not a priority."