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THURSDAY, APRIL 2, 2020

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Secrecy over Tour de ’s fate

BAGNERES-DE-LUCHON: File photograph taken on July 25, 2018, France’s , wearing the best climber’s polka dot jersey (R) seizes the fork of fan Didi Senft (L) during the 17th stage of the 105th edition of the Tour de France cycling race, between Bagneres-de-Luchon and Saint-Lary-Soulan Col du Portet. French sports minister Roxana Maracineanu says this year’s Tour de France could be staged without spectators in a bid to combat the coronavirus pandemic. —AFP

PARIS: Less than three months before the Tour de said. The 2018 champion agrees, to arrive at the Tour in peak form, and that requires in- Mitchelton-Scott. “With the Olympics off the cards, it France’s scheduled start, the possibility of cycling’s telling the Daily Telegraph this week he feared for peo- tensive training. Ineos star Thomas says the uncertainty does leave a window for later in July and even early Au- greatest show taking place remains shrouded in doubt, ple’s jobs if the Tour was cancelled. is demotivating. gust,” White added. while the organisers have thrown up a wall of silence. “When you look back through the history books in “If you knew that the (in June) was Given there is little visibility on the potential length The highlight of the French sporting calendar is due 20 years’ time, if in 2020 there was no Tour, that doesn’t going to be your next race, you could just work to- of the lockdown from the authorities, it is impossible to to embark from Nice on June 27 and end on the matter. wards that and devise a training programme. But at the say, but August would be a fairly popular decision. Champs-Elysees in on July 19. But with France en- “But, on the other hand, there moment it’s all up in the air,” he tering its third week of coronavirus lockdown and more are 20-odd teams, and compa- said. Others agree with Thomas. THE ORIGINAL PLAN than 3,000 deaths in the country, organisers ASO are nies invested in those teams, and “At the latest we’d need the There appears to be solid support for sticking to the refusing to comment on their plans, other than to say if it went, there would be quite a It’s too early guys out on the roads training original dates, even if riders show up below top form. they will act in the best interests of the general public. few people left unemployed. by May 10,” the boss of French After Euro 2020 and the Tokyo Games were post- “There will be a huge hunger for sports when this is “While the result itself doesn’t to tell if it’s team Arkea-Samsic, Emmanuel poned, the Tour is one of the year’s last sporting land- over,” ASO chief Christian Prudhomme said in early matter, the event does, because Hubert, told AFP. May 10 ap- marks left standing. March. With the cycling world desperate to keep the there are a lot of livelihoods possible pears worryingly close given Running the Tour without fans, as French sports 2020 Tour alive, AFP looks at three potential outcomes: wrapped up in it,” he said. the current lockdown in France. minister Roxana Maracineanu has suggested is possi- The International Cycling ble, would be fine for those watching on television. But CANCELLATION POSTPONEMENT Union held a video conference it would be financially damaging for the economies of This seems be the least likely scenario. Keeping the Unless the health crisis takes a turn for the better in meeting on the matter last Friday. The postponement the small towns banking on it. ASO want the fans there. Tour on track is the key to cycling’s economic wellbe- the weeks to come, a postponement is increasingly of the Tokyo Olympics was a huge relief for cycling, as “It’s too early to tell if it’s possible but it would be a ing. Unless the lockdown continues well into the sum- likely. Most of the potential competitors are in lock- it clears the whole autumn period for rescheduled great sign if the Tour went ahead on schedule,” top mer, it would be hard to imagine the Tour being down and unable to train normally, and would clearly events. Add in the postponement of the Giro d’Italia in French rider Romain Bardet said. Julian Alaphilippe, cancelled. prefer to be in full training before taking on the gru- May, and it means everyone will want to be at the Tour. France’s hero of the 2019 Tour after wearing the “The Tour represents around 60 percent of earnings elling Tour. “If the Tour de France does go ahead in full, it’ll be leader’s jersey for 14 days, isn’t so sure he would want in a season,” French team AG2R boss Vincent Lavenu Unlike all other races, almost every contender likes the best field ever,” said Matt White of Australian team a race without fans at the roadside.— AFP

Cooler tone in new US Soccer women’s equal pay filings

LOS ANGELES: Women players suing US ation violated the US Equal Pay Act and arate competitions against completely dif- Soccer say in court documents filed Tuesday other anti-discrimination legislation. ferent pools of opponents.” that the federation has acknowledged the “The parties have significantly narrowed The federation again stated that apparent jobs of men and women footballers require the issues to be tried by way of discovery pay discrepancies are due to a different pay equal skill. and briefing,” Tuesday’s filing from the play- structure negotiated by the women’s union. The language seemed to signal a de- ers’ lawyers said. “USSF no longer disputes The case is set to go to trial May 5. Parlow crease in tension between the parties after that the jobs of the WNT and MNT players Cone told reporters in a conference call last language in documents filed by federation require equal skill, effort and responsibility week that she would like to settle the case lawyers earlier in March provoked wide- — and therefore have necessarily conceded sooner. spread outrage in saying that playing on the that they perform equal work.” “I don’t think a trial is good for either men’s national team required a higher level The documents filed by the federation party or for soccer, both in this country or of skill based on speed and strength and car- outlining the case they plan to make said the internationally,” she said. “Obviously our ried greater responsibility. women players had not identified compara- women’s team is the best team in the world, The fierce backlash, not only from the ble male counterparts under the law — and I am hopeful that we can find a resolu- women players but from sponsors such as which requires equal payment for men and tion before this goes to trial.” Coca-Cola, ultimately forced Carlos women working “in the same establishment.” Tuesday’s filings also included potential Cordeiro to resign as president of the fed- “The undisputed facts show that the witnesses for both sides. The lists included eration, to be replaced by vice president WNT and MNT are both geographically all four class representatives in the lawsuit: — a former US interna- and operationally distinct,” the US Soccer , , NEW YORK: File photo taken on July 10, 2019, USA women’s soccer player tional. US Soccer brought in new legal coun- filing said. “The WNT and MNT play in dif- and Becky Sauerbrunn. Former US coach Jill Megan Rapinoe (C) and teammates celebrate with the trophy in front of the sel, which has focused in court filings on ferent venues in different cities (and often Ellis, Cordeiro and another former federation City Hall after the ticker tape parade for the women’s World Cup champions, in refuting the plaintiffs’ claims that the feder- different countries), and participate in sep- chief, Sunil Gulati, could also appear. —AFP New York. —AFP