On a chaotic morning of rumours and speculation, the results of the battery of tests were finally confirmed before the start of stage 10 in the Charente-Maritime region. The positive test for defending champion Egan Bernal’s Ineos Grenadiers team will have come as a surprise to team principal Dave Brailsford, who told The Guardian on Monday that he “wouldn’t expect our team to have any issues.” … [Read more...] about Tour de France race director Christian Prudhomme tests positive for Covid-19
France
Tour de France: Sam Bennett wins stage 10 as Primoz Roglic keeps yellow jersey
“You dream of it and you never think it will happen,” Bennett, struggling to compose himself, said. “It took me a while before it hit me. I thought maybe I was waiting too long and maybe I was in too big a gear. Sorry, I don’t mean to be a cry baby.” … [Read more...] about Tour de France: Sam Bennett wins stage 10 as Primoz Roglic keeps yellow jersey
Fingers crossed at France’s brasseries and cafes as tourist quarantines loom
Down on the quayside, the boat tour operators report they are running at full capacity – though with “very few” foreigners. On the seafront, the ravelins of Théâtre de la Mer, a former 18th-century fort, are deserted – it has been repurposed as an outdoor cinema, which is apparently doing well. Barman Eric Bouteille, shucking oysters with a knife at the adjacent cafe, is determined to look on the bright side: “I think other regions have had it worse. We’ll get through it.” . … [Read more...] about Fingers crossed at France’s brasseries and cafes as tourist quarantines loom
New coronavirus cases rise 54% in mainland France in a week
The rise covered all age groups but the public health authority said the rise was particularly worrying in those aged between 20 and 30. There was also an increase in the number of patients admitted to hospital with Covid-19, and the figures for those requiring intensive care went up by one – the first time the figure has increased in 16 weeks. … [Read more...] about New coronavirus cases rise 54% in mainland France in a week
France’s new prime minister keeps key figures in reshuffled cabinet
LREM failed to win a single major municipality in the local elections, with the Greens seizing control of several of France’s biggest cities, depriving the president of a powerful local power base before 2022. The most notable win was Philippe’s convincing victory in his Normandy bastion of Le Havre, from where he could emerge as a potential Macron rival in years to come. … [Read more...] about France’s new prime minister keeps key figures in reshuffled cabinet
