Only a small number of spectators allowed on Place Masséna as 107th Tour prepares to get under way
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The Jumbo-Visma and Groupama-FDJ teams will be two of the main protagonists at the 2020 Tour de France(Image credit: Getty Images Sport)
Defending Tour de France champion Egan Bernal (Ineos Grenadiers) waves to the crowd at the teams presentation in Nice(Image credit: Getty Images Sport)
Nairo Quintana of Arkéa-Samsic is one fo the favourites for the final podium – and potentially even the top step – at this year’s race(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Team Grenadiers’ leader, Egan Bernal, is introduced to the public at the teams presentation(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Arkéa-Samsic take to stage in NIce for the teams presentation(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
There was a limited audience due to COVID-19 protocol at the teams presentation in Nice(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Cofidis wait to be announced on the Place Masséna in Nice(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Jumbo-Visma take to the stage. The Dutch squad could be the team to beat this year(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Deceuninck-QuickStep enjoy their introduction at the teams presentation(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Egan Bernal of Ineos Grenadiers arrives at the teams presentation(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Cofidis greet the small but enthusiastic crowd at the teams presentation(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Team Sunweb are introduced at the teams presentation(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Lotto Soudal line up at the teams presentation(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Colombian road race champion Sergio Higuita and his EF Pro Cycling teammates at the teams presentation(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Rigoberto Uran of EF Pro Cycling waves to crowd, joined by teammates Alberto Bettiol and Hugh Carthy(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Riders for AG2R La Mondiale exit the stage at the teams presentation(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Ben Hermans acknowledges the crowd with his Israel Start-Up Nation teammates(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
The Ineos Grenadiers team takes to the stage(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Daniel Oss of Bora-Hansgrohe grabs his own memories at the teams presentation(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Bahrain McLaren take a turn on the stage(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
UAE Team Emirates take to the stage with Team Sunweb(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
This year’s Movistar squad enjoys its introduction in Nice(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Facemasks were present and correct for Alexander Kristoff and his UAE Team Emirates teammates(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Julian Alaphillipe with his Deceuninck-QuickStep teammates Kasper Asgreen – the new Danish road race champion – and Irish road race champion Sam Bennett(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Jumbo-Visma take the stage in front of the giant screen at the teams presentation(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Peter Sagan takes the microphone alongside his Bora-Hansgrohe teammates(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Dan Martin of Israel Start-Up Nation arrives for the festivities(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Young Danish fans enjoy the teams presentation on a sunny day in Nice(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
A couple of fans welcome Philippe Gilbert (Lotto Soudal) at the teams presentation(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Fans at the teams presentation enjoyed the programme, which featured all 22 teams(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
New European road race champion Giacomo Nizzolo, Edvald Boasson Hagen and South African road race champion Ryan Gibbons of NTT Pro Cycling enjoy the fans’ applause(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
The cameras focus on Warren Barguil and Winner Anacona of Arkéa-Samsic(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Bora-Hansgrohe’s Peter Sagan rides onto the stage(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Mayor of Nice Christian Estrosi and Tour director Christian Prudhomme address the crowd(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
There was a thumbs-up from Peter Sagan in his Bora-Hansgrohe team’s special new jersey for this year’s Tour(Image credit: Getty Images Sport)
Road race world champion Mads Pedersen (Trek-Segafredo) will have the opportunity to show off his rainbow stripes on the roads of France(Image credit: Getty Images Sport)
Ineos Grenadiers’ Egan Bernal is focused on defending his Tour de France title(Image credit: Getty Images Sport)
Deceuninck-QuickStep’s Julian Alaphilippe is another French favourite, and says he’ll be chasing stage wins this year after wearing the yellow jersey for two weeks in 2019(Image credit: Getty Images Sport)
Jumbo-Visma’s Primoz Roglic appears to have got over his injuries from his crash at the Critérium du Dauphiné and will start as one of the clear favourites(Image credit: Getty Images Sport)
Nice is ready to welcome the 2020 Tour de France(Image credit: Getty Images Sport)
It was a lower-key teams presentation than usual, but there was nevertheless entertainment for the small, watching crowd(Image credit: Getty Images Sport)
Guillaume Martin (Cofidis) is aiming for a stage win, but could also finish in the top five or 10 overall(Image credit: Getty Images Sport)
Richie Porte (Trek-Segafredo) will make another attempt at reaching the Tour podium in Paris(Image credit: Getty Images Sport)
Jumbo-Visma’s Wout van Aert and Tony Martin will be key to Tom Dumoulin and Primoz Roglic’s chances(Image credit: Getty Images Sport)
Two months late and under a new rise in COVID-19 cases, the 107th edition of the Tour de France took its first step towards the Grand Départ as the 22 teams competing in the race were presented to a minimal public presence on Place Masséna in Nice on Thursday.
The riders rolled through the square, which was blocked off by opaque barriers to stop people from gathering, with only gendarmes where there would normally be fans, VIPs and riders' families sending them off for three weeks of racing.
The organisers allowed in a small crowd – with masks and social distancing enforced – in front of the stage for a highly unusual teams presentation.
The Ineos Grenadiers team debuted their new kit to the public for the first time. Defending champion Egan Bernal gave a short interview, saying he has confidence in his team – which is lacking the 2018 champion Geraint Thomas and four-time winner Chris Froome, both of whom were not selected.
"We have been preparing for this race since last year, so I think we have a really good team to fight for the GC, and I'm really confident of what we did at home [training], so I hope to give some good emotions for all of you," Bernal said.
Primoz Roglic (Jumbo-Visma) is another the pre-race favourite, despite his heavy crash at the Critérium du Dauphiné, and his participation was in some doubt until he climbed onto the stage on Thursday.
"I'm happy that I've managed to be at the start of the Tour de France", Roglic said. "I take it as a good news. It's nice to be here in Nice."
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His teammate, Tom Dumoulin, highlighted the absence of Steven Kruijswijk, injured in a different crash at the Dauphiné, saying the race wouldn't be the same without him.
"His absence forces us to change our tactics a little bit. Now it's Primoz or me who'll go for GC. Our aim is to be close to the podium in the last week of the Tour," Dumoulin said.
In all, 176 riders will take the start in Nice on Saturday for a quick, hilly, technical 156km opening stage around the city on the south coast of France.
Click or swipe through the gallery above to see the teams presentation of the 107th Tour de France.
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