Tour de France director Christian Prudhomme is urging spectators to wear masks to respect the riders and the competition as the risk of coronavirus still remains. At the same time, the Criterium du Dauphiné (run by Tour organizer ASO), which starts Wednesday in Clermont-Ferrand, will serve as a prelude to La Grande Boucle later this month.

"In the Tour de France, there are people along the roadside. Except for restrictions at the start, finish, and climb, life is normal elsewhere. That's why we are asking people to wear masks," Prudhomme told the French newspaper Nice Matin on Tuesday.

"If you love the Tour and its champions, wear a mask when you cheer on the roadside. And I hope it will be worn everywhere, not just at the start and finish."

Prudhomme compared this year's Tour to international sporting events like tennis and soccer.

"This is not the year to ask for autographs or 'selfies.' "The players will greet you from afar, but these measures are the only reason they don't seem as friendly as they usually do. They won't be able to get autographs from Roger Federer or Lionel Messi, as they did at Wimbledon or the Champions League final. But once the Coronavirus outbreak is over, the Tour will be back to normal and we will be able to have the kind of epic exchanges we are used to."

This week's Criterium du Dauphiné will already have the same measures in place that will be used at this year's Tour. Dauphiné race director Thierry Gouvenoux explained in an ASO press release on Tuesday, and participating teams were briefed on the measures the same day.

"At the Dauphiné, we will rehearse the run-through and safety measures at competition level. We create a "bubble" and have very little interaction with the media, race guests and fans. Parking (for team buses) will be closed at the start and finish, and there will be a "mixed zone" with special rules for interviews"

.

"Access to the area after the finish line will also be restricted. On the route, fans will not be allowed in the feeding zone and there will be more 'dump zones' for riders," he added.

"The podium protocol is the same, no kissing, no interaction between (sponsor) partners or local representatives and riders. And on the race route, where local municipal ordinances apply, the wearing of face masks will be mandatory," said Gouvenoux, who expected the public along the route to wear masks, as Prudhomme had called for at the Tour. [2020] This means always staying two meters away from the riders, not asking for autographs, remembering two important habits--the use of antibacterial hand gel and the wearing of masks--and not taking "selfies" with the riders."