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French ruling means vaccine debate is coming to cycling

Bubbles that have saved pro racing so far will no longer be enough

Photo by: Getty Images

Pro cycling is about to face its first vaccine mandate. The French Sports Ministry announced this week that a recent vaccine pass law in the country will be strictly enforced. That could have ramifications for the pro ranks, both on the road and in mountain biking.

French sports minister Roxana Maracineanu made the clarification on France’s vaccine pass law, which passed on Sunday, over Twitter. The law will be enforced for “all spectators, practitioners, French or foreign professionals,” Maracineanu Tweeted, “until further notice.”

The timing of the sport minister’s announcement is quite clearly intended to address questions around Novak Djokovic’s participation in the upcoming French Open. It follows the Serbian tennis star’s widely publicized Australian Open debacle, with French officials hoping to avoid similar controversy.

While the question started in tennis, it could spill over onto the road and trails of France. As the UCI road season gets underway, several Spring Classics touch on French roads, as will, eventually, the Tour de France. On dirt, the World Cup mountain bike season starts in Lourdes, France in late March.

While tennis and, stateside, the NFL and NBA have all faced controversy over unvaccinated athletes, the world of cycling has so far sidestepped the question. Through the use of bubbles, extensive testing, race postponements and restrictions – or outright bans – on fans, the world of cycling has kept moving through the pandemic. Even as several of the sport’s top stars have contracted COVID, some more than once, event organizers have successfully steered clear of the politically charged vaccine question.

France’s decision will likely this vaccine ambiguity. Some teams were quick to adopt vaccines, as would be expected from a group of athletes that are required to travel frequently for their sport. There has not, yet, been any cause forcing cyclists to disclose their status. Some pro road racers have, though, commented on the impact vaccines have had on their training.

The French laws could change before road or mountain bikers come up against a strict vaccine passport system. If not, the Tour de France and World Cup races could, potentially, look different than expected.