In a recent development, the Tour de France organisers have asked the dates of its 2021 race to be shifted to avoid a potential clash with the Tokyo Olympics which will now be organised next year.

“I can confirm that we have received a request from the Tour de France management that they would like to discuss the contracted dates they have with us for when the Tour should start in Denmark in 2021,” Copenhagen Mayor Frank Jensen, the chairman of the Local Organising Committee told Danish Outlet DR.

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The Grand Depart of the multiple stage bicycle race is scheduled to be held in Copenhagen, Denmark on 2 July. A couple of flat stages are then scheduled to be held in the country on 3 and 4 July. However, it could run until 25 July and the postponed Tokyo Olympics will start on 3 July.

“When you have a contract with one another, and one says they have some challenges with the contract, then of course you have to talk together.

“This is where we start, also because we have approached the Tour de France management in the past because we had some challenges with football.

“Now they are the ones who approach us. Now that we have mastered football and settled on the dates, it obviously presents big problems if the dates have to be moved around.”

Meanwhile, Jesper Moller, the President of the Danish Football Union, suggested that the Euro 2020 last-16 match would not be changed by the UEFA organisers.

“If the Mayor of Copenhagen asks us to take a look at it, then of course we are looking at it,” Moller said.

“[But] it is UEFA’s tournament, it is UEFA’s matches, and from UEFA’s point of view, the match programme is firm.”

This year’s Tour de France is due to run between August 29 and September 20, after its original start date of June 27 proved impossible due to COVID-19. The Grand Depart of the Tour is usually held outside of France, although it was held last year in the city of Nice.

(With inputs from IANS)