The Department of Agriculture has asked the Tour de France organization to make a change in the route in the final section of the second stage of this cycling competition to avoid passing through Collserola, an area affected by swine fever. The Generalitat argues that “this is not the first time a route has been changed due to a health crisis.”
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The Department of Agriculture, given the current context of the crisis caused by African swine fever and the restriction of access to the natural environment, “has asked the Tour de France organization to consider making a change to the final section of the second stage, to avoid passing through Collserola, an area affected by African swine fever.”
The Government has proposed this route change “out of responsibility and rigor in managing the outbreak affecting Catalonia since November.”
“This is not the first time a route section has been changed due to a health crisis. Last year, a section in French territory was already changed due to contagious nodular dermatitis,” notes the Department of Agriculture.
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The main risk is that holding this stage will cause large crowds and a mobilization of people that affect areas where access is banned in high-risk zones.
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The Catalan government has implemented various containment measures for the African swine fever outbreak “with a broad strategy to reduce the wild boar population throughout the country, especially in the affected area with access restrictions to the natural environment.”
Its argument is also that “the Government supports that the entire Tour route can have public presence and that the city celebration around cycling is encouraged.” However, it clarifies that “the final decision will be made jointly with the Tour organization and the other involved organizations.”
