The Government has requested to modify the final route of the second stage of the Tour de France to avoid passing through Collserola, affected by African swine fever (ASF), citing “reasons of responsibility” in managing the outbreak. The request, confirmed by the Department of Agriculture, is framed within the current access restrictions to the natural environment in this area and the need to “not interfere” with sanitary control efforts.
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Agriculture has conveyed to the organizers of the French cycling tour to consider a change in the final section of the stage to avoid crossing the affected area, which could hinder the work of technical teams responsible for eradicating the disease and facilitate the spread of ASF.
The risks behind the request are attributed to the possibility that the section in Collserola could cause large crowds of people, as well as a mobilization of vehicles and people to high-risk areas where access is prohibited. In this regard, the Government requests the change so that the entire Tour route “can have public presence and that the civic celebration around cycling is encouraged.”
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The Catalan Executive has defended that “it is not the first time that a route section is changed due to a health crisis” and recalled that last year a section in France was modified due to an outbreak of contagious nodular dermatitis. In parallel, the Generalitat has deployed a containment strategy that includes reducing the wild boar population and access restrictions to the natural environment in the most affected areas.
The final decision on the route will be made jointly with the Tour de France organization and other involved parties, with the aim of “guaranteeing both health safety and the normal development of the event.”
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