2020 Tour de France: Dry weather expected during Stage 2

The 2020 Tour de France will begin its first stage on Saturday in Nice, France. Located on the Mediterranean coast, summertime weather is typically warm with long stretches of dry weather.

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News broke on Thursday that the global COVID-19 pandemic could threaten the start of the Tour de France when the Nice area was placed on "red alert" due to the spread of the virus.

France's prime minister, Jean Castex, on Thursday said that precautions and protocols have long been in place to protect the riders and teams, but that "France must do everything to prevent a new lockdown."

Colombia's Egan Bernal wearing the overall leader's yellow jersey, center, rides past the Arc de Triomphe on the Champs-Elysees during the twenty-first stage of the Tour de France cycling race over 128 kilometers (79.53 miles) with start in Rambouillet and finish in Paris, France, Sunday, July 28, 2019. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)

On Aug. 13, the second stage of Critérium du Dauphiné, another cycling race in France, was affected by a thunderstorm bringing large hail. Riders were left with welts on their backs as they struggled to find shelter from the storm.

Weather will turn out drier for Stage 2 on Sunday, although there is the potential for a northwesterly wind which could produce headwinds for portions of the route. Otherwise, expect partly sunny conditions and high temperatures.

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