Sporting events with no spectators, while previously unimaginable, have now become part and parcel of the Covid-19 experience. Regrettably. The Tour de France is no different – while there will be a few onlookers, millions of fans usually standing at the roadside to see the cyclers whizz by are choosing to watch the four-week event from the comfort and safety of their home.

There is one bright side to all this: Fewer people standing in the heat of the sun for hours on end means not only less packaging waste, but also fewer single-use plastic products. The “Caravane publicaire”, which has been part of the Tour de France experience since 1930, has in the past handed out a whopping 15 million merchandise products every year – from bracelets and key chains to detergent samples, of all things. Another win for the environment…but likely not a lasting one.