'There's only one thing that I want' - Prudhomme holds firm on Tour stance

Tour de France director Christian Prudhomme has publicly reiterated his desire for the race to go ahead as planned, despite the ongoing coronavirus crisis.

Tour de France race director Christian Prudhomme Source: AAP

Prudhomme addressed the French press in rather defiant fashion on Thursday (AEDT), telling Sports Auvergne: "There's only one thing that I want, and that's that the Tour de France takes place this summer."

"As things stand, the Tour de France is still set to take place as scheduled [from June 27-July 19]," he said.

"Of course, everything depends on what happens with the coronavirus pandemic.

"In the words 'Tour de France', the most important one is 'France'. It's the health situation of the country that counts. 

"(But) if it doesn't take place, it'll mean that the country is in a catastrophic situation, which we really hope isn't the case."

While the 59-year-old admitted he and his ASO colleagues were currently considering the Tour taking place at a later date, he refused to entertain the idea of the event going ahead behind closed doors.

The ASO have since set May 15 as the deadline for a decision on whether the race will go ahead, and if so, on which dates.