Thailand Surprises Tour De France Organizer ASO With Hosting Plans

Thailand "boldly announced they were in talks to host the Tour de France on Thursday," much to the surprise of race organizers who said that "they were only discussing staging a low key one-day in the Southeast Asian nation," according to Lefevre & Pretot of REUTERS. The Tourism Authority of Thailand said that "they had been buoyed by fruitful talks" Amaury Sport Organisation Chair Jean-Etienne Amaury last month in Paris. TAT Governor Thawatchai Arunyik said, "We are still talking with Tour de France organisers but we are looking at next fiscal year. So 2016, not 2015." ASO, however, believes "something was lost in translation." A spokesperson said, "There are talks indeed but not to bring the Tour to Thailand. There are discussions to settle in Thailand via a criterium, just like we did in Japan with the 'Saitama Criterium by Le Tour de France.'" A criterium is a one-day race held on a circuit or though a city which often attracts the Tour de France winner but has little sporting value (REUTERS, 10/2).