When Thailand thought it will organize Tour de France 2016

By reading this news, I thought of a hoax, but no: Thailand thought it will host the Tour de France… but it won’t.

Tourist Authority of Thailand announced via a statement, still present on its website (see here), that, I quote, “Tour de France will be held in Thailand next year.” Forcing ASO, the organizer of the Tour of refuting the news.

In fact, there are contacts between ASO and Thailand to organize a bicycle race but obviously not the Tour de France.

The discussions are about the organization of a criterium in the Land of Smiles. A criterium is a one-day race held on a circuit or a city and often draws the winner of the Tour de France, but with very little sporting value.

Why Thailand thought it will organize Tour de France 2016 ? Some think it is due to approximations in the translation. Still, the country will probably never host the Tour de France…