Protesting Dutch police drop threat to block Tour de France (Reuters)
Dutch police unions have backed down over plans to block the Tour de France in a protest over wages after the government began legal action to stop them. Police had planned to block a bridge over the River Maas in Rotterdam on Sunday, the second day of the 21-stage event, forcing riders to dismount, in order to draw attention to the long-running wage dispute. “Rotterdam will give us the space to be visible and recognisable in the city so that we can highlight our justified demands,” the unions said.