With even more questions than answers surrounding this year’s Tour de France thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic and global travel bans, cycling enthusiasts might just have to take matters into their own hands by simulating the annual race on their gaming consoles or PC.
Fortunately, publisher NACON and developer Cyanide have them covered with the upcoming release of Tour De France 2020, along with its management simulation focused companion, Pro Cycling Manager, with the former recently showcasing its Time Trial mode in a brand-new reveal trailer.
Time Trial mode has finally been redesigned following plenty of feedback and requests from players, and features a real-life time trial stage from the Tour de France.
The mode looks to be a solid way to practice one’s race strategy by allowing players to manage their TT position while regaining energy to overtake rivals. Players will be able to position their rider in a time trial cycling position, resting their forearms on the bar extensions in order to reduce air resistance and increase their speed without overexerting themselves or their bike’s capabilities. Players can then easily switch back to the classic riding position to take tight turns or quickly gain some ground on an opponent, should the opportunity arise.
Of course, this is all easier said than done in this cycling sim. Activating the game’s effort control will require a delicate balance between maintaining a solid effort without overestimating the rider’s pace, lest becoming too exhausted too early. Should this occur, though, players can take advantage of the game’s aerodynamic stance to regain a little bit of energy and stamina, especially while riding down the steeper slopes.
Cyanide has really pulled out all of the stops with this year’s release, which is necessary now more than ever considering the fate of this year’s real-life event hangs in the balance.
Tour de France 2020 will be available on June 4th on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, while coming later on PC. Pro Cycling Manager will also be released on June 4th, but only for PC.
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