23,000 police mobilised to protect Tour de France

Cyclists at this year's Tour de France will be under the watch of 23,000 police, including SWAT-like intervention squads, as the government tries to ensure security amid extremist threats.

France has been in a state of emergency since attacks on Paris in November killed 130 people, with soldiers guarding landmarks and religious sites. The emergency measures were extended last week to cover the European Championship next month and the Tour de France, which runs July 2-24.

Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve met on Tuesday with Christian Prudhomme, president of the organisation that runs the Tour, and afterward announced exceptional security measures for this year's race.

Securing the Tour is unusually difficult, as crowds of fans gather informally on narrow mountain roads and city streets along thousands of kilometres around France.