Whilst France is preparing to implement new measures to stop the spread of coronavirus, its capital will this afternoon host the final stage of the world’s most-watched sporting event – Le Tour de France. Le Tour is, and long has been, hugely symbolic for France. The only years it has not taken place since its debut in 1903 was during the World Wars. It has otherwise rolled on through security threats, protests and much more besides (pandemics included!) in a manner intended to mirror the nation it represents. Whilst the popularity of cycling has exploded in the UK in recent years, the efforts of the 180-odd elite cyclists should never be underestimated. Sadly for us amateurs, even the most lung-busting surge up Box Hill or post-brunch foray onto the Dales will pale in comparison to what the professional put themselves through. Over the nineteen days of racing, the cyclists will have covered 3,325km and completed a daily 8,000 calories daily workout… that’s the equivalent to eating 872 slices of cheese pizza, or 252 McDonalds double cheeseburgers, or 619 original-glazed Krispy Kreme doughnuts. Each cyclist will have sweat about 1.5 litres per hour, totalling 130 litres for the entire race. That’s enough to flush a toilet over twenty times at six litres per flush! So, when you see Tadej Pogacar sipping a glass of champagne on the way to the Champs-Elysees this afternoon, please don’t try to argue that he hasn’t earned it!

This week, the news in the property industry has been dominated, for landlords anyway, by the extension of the ban on evicting commercial tenants until the end of the year. The decision came days after creditors approved New Look’s controversial CVA plan, which includes landlords being forced to accept no rent on sixty-eight shops and as little as 2% of turnover on the remaining four hundred or so stores. Ouch! In more positive news, research released by Savills this week shows that the year to date has already seen the highest number of large warehouse lettings on record. Seventeen lettings over 500,000 sq. ft. so far this year, compared to fourteen for the whole of 2018, which was the second highest on record. Savills’ data reveals a clear trend of occupiers going ‘big’. Back in 2007, the average size of a logistics building stood at 239,167 sq. ft. Today, the average size is 339,735 sq. ft – some 42% larger. Over the same period, the average height of logistics sheds has also increased significantly – from 10.5m in 2007 to 13.6m today. As for the future? Some significant challenges yes, especially for those occupiers in the hospitality and fashion sectors. But with more lockdowns looking inevitable, and even more on-line shopping taking place, it’s hard to envisage anything but the continued growth of the so-called ‘super-sheds’. Landowners with a spare 50 acres should certainly sit up and take note!

Thirty-five years last Sunday, the original Super Mario Bros. launched in Japan. Nobody could have predicted just how successful Nintendo's main mascot, a chubby moustached plumber, would become. Today Mario is one of the most instantly recognisable faces in gaming. In fact, a survey back in the early 1990s famously revealed that Mario was more recognisable to American children than Mickey Mouse. Mario was created by Japanese video game designer, Shigeru Miyamoto, and appeared in his first-title, Donkey Kong. Since then, he has appeared in more than two hundred games. No other video game character has appeared in more. But, he could have easily been called something else. Mr Miyamoto once revealed that he thought about calling Mario ‘Mr. Video’. Not quite so catchy. However, he turned to an unlikely source for inspiration - his landlord. Mario Segale was the owner of a warehouse in Washington DC that Nintendo were leasing. When Segale barged in, demanding yet another overdue rent payment, the idea for Mario was born. As a way of pacifying him, Nintendo promised to name a character after him. With the ongoing rent collection challenges, what are the odds that The Weekly won't be reciting a similar story in 2055?