Stage 9 of the Tour de France has been shortened as a red alert for heat has been issued in the Corrèze department where the stage is set to finish on Sunday.
The stage will now be 155.5km long instead of the planned 185.5km, with 30km cut from the route between Malemort and Ussel.
French weather forecasts expect temperatures of 38º C at the start in Malemort on Sunday, 36 ºC at the finish in Ussel and a possible peak of 41º C in the afternoon near the route of the stage. That has forced local authorities to declare a red weather alert to help protect local residents.
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A red alert can allow local authorities to cancel stages but ASO said the reduced stage would go ahead. Europe has been suffering under a heat wave for several weeks with every stage of the Tour so far raced under high temperatures.
Stage 9 was due to cover 185.5km and 3,300 metres of altitude gain in the centre of France, with a breakaway expected to spark intense racing. It will be reduced by 30km and so cover 155.5km, with an early sector near Brive-la-Gaillarde cut from the original route.
The stage will start almost as planned at 1:45pm CEST and end a little earlier at 5:30pm.
The extreme heat in Europe forced the Eiffel Tower and the Louvre and Orsay museums to close in central Paris on Saturday, with some Bastille Day celebrations on July 14 also expected to be affected. French media reported that 37 of France’s 101 departments are on red alert for Sunday due to what Le Monde described as “prolonged, intense and widespread heatwave.”
Cyclingnews revealed before stage 6 that riders can be obliged to race on despite the extreme heat due to the rules of the UCI Extreme Weather Protocol.
The Wet Bulb Globe Temperature (WBGT) climatic index measures air temperature, humidity, solar radiation and wind speed on human body temperature to understand the conditions the riders face during a race.
The UCI deem a number over 28º C on the WBGT as in the ‘red zone’ and ‘high risk’, allowing races to be modified and even cancelled. The sports’ stakeholders hold pre-race meetings to consider the conditions as part of the Extreme Weather Protocol and the CPA riders’ association and the AIGCP teams’ association can request action be taken. However, they can be outvoted in any pre-stage meeting, obliging the riders to race on.
The rules for extreme heat state: “If stakeholders cannot reach a consensus by the end of the meeting, the organiser, in agreement with the President of the UCI Commissaires panel, shall decide the actions to be taken.’
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Race organisers ASO said all the local authorities, volunteers, security, health and civil protection organisations remain fully committed to ensuring that stage 9 runs smoothly.
“In these exceptionally hot conditions, everyone is urged to take the necessary precautions to protect themselves and the most vulnerable members of the community,” ASO said.
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“It is recommended to drink plenty of fluids regularly, reduce physical activity during the hottest part of the day, and follow the guidance issued by the authorities.”
High temperatures have been affecting the Tour all week since the start in Barcelona last Saturday, with minor adjustments to rules and feeding made, but this is the first day that a stage has been dramatically altered or cut due to the heat, which has been approaching 40º C on some days.
On stage 3, fans were also advised to stay away from the finish of the stage due to wildfires in southeast France, which have been exacerbated by hot, dry conditions.
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