Tour de France Stage Shortened Due to Extreme Heat
Organizers have shortened Sunday’s ninth stage of the Tour de France by 30km due to a red heatwave alert in the Corrèze département of central France. The stage, originally planned to cover 185.5km from Malemort to Ussel, will now be raced over 155.5km. This decision was made to ensure the race could proceed under conditions compatible with the red heatwave alert.
Temperatures nearing 40C have been a consistent factor since the peloton departed from Barcelona. This extreme heat has led to calls within the race for earlier start times to avoid the afternoon’s peak heat.
The French government had previously granted regional authorities the power to cancel or modify stages if necessary. For instance, stage three, which passed through the Pyrenees to Les Angles, saw the publicity caravan removed and spectators banned from the roadside due to nearby wildfires.
Rider and Team Reactions to Heat
Tim Merlier, who secured his second stage victory in Bergerac after a win in Bordeaux, expressed approval of the decision. The Belgian rider commented that it was not a negative idea, noting that racing had consistently occurred in temperatures above 35 degrees Celsius for a week. He described the effort required to obtain water, ice, and drinks between support vehicles, stating that shortening the stage was a good measure. Merlier, participating in his third Tour, mentioned that he was unaccustomed to such prolonged high temperatures, marking it as a first in his career.
Pascal Chanteur, president of the riders’ union, which has been advocating for earlier stage starts due to rising summer temperatures, emphasized the importance of adjusting start times to prevent stage cancellations.
The extreme heat has been a significant narrative throughout the Tour.
Race Dynamics Amidst Conditions
Despite the shortened route, Sunday’s hilly stage, featuring two sharp and steep climbs within the final 50km, could still provide an opportunity for Tadej Pogacar to extend his lead. The Tour leader rode into Bergerac without issue. His team, UAE Team Emirates XRG, is reportedly strategizing for his colleague Isaac del Toro to potentially overtake Jonas Vingegaard for second place.
Marc Reef, sports director for Vingegaard’s Visma-Lease a bike team, stated that his riders would remain vigilant regarding Pogacar and affirmed that his team was not conceding. Reef remarked that the gap on the Tourmalet was not substantial and expressed confidence in their strategy, noting that the lead was only 2:40. He believes that a deficit gained in one day can be recovered in another, with significant stages still ahead where larger differences can be made.
Vingegaard’s teammate, Sepp Kuss, dismissed the notion that Pogacar’s dominance was demoralizing. Kuss suggested that the latter half of the Tour would be more favorable for Jonas. He acknowledged the strength of UAE with Pogacar and Del Toro, and the challenge of following them, indicating a need for creative approaches to utilize their team’s strengths.
Meanwhile, Tom Pidcock is regrouping after falling nearly 10 minutes behind Pogacar in the Pyrenees. The British rider acknowledged his realistic assessment that his form was not at 100%, attributing it to a lack of preparation work for the Tour.
Rather than following the original route, the peloton will leave Brive-la-Gaillarde via the D921 toward Lanteuil before rejoining the planned course with 147.8km remaining to the finish in Ussel.
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Source: theguardian.com
