Sunday’s ninth stage of the Tour de France has been shortened due to a severe heatwave alert in the Corrèze department.
The stage between Malemort and Ussel will now be 30km shorter than planned, reduced from 185.5km to 155.5km.
Temperatures in excess of 40°C are forecast for during the stage.
The organiser of the Tour de France, ASO, announced the change moments after Tim Merlier won stage eight in Bergerac. A press release read: “Météo-France has placed the department of Corrèze on red alert due to an exceptionally intense heatwave.
“In light of this, it has been decided to adjust the route of Stage 9 of the Tour de France, from Malemort to Ussel, on Sunday 12 July 2026.
“This decision has been made necessary by the exceptional weather conditions. It aims to ensure that the race can take place under conditions compatible with the red heatwave alert.”
As a result of the change, the stage will start 10 minutes later, at 13:45 CET (12:45 BST). The riders will take a small diversion out of Malemort, while the rest of the stage, including the finish, will be unchanged.
The stage is now expected to finish at 17:30 CET.
“It’s not a bad idea for me,” said Merlier, informed of the announcement during his winner’s press conference. “Maybe others will disagree because they see an opportunity for tomorrow, but we’ve now done one week of racing where it’s always above 35°C.”
“It’s hard to have enough drinks and ice to cool down, so it’s a good idea to shorten the stage,” the Soudal Quick-Step sprinter added. “There’s not a lot of other things they can do, so thanks to the organisation for trying something.”
This is the second time ASO has been forced to adapt stages at this year’s Tour. On stage three to Les Angles, the race organisers asked fans to stay away from the finish due to wildfires in the Pyrénées-Orientales department.
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