The ninth stage of the Tour de France has been shortened 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 aims to ensure the race can proceed under conditions compatible with the red heatwave alert.
Temperatures approaching 40C have been a constant factor for the peloton since the race departed Barcelona. This has led to calls from some participants to shift stage start times to earlier in the day to avoid the intense afternoon heat.
Organisers Adapt to Extreme Conditions
The French government had previously granted regional authorities the power to cancel or modify stages if necessary. An example of this was seen in stage three, which traversed the Pyrenees to the ski station at Les Angles. This stage was conducted without the traditional publicity caravan, and spectators were barred from the roadside due to nearby wildfires.
Pascal Chanteur, president of the riders’ union, has been advocating for earlier stage starts in response to the higher summer temperatures. He stated that altering start times is preferable to risking the cancellation of an entire stage.
Tim Merlier, who secured his second stage victory in Bergerac, following a win in Bordeaux, expressed his approval of the decision to shorten the stage. The Belgian rider commented, “It’s not a bad idea in my opinion. We have now had one week of racing, always in 35 degrees. It’s a fight to have water, ice and drinks between the cars, so for me it’s a good idea to shorten the stage. It’s only my third Tour, but every day has been higher than 35 degrees and I’m not used to it. It’s the first time [I have experienced that] in my career.”
The race organisers, ASO, confirmed the alteration to stage nine, citing the “exceptional intensity” of the heat. Their statement indicated that Meteo-France had placed the Corrèze department on a red heatwave alert. The start of stage nine has also been delayed by 10 minutes, now commencing at 13:45.
Impact on the General Classification
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 UAE Team Emirates-XRG rider currently holds a lead of 2’42” over Jonas Vingegaard of Visma-Lease a Bike in the battle for the yellow jersey.
Pogacar, who rode untroubled into Bergerac, is reportedly planning a strategy to help his teammate Isaac del Toro potentially overtake Vingegaard for second place, especially with Monday’s rest day approaching. He anticipates a challenging stage nine, noting, “It’s going to be a big, big fight. We are ready for a hard day tomorrow.”
Marc Reef, sports director for Vingegaard’s Visma-Lease a Bike team, affirmed that his riders would remain vigilant regarding Pogacar and stressed that his team is not conceding. “If I throw in the towel like that I would not be a good DS,” Reef stated. “We will look for every chance all the way to Paris.”
Reef also commented on Pogacar’s performance in the Pyrenees, observing that “The gap was not that big on the Tourmalet and we believe in our plan. We have a lot to fight for and the lead is only 2:40. Jonas lost it in one day and we can gain it in one day. That’s something we believe in.” He added that their strategy remains intact and that the significant stages where major differences can be made are still to come.
Vingegaard’s teammate, Sepp Kuss, dismissed suggestions that Pogacar’s dominance was disheartening. He believes the second half of the Tour will be more favourable for Jonas. Kuss acknowledged the strength of UAE Team Emirates with Pogacar and Del Toro, noting that few riders can keep pace with them. He emphasised the need for creative strategies to leverage their team’s strengths.
Meanwhile, Tom Pidcock is regrouping after falling almost 10 minutes behind Pogacar in the Pyrenees. The Briton acknowledged his current form, stating, “I’m realistic. I know that my shape is not 100%, but in the Tour you can’t really miss work in the build up. It shows.”
The management of body heat has emerged as a significant theme in this edition of the Tour de France. Teams have been employing various methods to keep riders cool, such as ice vests used before races and riders pouring water over themselves during warm stages. The Alpecin-Premier Tech riders, for instance, were given homemade ice pops, while Netcompany-Ineos riders used cool water baths for their forearms before stage one.
The UCI has also enforced rules regarding cooling devices, specifically targeting ice socks that modify a rider’s morphology for aerodynamic advantage. Several teams were instructed to remove these ice socks before the start of stage one in Barcelona, although the rule does not appear to apply to road stages, as riders were observed using them during stage two. Regional officials, in consultation with organisers, hold the authority to cancel stages if health or operational conditions are compromised, particularly with temperatures estimated to reach as high as 44 degrees Celsius.
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Source: theguardian.com
Dominic Hayes is the Sports News Writer at NewsGB, covering rugby union, golf and boxing with five years of reporting experience. He started on a north-east sports desk. He holds a degree in Journalism from Teesside University and completed an NCTJ diploma. Based in Middlesbrough, he follows pro golf and amateur boxing. “Fast and accurate is the only standard worth keeping.”
