Due to the severe forest fires near Bordeaux, the final stage of the Tour de France will be shortened and held entirely in Paris. This was announced by the Tour organisers and the police prefecture. Accordingly, the Ministry of the Interior has decided to withdraw some of the security personnel originally allocated to the final stage in order to reinforce the emergency services in the affected areas.
The final stage will therefore be shortened from the original 133 kilometres to 89 kilometres. Following the team presentation at the original start location in Thoiry, the riders will be taken to Paris by coach. The stage will then get underway at 5.50 pm at the finish line in Paris, after which the riders will complete two additional laps on the Champs-Élysées before heading onto the Montmartre circuit as planned.
In south-western France, the ongoing wildfires have triggered one of the largest evacuation operations in the country’s history. According to the Minister for the Interior, Laurent Nuñez, 167,000 people have now been evacuated in the Gironde department. According to the Gironde Prefecture, the major fire, which has been raging since Wednesday, has now engulfed more than 19,000 hectares. Around 100 buildings have been destroyed.
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