According to Tour director Christian Prudhomme, the decision to shorten the ninth stage of the 113th Tour de France due to extreme heat was welcomed by overall leader Tadej Pogacar. “When Thierry Gouvenou told Pogacar about it earlier, he said: ‘Thank you’,” said Prudhomme.
Following discussions with the authorities and the teams, the organisers had previously decided to shorten today’s stage from the originally planned 185.5 kilometres through the Massif Central to 154.6 kilometres. This is the first time in the history of the tour that such a decision has been taken due to high temperatures. A red heat alert had been issued for the Corrèze department, through which the route was due to pass.
“It’s a tough stage. The champions have been riding for ten days in high, very hot temperatures. And a red alert is now in place for the department,” explained Prudhomme. “That won’t change anything from a sporting point of view, because the stage is truly remarkable and demanding.”
The organisers provided the teams with 450 kilos of ice every day, and there are now three refrigerated motorbikes, the Tour director pointed out. Prudhomme rejected the idea of switching to earlier start times, a suggestion that had also been raised by some riders. “Waking the riders up at 5.00 am seems a bit complicated to me,” he said.
Up to 40 degrees at the starting point
Addressing the spectators, the 65-year-old once again appealed to their “common sense”. He urged them to wear a hat, carry water with them and stay in the shade as much as possible.
Prudhomme was not yet prepared to commit to the idea of a historic turning point in the Tour’s long history. “You sometimes come face to face with history – and you certainly don’t when the Tour de France route is 30 kilometres shorter. On the other hand, of course, there is global warming and climate change.”
Temperatures of up to 40 degrees Celsius are expected at the start in Malemort today, and 35 degrees at the finish in Ussel. France had already been hit by a severe heatwave in the second half of June, with the highest nationwide temperatures since weather records began in 1947. According to preliminary estimates, several thousand people lost their lives as a result of the high temperatures.
Copyright 2026, dpa (www.dpa.de). All rights reserved
