Tour de France final stage shortened as police shift to wildfire fight
Paris police and Tour organizers cut Sunday's route to 55 miles so officers can help respond to wildfires in southwest France.
By Georgia Hale · Staff Writer
2 min read
The Tour de France final stage shortened for Sunday will keep the peloton inside Paris, with police resources being shifted to help fight wildfires in southwest France, Paris police and race organizers said Saturday.
The 21st and last stage of the three-week race will now be held on a 55-mile circuit in Paris. It had been scheduled to start in Thoiry, west of the capital, and run 82.5 miles, according to the joint announcement from the Paris police department and the Tour de France organization.
Why was the Tour de France final stage shortened?
Paris police and Tour organizers said part of the security operation planned for the final stage will instead be sent to support emergency work in areas hit by wildfires.
The organizations said they backed the crews fighting the fires and stood with the communities affected. They also thanked riders, teams, local authorities, partners and spectators for accepting the late change, which they described as necessary because of the situation.
The decision cuts about a third from the planned distance. The stage will still take place in Paris, but the revised route removes the planned start outside the city.
Where are the wildfires affecting France?
French Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said the fire was about 20 miles west of Bordeaux, the wine-region city in southwest France. He said it had weakened overnight, but officials were watching the wind.
Nunez said winds were expected to turn from west to east Saturday afternoon, a shift that could push the fire closer to Bordeaux. Firefighters and authorities were digging trenches, applying retardants and taking other steps to stop its spread, he said.
The French fires are part of a broader wildfire emergency across southern Europe this week. ESPN News Services reported that more than 250,000 people have been displaced, a total that includes about 70,000 evacuees in central Spain.
What does it mean for Tadej Pogacar?
Tadej Pogacar came through Saturday’s penultimate stage safely, putting him close to a record-equaling fifth Tour de France title.
The race organization did not frame the route cut as a sporting measure. The change was announced as a public-safety decision tied to the need for police support in wildfire zones, with the final stage reduced but still set to go ahead in Paris.
This story draws on original reporting from ESPN.com.