Tour de France final stage shortened due to wildfires
The final stage of the Tour de France has been cut by 44 kilometers as security forces are redeployed to fight forest fires near Bordeaux.
Sunday's final stage of the Tour de France will be shorter than planned because security forces have been redirected to help fight wildfires near Bordeaux, organizers and police said Saturday.
"In a spirit of national solidarity with the areas and communities affected, it was decided to adapt the route for the final stage from Thoiry to Paris," the Paris police and the event's organizers said in a joint statement.
Slovenian four-time champion Tadej Pogacar has all but sealed victory in the world-famous cycling race and only needs to finish Saturday's stage to secure a fifth Tour title in seven years.
The route for Stage 21 has been shortened to 89 kilometers (55 miles), down from the 133 kilometers originally planned. It was set to begin east of Paris in Thoiry but will now start with two laps on the Champs-Elysees. Riders will then race the circuit before finishing on the Champs-Elysees as usual. The team presentation will still be held in Thoiry before riders are taken to Paris by bus.
"The Paris police prefect and the Tour de France director salute the commitment of all the actors mobilized in the fight against the fires and express their full solidarity with the affected populations," the statement said.
Wildfires near Arcachon Bay, near Bordeaux in Gironde, and around Biscarrosse in Landes have destroyed more than 36,000 hectares of forest and forced nearly 200,000 people to evacuate.
