Raging wildfire in southern France forces Tour de France to bar fans from stage 3 finish
A large wildfire in the south of France prompted Tour de France organizers to ban fans from attending the finale of the third stage of cycling's showpiece race on Monday.
After a couple of days in Spain, the race enters France with a stage to the Pyrenees town of Les Angles, about 60 kilometers (37 miles) from a fire that has burned large swathes of land.
"The exceptionally large wildfire currently raging in the Pyrénées-Orientales is requiring a massive mobilization of wildfire-fighting resources, internal security forces, and all government agencies," Tour de France organizers said. "The top priority remains the protection of people, property, and natural areas, as well as bringing the fire under control."
As a result, organizers decided that once the peloton reaches France for the last 40 kilometers, the publicity caravan — a 10-kilometer-long procession of sponsor vehicles that precedes the race — will not operate. Only riders and vehicles essential to the race will be allowed on the route, and spectators have been asked not to gather on the roadside or at the finish area.
The local prefect, Pierre Regnault de la Mothe, said that the order not to line the Tour route's roads is an obligation and that violators risk being sanctioned. By Sunday night, the fire had raged over 4,500 hectares after starting Saturday evening in Trévillach. The prefect said five people had been slightly hurt.
Nearly 700 fire fighters were battling the blaze, Regnault de la Mothe added. It prompted authorities on Sunday night to order the evacuation of more than two dozen villages.
Stage 3 started from the Spanish town of Granollers, where temperatures reached around 35 degrees Celsius, race organizers said, quoting the Spanish Meteorological Agency. It features a 9.3-kilometer (5.8-mile) ascent up Col de Toses at an average gradient of 6.5%. The climb is ranked as Category 1, the second-hardest level behind Hors Categorie (which means beyond classification).
Jonas Vingegaard of Visma-Lease a Bike team retained the yellow jersey on Sunday, holding a six-second lead over four-time Tour champion Tadej Pogacar of UAE Emirates-XRG.
