The route for the queen stage of the 2026 Tour de France was struck by two separate mudslides in the past week, raising concerns that stage 20 may have to be re-routed if unpredictable storms continue.
A recent severe heat wave sparked strong thunderstorms near Alpe d’Huez, with heavy rain causing a mudslide last week on the road to the Col de Sarenne.
Just days after crews cleared the rocks and mud from the road, another mudslide struck on Monday, with the local weather service Météo Oisans posting images of the aftermath on social media.
Riders are due to ascend the Col de Sarenne on stage 20 of the Tour de France on July 25, the second of back-to-back summit finishes atop Alpe d’Huez. A week before the Tour passes the Col de Sarenne, thousands of recreational riders will use this same route for L’Etape du Tour de France on July 19.
Environmental groups have already protested the inclusion of the Col de Sarenne due to its location next to a nature preserve and its fragile ecosystem.
While road crews have more than two weeks to remove rock and debris and repair any damage, severe thunderstorms remain on the forecast for the coming week.
The Tour de France was heavily impacted by severe storms and landslides in 2019. Stage 19 had to be halted due to debris blocking the route to Val d’Isere while eventual overall winner Egan Bernal was on the attack on the nearby Col de l’Iseran.
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Then, the following day’s stage was cut to just 59 kilometres after another landslide blocked the Cormet Roselend.
The organisers are also concerned about a repeat of a deadly June heat wave across Western Europe saw temperatures soaring as high as 43°C (109°F).
“This is a subject that greatly concerns us [Tour de France organisers]. It’s not the first year we’ve faced this issue, but this time it’s even more pressing because we’ve already just gone through two difficult periods (in May and June),” the Tour’s technical director Thierry Gouvenou told L’Equipe on Tuesday.
“In recent years, we’ve opened the feed zone from kilometer zero to the finish line and extended the elimination time limits. For years, we’ve also provided refreshment motorcycles that bring drinks to the riders, especially those in breakaways.”
Extreme heat has caused dangerous conditions several times over the last 23 years, creating punishing situations for riders and melting tarmac, which, in the 2003 Tour de France, led to Joseba Beloki famously crashing on a descent on a stage to Gap. Melting pavement was also an issue a few years later on the descent from the Col du Galibier.
In 2022, stage 15 was held as planned in 40°C temperatures, with riders being allowed extended feeding from team cars and a more generous time limit.
Just three days ago the hot weather in France caused the country’s cycling federation to shorten the elite men’s road race national championship, eliminating one lap from the planned 241-kilometre competition.
The UCI created protocols for extreme weather in 2015, and two years ago updated the guidelines for heat, which include air temperature, humidity and solar radiation. A colour code is used to signal risks, with red noting the highest risk and organisers. At this level, they are advised to modify start or finish times, neutralise racing or cancel all or part of a stage.
But with the Tour’s start in Spain this year for the first three days, some modifications may not be possible.
“We must understand that 28,000 police officers, firefighters, and gendarmes are mobilized and that we’re not at home on the roads. Authorizations are granted for a specific time. These aren’t things that can be done at the last minute,” Tour Director Christian Prudhomme told AFP, which was reported by L’Equipe. “You can shorten the route by fifteen kilometers or start half an hour earlier. But that’s only done in exceptional circumstances.”
Temperatures in the Barcelona area are expected to reach highs of 33°C this weekend, which is hot but not extreme. It should be hotter across the next two weeks into the Alps, with temperatures reaching 37°C or higher at the end the first week on stage 9.
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