Tour de France fans told to avoid stage 3 due to wildfires

Tour de France organizers have urged fans to avoid the final 40 kilometers of Monday's third stage due to wildfires burning in southern France. The stage, which begins in Granollers, Spain, and concludes near Les Angles, lies within 60 kilometers of some of the worst fires in the Pyrenees-Orientales region.

Race director Christian Prudhomme described the situation as exceptional, stating: 'An exceptional fire calls for exceptional measures for the Tour. We invite the public not to come to the edge of the race or to the finish site.' The route itself is not expected to change, but access along a key mountain pass will be closed and unessential personnel have been asked to stay away.

What happened

The wildfire in the Pyrenees-Orientales has prompted the evacuation of nearly 3,000 people since igniting near Perpignan on Thursday. Aircraft have been deployed to battle the blaze, which is being contained amid a broader heatwave across Europe. A record-breaking heatwave in June has exacerbated conditions.

• Stage 3 route unchanged but final 40km closed to fans and non-essential personnel.
• Nearly 3,000 evacuated after wildfire started near Perpignan on Thursday.
• Key mountain pass providing race access will be closed.
• Race director Christian Prudhomme urged public to stay away from the finish area.
• Extreme heat and wildfires have affected Europe in recent weeks.

Race context

Jonas Vingegaard holds a narrow lead over defending champion Tadej Pogacar in the general classification after Isaac Del Toro won stage 2 on Sunday. Del Toro became only the second Mexican rider to win a Tour stage.

Organizers will continue to monitor the fire situation. Further adjustments to upcoming stages may be necessary if the blaze continues to spread.