Tour de France: Interior Minister opens the door for prefects to cancel stages under red heat alert level

The backdrop is a severe heatwave that struck France in the second half of June. According to preliminary calculations, around 2,000 people died as a result of the high temperatures, and the highest nationwide values since the start of weather records in 1947 were registered. In view of this situation, the Interior Minister had previously announced that the highest heat alert level, Red, could be declared for departments along the Tour route if necessary.

Prudhomme: Safety of the population takes priority

Tour Director Christian Prudhomme stressed in a conversation with the newspaper "L'Équipe" that common sense was decisive. "Zum Wohle der Bevölkerung könnten die örtlichen Verantwortlichen schon immer Regelungen erlassen, es gehe um den gesunden Menschenverstand", said Prudhomme. He made clear that the safety of the population and those active in the race takes priority over the sporting program.

In concrete terms, this means that the prefects – the respective representatives of the state in the departments – can order short-notice closures, diversions, or the abandonment of stages if heat, route, and rescue infrastructure make this necessary. Organizers and emergency services are also to be involved in such decisions, so that neither the medical care of the population in the region nor the medical support of the riders is jeopardized.

Which stages could be particularly affected

With the new latitude, the state and the organizer are responding to a scenario that had already been discussed in earlier hot summers in France. While, for example, at the 2024 European Football Championship in Germany, matches took place under heat conditions, France had already seen individual major events where authorities had restricted access to routes. However, the Tour de France places special demands on medical infrastructure due to its length and the often narrow passages through towns.

The 113th edition of the Tour de France starts on Saturday in Barcelona and then leads over the Pyrenees and the Massif Central back to Paris. According to current weather models, the highest temperatures are expected in the Mediterranean region and in the south of France, which is why attention is particularly focused on the opening stages. Should prefects make use of the possibility to cancel a stage, this would be an extremely rare step in the history of the Tour de France.

Organizer ASO and the world governing body UCI have not yet announced any official changes to the program. Both sides referred to ongoing coordination with the prefects and the upcoming weather models. The final decision on whether individual sections will be shortened, relocated, or canceled is therefore to be made only shortly before the respective stages.

Observers see the measure as a signal to the public that the authorities are taking the risks of the heatwave seriously. At the same time, the Tour de France is under pressure to carry out its sporting program as completely as possible, as sponsors, TV rights, and tourist bookings are closely tied to the stage plan. A balancing act between safety and sporting ambition that is now clearly secured under law.