Tour de France organizers shorten stage due to extreme heat

Organizers of the Tour de France have shortened Sunday's ninth stage by 30 kilometers due to an "extremely strong heatwave" in the central Corrèze region.

The decision was made after French weather services declared a "red alert" for the area, signaling exceptionally intense heat. While the option to shorten a stage had been considered in previous days, it wasn't deemed necessary for the earlier, flatter stages.

However, the upcoming stage is expected to be grueling, even though it is not a mountain stage. Organizers anticipate a fierce competition for a breakaway and an exciting battle for the stage victory.

The revised route will now be 155 kilometers instead of 185. The stage is scheduled to begin later than originally planned, at 1:45 PM, with the finish expected around 5:30 PM. The original finish line remains unchanged, but the first 100 kilometers of the route have been shortened, an area where breakaway attempts are typically made.