Tour de France stage to be held without spectators due to wildfires

Spectators are banned from the roadside for the third stage of the Tour de France as wildfires rage in the Pyrénées-Orientales region of France. Tour de France organizers and local authorities made the decision to prohibit fans from gathering along the final 40 kilometers of the route on French soil.

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On account of the fire that is currently affecting Pyrénées-Orientales, and to allow for maximum mobilization of rescue resources, the 3rd stage of the Tour de France will be held without spectators and without the advertising caravan on French territory.

The ban aims to ensure that rescue resources can be fully mobilized to combat the fires and to protect the local population and landscape. The race will proceed without spectators or the usual advertising caravan on French territory.

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We urge the public not to come out along the stage route and also not to come to the finish area.

Tour de France race director Christian Prudhomme expressed his sympathy for those affected by the fires. "My thoughts go first and foremost to the people who are suffering at the moment," he stated, emphasizing that protecting the population and the environment is the top priority. He also acknowledged the disappointment of those who had prepared for the event and fans who were looking forward to the stage.

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My thoughts go first and foremost to the people who are suffering at the moment. For the most important thing is to protect the population and the landscapes.

The stage begins in Granollers, north of Barcelona, and will feature three climbs in the Pyrenean mountains before reaching the spectator-free finish. Jonas Vingegaard is expected to defend his yellow jersey on this stage.

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I am naturally also thinking of the people who have prepared for years to welcome the Tour, and of the Tour de France fans who had been looking forward to experiencing a great stage.